The 2023 XFL rookie draft was the player selection process to fill the rosters of the eight teams for the 2024 XFL season, and the only rookie draft in the rebooted version of the XFL's history.
The draft was held on June 16, 2023, with results released through the XFL's social media channels later that evening, with 80 players being selected.
Eligibility The XFL 2023 "rookie" draft pool consisted only player who were eligible to have been drafted in the 2023 NFL draft and who are not under contract by a professional football team (players under contract with Indoor Football League are eligible to be drafted).
Drafted rookies will be placed on XFL rosters with players who finished the 2023 season on active and reserve lists and teams will hold exclusive rights with the players they select in the draft.
Selection order The draft was to consist up to 10 rounds. XFL team rosters will be expanded from 51 to 90 players to allow for the increased number of players.
The selection order was follows (the selection order for subsequent rounds followed the order of the first round): SelectionTeam2023 recordPlayoff result1Orlando Guardians1-9Did not qualify2Vegas Vipers2-8Did not qualify3San Antonio Brahmas3-7Did not qualify4St. Louis Battlehawks7-3Did not qualify5Seattle Sea Dragons7-3Div Championship6Houston Roughnecks7-3Div Championship7DC Defenders9-1Lost Championship8Arlington Renegades4-6Won Championship
Before the draft, the Renegades and Sea Dragons complete a trade, with Arlington receiving linebacker Tuzar Skipper and the 46th overall pick and Seattle receives offensive lineman George Moore and the 40th overall pick.
Draft results
On the evening of the event, the XFL announced that the following 80 players were selected in the rookie draft. The league didn't published selection order and just announced the selections in alphabetical order by team.
Arlington Renegades PlayerPositionCollegeSy BarnettWRDavenportConnor DegenhardtQBNew HavenAmi FinauDLMarylandJalen GreenDBMississippi StateCharles HallWRArizona StateJames JacksonOLSouth AlabamaJordan RhodesOLArkansas StateMerlin RobertsonLBArizona StateChris WhittakerLBIncarnate WordJordan WrightLBKentucky
DC Defenders PlayerPositionCollegePaxton BrooksPTennesseeMatt CarrickOLMichigan StateAlex JensenOLSouth DakotaC. J. JohnsonWREast CarolinaKaleb OliverLBWestern KentuckyJack PlumbOLIowaBentlee SandersDBNevadaMohamed SanogoLBLouisvilleTy ScottWRMissouri StateTrea ShropshireWRUAB
Houston Roughnecks PlayerPositionCollegeJayson AdemilolaDLNotre DameAustin AjiakeLBUNLVMichael AyersLBAshland Quinton BarrowDBGrand Valley StateMomar FallDLColorado State PuebloAhofitu MakaOLUTSA Alijah McGheeDBMinnesota State-MankatoMarcus MinorOLPittsburghMarvin PierreLBKent StateLindsey Scott Jr.QBIncarnate Word
Orlando Guardians PlayerPositionCollegeJeremy CooperOLCincinnatiKosi EldridgeLBTexas TechTerry HamptonDLArkansasK.D. HillDLOle MissJarrett HorstOLMichigan StateDarius JoinerDBDukeJacquez JonesLBKentuckyKeyron KinslerDBAlcorn StateBrock MartinDLOklahoma StateLaquinston SharpOLMississippi State
San Antonio Brahmas PlayerPositionCollegeJahleel BillingsleyTETexasBrendan BordnerOLFlorida AtlanticCarlos CarriereWRCentral MichiganDarrious GainesDBWestern Colorado R.J. HubertDBUtahLorenzo McCaskillLBKansasDylan O'QuinnOLCincinnatiJ.C. SantanaWRTulsaChris SmithRBLouisianaDillon ThomasDBMissouri State
Seattle Sea Dragons PlayerPositionCollegeSam BurtDLKansasDes HolmesOLArizona StateMalcolm LeeDLKansasWes MoeaiDLRocky MountainColby ReederLBIowa StateTitus SwenRBWyomingDestin TalbertDBNorth Dakota StateChad TownsendWRTexas TechJazston TurnetineOLFlorida StatePayton WilgarLBBYU
St. Louis Battlehawks PlayerPositionCollegeNico BoldenDBKent StateJames BosticRBOhioJohnny BuchananLBDelaware Darion ChafinWRIncarnate WordJaocb GallOLBaylorKemore GambleTEUCFMatthew JesterDLPrincetonKevo LatulasRBMissouri StateJadrian TaylorDLUTEPAnthony WitherstoneDBMerrimack
Vegas Vipers PlayerPositionCollegeNick AmoahOLUC DavisDesmond BessentOLBuffaloDwayne BoylesLBSouth FloridaStacy ChukwumezieWRNorthern ArizonaJamare EdwardsDLJames MadisonLorenzo FauateaDLBYUT.J. GreenRBLibertyRobert MitchellOLNorth Carolina CentralDarrius NashDBUtah TechNaasir WatkinsOLLiberty
Undrafted players On June 20, the XFL announced that the rights to 44 undrafted players have been claimed by teams.
Arlington Renegades PlayerPositionCollegeTyrell AijanDBKentuckyConnor BlumrickQBVirginia TechNoah HendersonOLEast CarolinaIke IraborRBUnionTodd SimmonsWRDubuqueNoah TaylorLBNorth Carolina
DC Defenders PlayerPositionCollegeAdonis BooneOLLouisvilleJahlil BrownDBCentral Connecticut StateWarren EricsonOLGeorgiaJosh FaloTEUSC
Houston Roughnecks PlayerPositionCollegeIsaiah BowserRBUCFCody ChrestWRSam Houston StateChristian EaleyOLKentucky WesleyanDalton GodfreyLSSouth DakotaBraydon JohnsonWROklahoma StateDestin MackDBThe CitadelChristian MorganDBBaylor
Orlando Guardians PlayerPositionCollegeBo BauerLBNotre DameDaetrich HarringtonRBAppalachian StateStacey MarshallWRMarshallShea PittsDBUCLAZane PopeWRFresno StateTre'Mond ShortsOLLSUBryson SpeasOLNorth Carolina State
San Antonio Brahmas PlayerPositionCollegeLuke FordWRIllinoisMicahh SmithDBIncarnate WordNazier WrightLBWilliam Paterson
Seattle Sea Dragons PlayerPositionCollegeDillon DoyleLBBaylorBeau KellyWRPortland StateLuke LoecherPOregon StateN'Kosi PerryQBFlorida AtlanticMorgan VestDBNorthern ArizonaDawson WeberDBNorth Dakota StateLazarius WilliamsDLNew Mexico State
St. Louis Battlehawks PlayerPositionCollegeKemari AverettWRBethune–CookmanEric BlackDLStony BrookAidan BorguetRBHarvardMarcus CushnieLBUMassJaylen HallWRWestern KentuckyDom PetersonDLNevadaJustin RaginDLJackson State
Vegas Vipers PlayerPositionCollegeTrey CobbLBAppalachian StateAlfred EdwardsOLUtah StateVictor JonesDLAkron
Other undrafted players were invited to XFL player showcases, with a chance to exhibit their skills in front of XFL coaches and personnel directors. Players were evaluated based on performance for inclusion in the XFL player pool for the upcoming 2024 season. The top performers were invited to the XFL Combine, which was held July 25–27 in Arlington, Texas.
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