Tampa Bay Vipers Roster Takes Shape on First Day of XFL Draft
Published on October 15, 2019 under XFL (XFL)
Tampa Bay Vipers News Release
The Tampa Bay Vipers roster has begun to take shape after day one of the 2019 XFL Draft. After the conclusion of 30 rounds, a total of 31 players have joined the Tampa Bay franchise.
Prior to the start of the draft, the XFL announced the assignment of a quarterback to each of the eight teams. Aaron Murray, the SEC's all-time leader in completions (921), passing yards (13,166) and passing touchdowns (121), will play quarterback for the Vipers. A four-year starter at the Univ. of Georgia, Murray also holds the top two passing touchdown records (36 in 2012, 35 in 2011) in school history, and won the MVP of the Florida Citrus/Capital One Bowl in 2013. Murray has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs (2014-2016), Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles (2016), and Los Angeles Rams (2017). In 2019, Murray signed with the Atlanta Legends (AAF). A high school All-American, Murray set a Hillsborough County record for most passing touchdowns (84) while at Plant High School (Tampa), which he led to a Class 4A State Championship in 2008.
The Vipers began the draft's Skill Position Phase with the fifth pick, selecting tight end Nick Truesdell (Grand Rapids Junior College). Amongst skill position players, the team drafted five wide receivers, two tight ends and two running backs, including Quinton Flowers, a dynamic playmaker who earned 2016 AAC Offensive Player of the Year honors at South Florida as the Bulls' quarterback. The Vipers also selected quarterback Taylor Cornelius (Oklahoma State), building a strong quarterback room for Head Coach Marc Trestman's staff.
The Vipers started the Offensive Line Phase at the center position, selecting Jordan McCray (Central Florida) with the fourth pick. Tampa Bay drafted tackle Martez Ivey (Florida) in round two, adding another strong presence with local ties to the Vipers' line. Tampa Bay held the first overall pick in the Defensive Front Seven Phase, taking defensive end Obum Gwacham (Oregon State) as the first defensive player in the XFL Draft. The team added end Deiontrez Mount (Louisville), tackle Ricky Walker (Virginia Tech) and linebacker Reggie Northrup (Florida State) in rounds two, three and four. For a full list of the Vipers' Day One selections, see below. Additional information on the team's picks can be found here or by visiting XFL.com.
Over the two-day draft, each XFL team is populating a 71-man roster by selecting players from a set of positional groupings. On Wednesday, the draft will continue with the Defensive Backfield Phase (10 rounds) and conclude with the Open Phase (30 rounds) which will focus on specialists and all remaining players. Player selections will continue to be announced on XFL.com, @xfl2020 on Twitter and @xfl on Instagram. The Tampa Bay Vipers' selections will be announced on @xflvipers on Twitter.
2019 TAMPA BAY VIPERS SELECTIONS - XFL DRAFT DAY ONE:
Skill Position Phase
Round Pick (Overall) Name Pos. School
1 5 Nick Truesdell TE Grand Rapids Junior College
2 12 Seantavius Jones WR Valdosta State
3 21 De'Veon Smith RB Michigan
4 28 Jalen Tolliver WR Arkansas-Monticello
5 37 Quinton Flowers RB South Florida
6 44 Cole Wick TE Incarnate Word
7 53 Rannell Hall WR Central Florida
8 60 Reece Horn WR Indianapolis
9 69 Taylor Cornelius QB Oklahoma State
10 76 Alonzo Moore WR Nebraska
Offensive Line Phase
Round Pick (Overall) Name Pos. School
1 4 Jordan McCray C Central Florida
2 13 Martez Ivey T Florida
3 20 Isaiah Williams OL Akron
4 29 Andrew Tiller G Syracuse
5 36 Tre' Jackson G Florida State
6 45 Christian Morris T Mississippi
7 52 Tony Adams G North Carolina State
8 61 Daronte Bouldin G Mississippi
9 68 Marquis Lucas G West Virginia
10 77 Will Campbell G Michigan
Defensive Front Seven Phase
Round Pick (Overall) Name Pos. School
1 1 Obum Gwacham DE Oregon State
2 16 Deiontrez Mount DE Louisville
3 17 Ricky Walker DT Virginia Tech
4 32 Reggie Northrup LB Florida State
5 33 Josh Banks DT Wake Forest
6 48 Emmanuel Beal LB Oklahoma
7 49 Lucas Wacha LB Wyoming
8 64 Anthony Stubbs LB Prairie View A&M
9 65 Jason Neill DE Texas-San Antonio
10 80 Devin Taylor DE South Carolina
XFL Stories from October 15, 2019
- Tampa Bay Vipers Roster Takes Shape on First Day of XFL Draft - Tampa Bay Vipers
- XFL Gets Set with Quarterbacks - XFL
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
