Football doesn’t have to end after the Super Bowl any more thanks to the Alliance of American Football. To prepare everyone for the excitement, we’ve graded the AAF’s scrimmages and, in turn, have put together a list of the highest-graded players below.
[Editor’s Note: All ELITE Monthly and ELITE Annual subscribers have access to all of our grades and advanced statistics for the AAF and the NFL. #JoinTheAlliance; subscribe today.]
WR Richard Mullaney, Arizona Hotshots – 87.9
Catching 3-of-4 passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns, Arizona Hotshots’ Richard Mullaney was extremely efficient across his 12 routes run in the AAF’s early scrimmages. He averaged 4.83 yards per route run, ranking second among qualifiers, and logged two receptions of 15-plus yards.
Mullaney earned a 72.2 overall grade across 590 snaps in his final year at Alabama before going undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft. His NFL tenure was limited to just 53 preseason snaps split between the Cleveland Browns (2017) and the Dallas Cowboys (2016).
WR Dontez Ford, San Diego Fleet – 87.0
San Diego Fleet’s Dontez Ford lit the AAF scrimmages on fire with his performance a few weeks ago, hauling in 12-of-13 targets for 145 yards (62 yards after the catch), six first downs and a score. He also forced two missed tackles and turned five of his receptions into gains of 15-plus yards, all en route to an impressive 87.0 overall grade.
After going undrafted out of Pittsburgh in 2017, Ford caught five of his eight preseason targets with the Detroit Lions across the 2017 and 2018 preseason for 53 yards and two touchdowns. That, unfortunately, was the extent of his play in the NFL.
OT Andrew Lauderdale, Arizona Hotshots – 84.6
Andrew Lauderdale proved worthwhile in pass protection in the scrimmage, allowing just two total pressures (both hurries) across his 29 pass-blocking snaps. He also earned an impressive 82.3 run-blocking grade in the affair, ranking third among all qualifying offensive linemen.
Coming out of New Hampshire, Lauderdale didn’t have a lot of people that knew of him let alone wanted him to play on their team in the NFL, which resulted in him going undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. He allowed 10 total pressures across his 107 pass-blocking snaps in two preseasons with the San Francisco 49ers (2017-18).
CB Jaleel Wadood, Arizona Hotshots – 95.6
Targeted twice in the Hotshots’ scrimmage, former UCLA cornerback Jaleel Wadood allowed zero receptions and logged an interception en route to a league-high 95.4 coverage grade. In his four years with the Bruins, Wadood earned two season grades above 73.0 (2015 & 2016) and allowed just a 51.8 passer rating when targeted as a sophomore.
Edge Tenny Palepoi, Salt Lake Stallions – 91.1
Salt Lake Stallions’ Tenny Palepoi totaled three pressures and two run stops in his AAF debut, all propping up his impressive 91.1 overall grade.
Signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft, Palepoi played 926 career regular season snaps across three seasons (2014, 2016-17) with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. He recorded 35 total pressures and 34 defensive stops in the process.
Edge Karter Schult, Salt Lake Stallions – 90.7
Palepoi’s teammate, Karter Schult, also had significant success rushing off the edge of the Stallions’ defense, logging two total pressures and two defensive stops en route to a 90.7 overall grade. He also beat his opposition an additional four times rushing the passer but didn’t record a pressure due to the timing of the throw.
Across 88 preseason snaps with the Browns (2017) and Carolina Panthers (2018), Schult logged eight total pressures and six defensive stops.
Edge Alex Barrett, San Diego Fleet – 90.1
San Diego State alumnus Alex Barrett exceeded expectations in his debut, picking up three defensive stops in the run game and five wins without pressure as a pass-rusher. The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder is a bit of a tweener for the position he plays, but his motor, quickness and technique should help him make a name for himself in the AAF.
Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Lions in 2017, Barrett recorded 13 total pressures and six defensive stops across his 220 preseason snaps in the NFL (2017-18).
Edge Damontre Moore, San Diego Fleet – 88.9
One of the few AAF players actually drafted in the NFL, San Diego’s Damontre Moore also had himself quite the day in the scrimmage and is a name to know for the Fleet. He recorded three total pressures and another three wins without pressure in the passing game.
Drafted in the third round by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Moore never met expectations on Sundays. He never played more than 323 regular season snaps in a single season and struggled from a grading standpoint all six years of his NLF career (2013-18), logging just 73 total pressures and 32 defensive stops across his 947 career regular season snaps.
Jeff Luc, Atlanta Legends – 85.1
Former Cincinnati linebacker Jeff Luc ranked tied for first among all AAF defenders that suited up in the scrimmages in total defensive stops (four), picked up two total pressures (including a sack) and allowed just one reception for two yards from two targets. The Atlanta Legends linebacker is a name to watch.
Luc never picked up any regular season snaps in the NFL after signing with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2015, but he did earn an impressive 79.7 overall grade across 80 preseason snaps that season.
Antonio Guerad, Orlando Apollos – 80.1
Orlando Apollos defensive interior Antonio Guerad recorded three defensive stops and two total pressures in his AAF debut, earning an 80.1 overall grade as a result. In his final two years with UCF (2016-17), Guerad earned 87.0-plus run-defense grades and recorded 70 defensive stops across 1,080 defensive snaps.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.