2017 CRFL Draft Preview: Vito's Vikings

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. We're almost finished with the Basin Conference, and next up is the league's lone newcomer. Are Vito's Vikings ready to make an instant impact?

2017 Keepers

QB Tom Brady NE
RB Jordan Howard CHI
RB Kenneth Dixon BAL
WR Dez Bryant DAL
WR Michael Thomas NO
WR Michael Crabtree OAK
WR Corey Coleman CLE
WR DeVante Parker MIA
WR Willie Snead NO
K Stephen Gostkowski NE

2017 Draft Picks

1.09
2.08
3.12
5.05
6.05
7.05
8.05
9.05
10.05
11.04

Preview

The Range Lonestars couldn't make up their mind. Coming into the 2016 season, some believed they were a shoe-in for the 1.01 pick in the 2017 draft. Then they started to win. When it came to goals, the season ultimately ended up being a dud. The Lonestars didn't lose enough to garner a top pick, and also didn't win enough to make the playoffs.

New owner Vito enters into the fray with a balanced draft and key studs, but definitely needs RB help. Jordan Howard was one of the fantasy shocks of 2017 and figures to be the cornerstone of this franchise going forward. Kenneth Dixon is going to be suspended to open the season and the Vikings don't have any other RB kept, so finding depth there will be very important.

WR, however, should be no problem whatsoever. Outside of Willie Snead, all of the above listed WRs could end up being WR1 caliber talents. Back to the negative: the Vikings also don't have a returning TE. But they do have Tom Brady! All of this suggests the Vikings are much like the Northern Lights: a wildcard. They could be 2017's Spokane Spartans and shock the league, they could also struggle if depth isn't built up or if injuries strike.

Either way, Vito's Vikings figure to make an already tough conference even tougher.