The novelty of the XFL is beginning to wear off midway through its first season since the league’s relaunch, but it does have some staunch supporters behind it and has delivered a solid and entertaining product.
Attendance and TV ratings have been satisfactory for many of the league’s eight teams, but at this point you have to think the XFL has accepted that its ceiling is essentially to serve as a sort of minor league to the NFL — and it certainly has some talent worthy of taking a closer look at.
Here’s a look at just a handful of XFL players the Titans and other NFL teams could target once the league year ends on April 26.
QB P.J. Walker, Houston Roughnecks
This one should come as no surprise, considering Walker is considered to be far and away the league’s best quarterback and most likely player to leave the XFL for the NFL (although holding onto him as long as it can would be helpful for the XFL’s long-term existence).
Walker received a strong endorsement from former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who told his father Oliver, the XFL’s commissioner, he should add the signal-caller to the league.
Walker has completed 65 percent of his pass attempts for 1,338 yards, with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions to go with 99 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground over five contests.
His ability to almost impossibly extend plays with his legs and arm strength are impressive, and while he’s had some bad reads, there’s only some fine-tuning to do before Walker could become a viable player in the NFL.
QB Jordan Ta’amu, St. Louis BattleHawks
Ta’amu has probably been talked about more than any other quarterback outside of Walker, and for good reason.
The former Ole Miss Rebels quarterback spent less than a month on the Houston Texans practice squad, but has shown he has what it takes to be worthy of another shot in the NFL.
Depending upon how you look at it, Ta’amu never truly got a chance in the NFL, and told me last month that he knew he was simply filling in while another player got healthy when he was with the Texans.
Midway through the season, Ta’amu has completed 72 percent of his passes for 1,050 yards, with five touchdowns and two interceptions.
Ta’amu has been a solid passer, but presents a threat on the ground as well, totaling 217 rushing yards and a score.
His accuracy, strong mechanic and velocity make him appealing to teams at the next level.
RB Matt Jones, St. Louis BattleHawks
Jones once held the spot as the XFL’s leading rusher, but was recently overtaken by Tampa Bay Vipers running back DeVeon Smith.
He’s played a steady part in moving the chains for the St. Louis offense and has totaled 314 rushing yards and one touchdown over five games.
Teams looking to add a piece with some size to the run game should give the 6-foot-2, 231-pound former NFL back some consideration. Jones has also proven he has the ability to be a solid pass-catcher at the next level.
CB Deatrick Nichols, Houston Roughnecks
The Roughnecks’ secondary has given opposing offenses the blues several times throughout the first half of the season, and Nichols has been in on the action.
He’s seen action in all five games of the season, totaling 24 tackles (16 solo and three for loss), one quarterback hurry, six passes defensed, one sack and three interceptions.
NFL defenses looking for a solid corner should have Nichols on their list of players to look into.
