2017 CRFL Draft Preview: Kaneohe Ikaika Warriors

The 2017 NFL draft is less than a month away! In the mean time, I'll be doing a preview of each of the 12 CRFL teams, where they currently stand, what they need to address in the draft, etc. Let's start off with the 2016 champion, Kaneohe Ikaika Warriors. It's good to be on top, but the Warriors have some question marks this spring as age begins to take its toll...

2017 Keepers

QB Aaron Rodgers GB
RB Le'Veon Bell PIT 
RB Devonta Freeman ATL
RB LeGarrette Blount FA
RB Matt Forte NYJ
RB Adrian Peterson FA
WR Antonio Brown PIT 
WR Mike Evans TB
WR Julian Edelman NE
TE Greg Olsen CAR

2017 Draft Picks

4.02
4.12
5.12
6.12
7.11
8.11
9.10
10.09
11.06

Preview

Bring the title tally up to three. Kaneohe Ikaika Warriors, the CRFL powerhouse, won its 3rd championship after defeating Spokane in the title game. While the Warriors figure to be a favorite (if not the favorite) to win the title again, it's all about the here and now for this team. As of the timing of this post, the Warriors have no 1st round picks this year, next year, and even in 2019! Of course, trading those picks have reinforced the team in the present, but in the process moved all the chips into the middle. The future be damned. With younger stars like Le'Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman, and Mike Evans, the Warriors will remain a contender going forward. That said, by sacrificing its future picks in favor of winning now, the death grip the Warriors have had on the league will begin to soften in the coming years as 6 of the 10 2017 keepers for Kaneohe are over the age of 30.

Don't get too excited. The Warriors are the likely title favorite again in 2017. But again, with no 1st round picks until 2020 and an aging roster, weakness is in sight for Kaneohe for arguably the first time in this stretch of league dominance.