XFL releases initial draft pool list which includes many former (and one current) CFL players

The XFL player draft for the 2020 season will be conducted October 15-16, 2019.

Vince McMahon’s league released the player list teams will be able to choose from during the pick-fest.

A pair of former Saskatchewan Roughriders are available in quarterback Jake Heaps and running back David Cobb, as well as one-time Edmonton linebackers Dexter McCoil, Taylor Reed and Terrance Bullitt. Former Montreal offensive lineman Na’Ty Rodgers and former Ottawa linebacker Quentin Gause are also eligible to be selected.

One current CFL player is on the list in Montreal offensive tackle Chris Schleuger.

Receiver Matt Hazel was in Bombers training camp in 2019, Mekale McKay’s rights are held by Winnipeg and the Argos have quarterback Joe Callahan on their neg list.

The infamous Johnny Manziel made June Jones’ list of quarterbacks who are going to be distributed to each team prior to the draft. But Manziel must meet the standards set forth by commissioner Oliver Luck.

Over the two-day draft, each XFL team will populate a 71-man roster by selecting players from a set of positional groupings. One quarterback will be assigned to each team prior to a five-phased draft as follows:

1. Skill players (QB, RB, REC, TE)
2. Offensive line (OT, OG, OC)
3. Defensive front seven (DL, LB)
4. Defensive backfield (CB, NB, SS, FS)
5. Open draft (all remaining players after positional drafts, in addition to P/K/LS)

The draft pool will include approximately 1,000 professional football players, all of whom accepted a commissioner’s invitation and passed a standard background check. In phases 1-4, each team will choose 10 players for a total of 40 players. In phase 5, each team will choose from the pool of remaining players to complete its initial roster.

Using a snake format, the selection order within each phase reverses after every round: the team selecting first in the first round will pick eighth in the second round, first in the third round, eighth in the fourth round and so on. The order of selection was determined by lottery under the supervision of Luck.

The coaches and scouts for each XFL team will gather in their local markets to draft their initial rosters. Teams will be given 90 seconds to make a selection and declare their picks through a video conference with the XFL home office in Stamford, Connecticut.

In August the XFL announced team names for their eight franchises. The league has been progressing towards kick-off in February 2020 the week after the Super Bowl.