Tag: USFL draft

USFL draft pool includes at least one former Broncos player

Ahmad Gooden played in three games for the Broncos in 2019, totaling one tackle and one QB hit.

The USFL draft will be held on Tuesday evening, but the league has not revealed the pool of players eligible for selection.

Many of the players in the draft pool have been leaked, however, and at least one former Denver Broncos player is eligible for selection.

Outside linebacker Ahmad Gooden, who spent one season in Denver, is part of the USFL draft class, according to SGPN’s Michael Del Negro.

Gooden (6-2, 245 pounds) signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Samford in 2019. He appeared in three games as a rookie, totaling one tackle and one quarterback hit.

After failing to make Denver’s 53-man roster in 2020, Gooden went on to spent time with the New York Jets before a brief stint with the Buffalo Bills. He played for the TSL Conquerors in The Spring League last year.

Gooden is presumably attempting to get back into the NFL, and playing in the USFL could help him get back on the radar of teams seeking OLB depth. The edge defender will turn 27 this fall.

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When is the USFL draft?

When is the USFL draft? Right around the corner.

This spring will see the return of the United States Football League brand as the relaunch of the USFL will take form with eight teams competing against each other in a central location in Birmingham, Alabama. But before teams can take the field beginning in mid-April, rosters must be assembled. And the first major step toward organizing a roster is with a draft.

The USFL will hold a draft, or a “player selection meeting,” next week on Tuesday, Feb. 22 and Wednesday, Feb. 23. Teams will reportedly draft in a snake style for the inaugural USFL draft, and 38-man rosters will then be filled through free agency.

According to XFL News Hub, the USFL is expected to drop its draft pool from upward of thousands of players down to about 500 players. But the USFL creates a unique alternative for a number of college football players as well that may be worth paying attention to. The USFL will allow players to join their league as long as they have graduated high school by 2020. The USFL also has a program to help players continue pursuing an associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree through a program with Strayer and Capella University. SO, a college football player who may be having a tough time with the world of college football may see this as a viable alternative to continue getting an education while also being paid to play football.

This may not be the ultimate downfall of college football, but it could become something to pay attention to for players sitting in the transfer portal. And when the XFL starts back up again in 2023, tentatively, another potential alternative could come into play.

Of course, one of the first questions you may be asking is whether or not any Penn State players will be drafted or signed by a USFL franchise. There are reportedly 3,000 players eligible for the USFL draft pool, but records for what players have made themselves eligible vary and are lacking in details. But a quick search found no Penn State ties to the USFL draft that were easy to find. Regardless, we will be keeping n eye on the USFL draft and rosters to see if any former Nittany Lions get the call for the spring league.

Are you interested in the USFL? Will you be tracking the league’s progress, with or without any Penn State players on a roster? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of this post.

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