The XFL week 1 concluded with a banger between the DC Defenders and the Seattle Sea Dragons, with DC coming from behind to win with an impressive 22-18 victory. Ben DiNucci and the Sea Dragons took a commanding 9-0 lead early, only to fall behind with two interceptions by Michael Joseph, one returned for a touchdown, and the quarterback combination between D’Eriq King and Jordan Ta’amu proved to be too much for the Seattle defense to fend off.
NFL teams are absolutely watching these performances. With all of the NFL coaching, the vision that the XFL has with the NFL, and the purpose being to put players back into the NFL, the league is eyeing closely this league and keeping tabs on all of the outstanding players.
Let’s get into it.
Seattle Sea Dragons WR Jahcour Pearson
12 receptions, 95 yards, 14 targets.
Jahcour Pearson is one of the prospects that I really liked out of the Class of 2022, a smaller slot receiver with electric speed from Ole Miss. He showed it in the XFL, becoming the most productive receiver on the field for the Seattle Sea Dragons offense. He started the first quarter with 4 catches for 56 yards, ending the night with an astonishing 12 catches, by far the league leader early.
Ultimately, it’s very difficult to find the field at Pearson’s size in the NFL. The broadcast reported that Pearson ran a 4.2 forty-yard dash, and if there is truth to that then Pearson has the juice to be productive from the slot somewhere in the NFL. He’s still young too, and has plenty of tread left on his tires.
DC Defenders LB Francis Bernard
5 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss.
Former Utah linebacker Francis Bernard spent time on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, but ultimately flunked out of the league. I became a fan of his in the 2020 NFL Draft process and spoke with him at the Senior Bowl that year. His story is inspiring, motivated by his unplanned daughter.
Bernard showed a lot of solid instincts and play recognition, making wrap up tackles and cleaning up plays consistently. He’s come alive in the aggressive Gregg Williams defense allowing him to settle in the box and use his instincts to chase after plays.
Seattle Sea Dragons DT PJ Hall
2 tackles.
I liked what I saw from PJ Hall, who made several big tackles and plays throughout the game for Seattle in big moments. He showed impressive range for a big man and was surprisingly quick to wrap up ball carriers at the line of scrimmage.
Hall is still young, coming out of the class of 2018, and has the prototypical size to play inside in the NFL. If he can continue to contribute positively in the XFL, and continue to show some range, Hall will be on an NFL roster in 2023.
DC Defenders CB Michael Joseph
6 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown.
Michael Joseph made two great plays, reading and baiting Ben DiNucci for interceptions. He showed solid ability to tackle in space as well, closing on ball carriers quickly and being very reactive. However, he stole the show with his interception return for a touchdown, putting DC back into the gamed trimming the deficit substantially.
Joseph was seen as a bit of an underwhelming cornerback prospect coming out of Dubuque in 2018, measuring in underweight and running a 4.53 forty-yard dash. Joseph showed the ability to play strong zone coverage with his quick reaction to make good tackles and two interceptions. It’s worth looking at for the NFL.
Seattle Sea Dragons LB Tre Walker
4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss.
A former Idaho State linebacker, Tre Walker retired before the start of his rookie season as a member of the then-Washington Football Team. Walker came back to football to play in the XFL – and opened his season in Washington. How crazy is that?
Walker stepped up with one of the biggest plays of the night, stopping D’Eriq King on fourth and short with a strong tackle in space as the only defender between King and the end zone. Not only did Walker make the play, but he made the tackle for a loss. He showed the ability to drop into coverage and play effectively in zone – a huge asset to an NFL team. He’s not perfect. That’s why he’s playing in the XFL. I’d be willing to bet Walker will be getting a second chance.
