The UFL held their inaugural College Draft this past week, which included a pool of all 2024 draft eligible players. The DC Defenders were assigned the fourth overall pick in each round after they finished this past season 4-6, a record they’ll be keen on fixing in 2025. The Defenders claimed the rights of ten players during the draft.

OT Gottlieb Ayedze | Maryland

The Defenders used their fourth overall pick in the first round on local Maryland product, offensive tackle Gottlieb Ayedze. Ayedze transferred to Maryland for his final year of eligibility from Frostburg State (D-II), and battled through early injuries before starting the final ten games for UMD. Ayedze went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, but was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles soon after the conclusion of the draft.

QB Kedon Slovis | BYU

Slovis will be an interesting prospect to monitor for DC throughout the offseason. Slovis began his collegiate career at USC and thrived in his first action for the Trojans in 2020. Slovis earned First-team All Pac-12 honors in his first season, but came back down to Earth during the next season where he struggled mightily and left USC via the transfer portal. Slovis landed with Pittsburgh, but unfortunately was unable to improve his stock, leading to another transfer portal visit. Slovis’ last time in the portal led him to BYU, where he saw significant action before he was benched full time towards the end of his final season. After falling undrafted in April, Slovis signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an UDFA. The Colts QB room currently includes Anthony Richardson (lock), Joe Flacco (lock), Sam Ehlinger, Jason Bean, and Kedon Slovis.

Slovis shocked many with his forty yard dash time during this year’s NFL Draft Combine, clocking in at 4.55 seconds officially.

DL Leonard Taylor | Miami

Leonard Taylor was the number four ranked player nationally out of high school in 2021, but did not exactly live up to the hype with the University of Miami during his three seasons. Questions about Taylor’s football character arose during the draft process this year, potentially aiding his slip out of the 2024 NFL Draft. Taylor signed with the New York Jets as an UDFA. Taylor opens up Jets training camp on the PUP list with an undisclosed injury.

OT Garret Greenfield | South Dakota State

Greenfield holds the title of smallest school product in this year’s Defenders draft class. The South Dakota State Jackrabbits product started 55 career games for SDSU, earning FCS All-American honors three times during his career. At 6 ‘6, 311 lbs., Greenfield is a mammoth of a man and his length makes him a surefire tackle at the next level. Greenfield faces an uphill battle to make the Seattle roster with depth already in place, so look out for Greenfield to be a potential contributor for the Defenders in 2025.

DE Braiden McGregor | Michigan

McGregor is another talented player from a power five school with excellent length and size. The 6’6 edge rusher brings an interesting array of skills from UM, especially when you turn on the tape and see how his slenderness allows him to dip around offensive tackles. McGregor signed with the Jets as an UDFA, joining a loaded pass rushers room in New York.

RB Michael Wiley | Arizona

Wiley, a team captain at Arizona, turned down offers from Princeton and Yale to play FBS football in Tucson. During his five seasons at Arizona, Wiley ran for 1,712 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Wiley also provides excellent value in the receiving game, breaking multiple RB receiving school records at Arizona. He signed with the Washington Commanders following the 2024 NFL Draft, and is an under the radar name to crack the Washington roster with unclear depth on the backend.

LB Dallas Gant | Toledo

Dallas Gant heads into a fruitful situation this summer with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings linebackers depth is poor compared to divisional counterparts, and Gant will have an opportunity to crack the 53-man roster. Gant played at Ohio State for four years before transferring to Toledo for his final year of eligibility. At 228 lbs, Gant is slightly lighter compared to most NFL linebackers, but his explosiveness is what could set him apart in Minnesota. Nonetheless, Gant appears to be another excellent pick by GM Von Hutchins for DC.

LB Curtis Jacobs | Penn State

Curtis Jacobs is an athletic freak at the linebacker position, possessing traits that only a handful of defensive players in the NFL have. Which is why it came as a surprise to Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach that Jacobs was still available post-draft. Jacobs has already generated early buzz from KC media, and appears to be in the mix for a roster spot if he continues his path. Still, DC fans should continue monitoring Jacobs status throughout training camp and the NFL regular season.

QB Tanner Mordecai | Wisconsin

Tanner Mordecai played six seasons of college football across three different programs. Most of Mordecai’s success came from his time at SMU, where he threw for 7,152 yards along with 72 touchdowns and 22 interceptions during his two seasons. Mordecai most likely would have benefited more from declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft, but he lands in an ideal situation as an UDFA with the San Francisco 49ers. Brock Purdy is currently backed up by Brandon Allen and Josh Dobbs, and could see a spot for a younger, more developmental project with Mordecai.

S Omar Brown | Nebraska

Omar Brown was the final draft pick for the Defenders, and will hopefully have the opportunity to aid a depleted DC secondary from last year. Brown played three seasons at Northern Iowa before transferring to Nebraska for his final two years. Across five seasons, Brown finished with 196 total tackles along with three forced fumbles and nine interceptions. Brown landed with the Denver Broncos following the draft, so the wait and see game is on with Brown, too.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Defenders front office did an excellent job with this UFL College Draft, selecting players with excellent physical traits and high character. Unfortunately, now starts a long process of waiting to see what happens with all ten draft picks and their roster spots with NFL teams. GM Von Hutchins has targeted younger talent – including signing a few draft-eligible rookies before the UFL season even ended. It would not be a surprise to see more of that in the near future for this DC franchise.

Players have until December 31, 2024 to sign letters of intent with the UFL, with the opt-out for an NFL opportunity.

What are your thoughts on the DC Defenders UFL College Draft picks? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!

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