Isaiah Graham-Mobley

Isaiah Graham-Mobley's Biography

The 2023 XFL Draft marked an important milestone in American sports culture. It was the event where fresh talent congregated to make their mark on the 2023 XFL season for the eight participating teams. The draft, which was the second one following the league’s reboot in 2020, took place during November 15–17, 2022. The results were disseminated through the XFL’s social media channels, creating a buzz in the virtual sphere.

This event drew a pool of 1,700 eligible players all vying for the golden opportunity to participate in the coveted XFL season. They were scouted from diverse backgrounds – including the XFL showcases, NFL training camps, tryouts, and the 2020 XFL season. Although only a select 528 players would finally secure a spot in the preseason rosters, the process was intensive, and the competition was stiff.

The ambitious selection involved meticulous evaluation of almost 6,000 players in seven XFL showcases, held across diverse locations such as Washington, D.C. (College Park, MD), HBCU (Jackson, MS), Florida (Bradenton, FL), Arizona (Tempe, AZ), Hawaii (Honolulu, HI), Texas (Arlington, TX), along with a “supplemental showcase” for the players on the XFL waitlist taking place in San Diego, CA. It remained a testament to the league’s widespread reach and commitment to scouting talent from across the country.

In addition to these places, the XFL personnel kept their avenues open by assessing potential individuals from NFL training camps and tryouts. Furthermore, players participating in the 2020 XFL season were given direct entry into the draft pool. However, a drawback to the process was the exclusion of international players from the draft as the league was not able to secure P visas for them.

The 2023 XFL draft upheld the same framework as its 2020 version. The process classified starting quarterbacks in a separate category and revealed on November 15, while the remaining positions were classified by their role. The draft followed a “snake” pattern, where the order of each position phase was randomized prior to the draft, and the order switched between odd and even rounds.

A subsequent supplemental draft held on January 1, 2023, permitted players engaged in another league during the November draft to join the league. This included players from the 2022 USFL season and National Football League practice squads. Notably, teams had no reserve rights over the players they had employed in 2020, and the leagues roster spots would be filled by the drafts exclusively.

In addition to the regular draft, a specialist draft took place, extending over three rounds, with each team selecting a long snapper, a kicker, and a punter, leading to a total of 24 players being selected. The supplemental draft saw a run of 17 rounds, with a total of 90 players chosen, providing chances to players previously ineligible or bypassed during the XFL Draft in November.

As the buzz of the event settled, player allocations were declared on January 6 by the XFL Communications Department’s Twitter page. The announcement was team-wise rather than an order of selections. Each team was allocated an additional ten players, barring the Houston Roughnecks and Vegas Vipers who received nine each. This marked the climax of the draft and laid the foundation for a riveting season.