XFL 2023 Rookie Draft – Top 5 Linebackers to Shake Up the League

Coach Andy Mac · June 13, 2023

In the battle for the deepest position in the inaugural rookie draft, linebacker would come out as the easy winner. I had to make a lot of rough cuts and was psyched to get an extra pick when original list-maker Ryan Greenhagen got signed by the Philadelphia Stars. So, here’s the five that made it through.

WILDCARD - KD Davis, North Texas

Let’s start with a player that, if it wasn’t for one moment of misfortune, he’d be in the midst of an NFL training camp.

KD Davis comes from the world of Texas High School football. He didn’t play for a powerhouse program, but his stats while playing safety were enough for 247sports to rank him as a 3-star recruit. He received offers from Memphis, Illinois, and Louisiana Tech, but chose to stay in-state, commit to North Texas, and switch to linebacker.

Rather than redshirt his freshman year, KD dove in head first and played predominantly on special teams. By the next year, he moved up to the starting role and held the job from 2019 to 2022. He led the team in tackles for all four years (the first UNT player to ever do so) and set the school record for most career tackles with 428. His senior year he notched 139 tackles, the second best season in school history and 5th best nationally.

Going into the Frisco Bowl, KD had been named 1st Team All-Conference USA, 4th Team All-American, and Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. In the bowl game, KD made five more tackles, but it wouldn’t be enough to top Boise State. Even worse, in the final minutes of the 4th quarter, KD tore his ACL.

KD will have to wait until September to get back on his feet and restart training. Even then, there is still nervousness as to whether he’ll be the same player even after he heals. To that I say, drafting him in a late round couldn’t hurt. ACL surgeries have greatly improved and the majority of folks come back from them no problem. Plus, with the XFL season starting well after his heal-by date, it will give him plenty of time to get back his old self and show the NFL what he can do.

read more: https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/xfl-2023-rookie-draft-dl/