The WWE Draft is over and done with, with some shocks and a lot of good picks. Let's run through this monumental event, pick by pick. We start with the Smackdown Live! half of the draft.
(Note: This post is done almost entirely in kayfabe. I have included my non-kayfabe thoughts at the bottom of the next post, for those interested).
Round 1, Pick 1- Raw selects Seth Rollins
Grade: A
It's easy to see why this pick makes so much sense. Rollins is a two time WWE Champion, and one of the top wrestlers in the company. He was also the first man to hold the the WWE and US titles at the same time. At only 30 years old, Rollins is the kind of guy you can build your brand around. The only possible concern with Rollins is his knee, having just came back from massive surgery at Money in the Bank. It's taking a risk, but Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley scored big with their first pick.
Round 1, Pick 2- Smackdown selects Dean Ambrose
Grade: A+
Dean Ambrose was the hottest commodity coming into this draft, and Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan had to have been loving this pick. Ambrose has been on fire since winning Money in the Bank and cashing in on the aforementioned Seth Rollins to become the new WWE Champion. A man of the people, Ambrose is a consistent merch seller and has proven to be a draw. There are very few downsides to this pick, as Ambrose is the type of guy you want headlining every show. Just a fantastic pick.
Round 1, Pick 3- Raw selects Charlotte
Grade: C
It's really hard to justify this pick. Charlotte is an excellent wrestler, and the clear leader in the women's division, but third overall was way too high. I seriously doubt Charlotte was on Smackdown's board, and her value was close to a fourth or fifth round pick. As of now, women's wrestling is not a consistent draw, and picking a female wrestler this high shows a clear lack of pre-draft planning. She's a fine wrestler though, and should by atop the women's division for years to come.
Round 1, Pick 4- Smackdown selects AJ Styles
Grade: B+
Value is everything in a draft, and this is one hell of a value pick. This puts Raw's previous pick to shame, as Styles easily could've gone first overall. Falling to fourth was a godsend to Shane and Bryan, who got one of the most popular wrestlers in the company. The only drawback to Styles is his age, as he's 39 years old and wrestles in a pretty dangerous style. However, if you watch his classic with John Cena at Money in the Bank, you see just how good of a performer The Phenomenal One truly is.
Round 1, Pick 5- Raw selects Finn Balor
Grade: C+
Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon referred to this as a "statement pick", and I'm still struggling to find out what that statement was. Don't get me wrong, Balor is a world-traveled veteran that's absolutely wowed audiences down in NXT, but he's gone way too high. Taking an unproven call-up this early is a questionable move, but the flagship show will be hoping it works out.
Round 2, Pick 1- Raw selects Roman Reigns
Grade: B-
What on earth is happening on Raw? This is a third questionable pick, as Roman has been out for almost a month now, and has to have a degree of ring rust. Taking him this high in the draft was a very poor choice, and could cost Stephanie and Mick in the long haul. He is a multi-time WWE Champion, but each of his title reigns ended in poor fashion, losing to a cash-in, in the Royal Rumble match, and getting pinned by Seth Rollins. This was not the worst pick of the draft, but there was clear value here, and Raw definitely dropped the ball.
Round 2, Pick 2- Smackdown selects John Cena
Grade: A
Smackdown continues to school Raw on value, as the blue brand gets the face of the WWE at an absolute bargain. How Cena dropped to seventh, I have no clue, but Shane and Bryan show some absolute cunning in stealing Cena from Raw. I have to imagine Steph and Mick were kicking themselves for missing out on this one. The main drawback to Cena is his age, but like Styles earlier, Cena has proved that he can still put on great performances. His US Title Open Challenge in 2015 was fantastic, and he is a massive draw.
Round 2, Pick 3- Raw selects Brock Lesnar
Grade: B
I still don't get what Raw is playing at. Lesnar is a dominant force and a big draw, but he's also a complete part-timer who is not consistent enough to turn a profit. The grade does get a bump from a potential association with Paul Heyman, though that isn't set in stone. Despite this being a somewhat questionable pick, I do think Smackdown may have taken Lesnar next. If that's true, this pick is painted in a more favorable light.
Round 2, Pick 4- Smackdown selects Randy Orton
Grade: C+
Smackdown's run finally comes to an end, and this one is quite odd. There's no way Raw was taking Orton this high, as The Viper is just returning for a major injury. A pick this high assumes that Orton is going to be one of the big stars of the brand, as he simply won't be. A definite missed opportunity.
Round 2, Pick 5- Raw selects The New Day
Grade: B+
Raw scores three for the price of one, getting one of WWE's hottest acts. New Day's merch has been flying off the shelves, with the WWE Universe fully behind the two-time tag team champions. Big E and Kofi are clearly the stars of the group, but don't sleep on Xavier Woods either. Just getting three guys makes this good value, but the quality of the group elevates the pick.
Round 3, Pick 1- Raw selects Sami Zayn
Grade: A-
This was an outstanding pick. Sami's been on the main roster for a few months now, and has put on some incredible displays of fast-paced, technical wrestling. One of the hottest up and comers on the entire roster, getting him this low was always going to be a great pick. He fits in well with the rest of the Raw roster, and this pick sets up some very interesting future plans.
Round 3, Pick 2- Smackdown selects Bray Wyatt
Grade: C
I have a sneaking suspicion that Smackdown was targeting Sami, and this stank of a rushed pick. In their haste to get the next member of the roster, Shane and Bryan seemed to forget to pick up the other members of the Wyatt Family. Bray is a solid competitor on his own, but he's at his best with his followers, and not picking them up was a huge mistake.
Round 3, Pick 3- Raw selects Sasha Banks
Grade: B
Sasha is one of the best young female wrestlers in the entire world, and has captured attention with her charisma and technical skill. To add to this pick, Raw beat Smackdown to the punch, as Sasha would've been a great cornerstone of their women's division. A future champion and a good draw at only 24, Sasha Banks is a solid, solid pick.
Round 3, Pick 4- Smackdown selects Becky Lynch
Grade: C+
Smackdown was once again outplayed, as Raw got the great pick in Sasha Banks, and they clearly panicked again, taking Becky Lynch. This was not quite as bad as the Bray pick earlier, as Becky has quickly become beloved by the fans, but it wasn't really that good either. Considering this is Smackdown's first female wrestler, Becky is under pressure of being the divison's cornerstone, and she simply doesn't fit the role.
Round 3, Pick 5- Raw selects Chris Jericho
Grade: C
Jericho's a former world champion, but has long passed his prime. Taking him this high is pretty dumb, as I doubt Smackdown was coming close to targeting Y2J. He can still deliver in the ring, on the plus side.
Round 4, Pick 1- Raw selects Rusev w/Lana
Grade: C+
This was not a bad pick, as the Bulgarian has proven to be an absolute animal, destroying and defeating some big names. He also comes with the US Title, adding another belt on Raw. However, he's not been in a prime spot in the company, and there are some questions on whether he can deliver outstanding performances, night in and night out.
Round 4, Pick 2- Smackdown selects The Miz w/Maryse
Grade: B-
The Miz scores higher than Rusev for being a more established competitor who is a a bigger draw to boot. Although The Miz has headlined a Wrestlemania, he's yet to return to that level of success. He's been on a bit of a career renaissance since capturing the Intercontinental Title, and brings quite a bit to the table.
Round 4, Pick 3- Raw selects Kevin Owens
Grade: A
I really would love to have a conversation with everyone involved in why KO fell this far. Owens almost completely lost it at some point, becoming fed up with his slide down the draft board. Raw finally spotted the mistake, and took one of WWE's top stars in the fourth round. A stunning slide for Owens gives Raw one of the picks of the night.
Round 4, Pick 4- Smackdown selects Baron Corbin
Grade: D
You have to respect Shane and Bryan for having the nerve to attempt this move, but it doesn't cover up how bad of a pick this was. Corbin is almost completely unproven, having only been called up from NXT just a few months ago. He's yet to mix it up with any major star, and hasn't gotten the reaction from the fans to deserve this slot. Just a dreadful pick.
Round 4, Pick 5- Raw selects Enzo and Big Cass
Grade: B+
Raw continues to add to their tag division in a major way, picking up a really hot commodity in Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. The fan response is there and their merch sales are insane. You only have to listen to the massive ovation they got on this show to realize how great of a pick this was.
Round 5, Pick 1- Raw selects Gallows and Anderson
Grade: B+
The tag division on Raw gets better, as Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows join the fold. Since their debut in April, Gallows and Anderson have been dominant, but unable to break through the glass ceiling. With a big six-man tag coming up at Battleground, it might be their time to shine.
Round 5, Pick 2- Smackdown selects American Alpha
Grade: B+
With two of WWE's top tag teams picked back to back by Raw, it would seem that Smackdown would panic once again. They instead went outside the box, picking up NXT's American Alpha. Chad Gable and Jason Jordan have been outstanding in NXT, with their wrestling style and personalities making them one of NXT's best. A call-up can be risky, but Smackdown needed some star power and delivered.
Round 5, Pick 3- Raw selects The Big Show
Grade: C
Big Show is a solid member of the WWE roster, and provides Raw with a nice veteran presence. However, Big Show is getting on in age, and picking him in the fifth round is a blown opportunity.
Round 5, Pick 4- Smackdown selects Dolph Ziggler
Grade: C+
Dolph Ziggler will become one of Smackdown's most popular members of the roster, with a gigantic fan following. Ziggler has an impressive resume, a two time world champion, a former Money in the Bank winner and 2014's Sole Survivor. Despite that, he's not quite on the level of some of the other talent available, and may have gone a little too high.
Round 5, Pick 5- Raw selects Nia Jax
Grade: D-
NXT call-ups can be a roll of the dice, with some of the talent being ready for their opportunity, and some way out of their depth. Nia Jax has been on a bit of a roll over the past sixth months, competing for the NXT Women's Title several times. She has an impressive lineage, a cousin of The Rock, but not much else. She's virtually unknown to the WWE Universe, and it'll take some great performances to get her to a suitable level. Jax was not a bad pick-up, but was taken way too early.
Round 6, Pick 1- Raw selects Neville
Grade: C-
The Man That Gravity Forgot was on a hot streak in 2015, debuting on the main roster and putting on some great matches. However, Neville has not returned from injury quite yet, and that makes this a bad pick.
Round 6, Pick 2- Smackdown selects Natalya
Grade: C+
The Queen of Harts is a solid addition to Smackdown's female roster. She would've been available much later, though, so the grade takes a hit.
Round 6, Pick 3- Raw selects Cesaro
Grade: A-
This is the very definition of a value pick, as Raw snatches a popular hard-working figure in Cesaro all the way in the sixth round. Cesaro is first round talent, but there may be some questions about his health. It's baffling why he fell this far, and there may be something the GMs and Commissioners knew that we didn't. On the surface, it's a fantastic pick.
Round 6, Pick 4: Smackdown selects Alberto Del Rio
Grade: B
Smackdown fills out its roster with a former world champion. Good value pick, to say the least.
Round 6, Pick 5: Raw selects Sheamus
Grade: B
Raw plays it safe, adding another former world champion to finish the televised portion of the draft.
Stay tuned for part two, releasing tomorrow.
(Note: This post is done almost entirely in kayfabe. I have included my non-kayfabe thoughts at the bottom of the next post, for those interested).
Round 1, Pick 1- Raw selects Seth Rollins
Grade: A
It's easy to see why this pick makes so much sense. Rollins is a two time WWE Champion, and one of the top wrestlers in the company. He was also the first man to hold the the WWE and US titles at the same time. At only 30 years old, Rollins is the kind of guy you can build your brand around. The only possible concern with Rollins is his knee, having just came back from massive surgery at Money in the Bank. It's taking a risk, but Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley scored big with their first pick.
Round 1, Pick 2- Smackdown selects Dean Ambrose
Grade: A+
Dean Ambrose was the hottest commodity coming into this draft, and Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan had to have been loving this pick. Ambrose has been on fire since winning Money in the Bank and cashing in on the aforementioned Seth Rollins to become the new WWE Champion. A man of the people, Ambrose is a consistent merch seller and has proven to be a draw. There are very few downsides to this pick, as Ambrose is the type of guy you want headlining every show. Just a fantastic pick.
Round 1, Pick 3- Raw selects Charlotte
Grade: C
It's really hard to justify this pick. Charlotte is an excellent wrestler, and the clear leader in the women's division, but third overall was way too high. I seriously doubt Charlotte was on Smackdown's board, and her value was close to a fourth or fifth round pick. As of now, women's wrestling is not a consistent draw, and picking a female wrestler this high shows a clear lack of pre-draft planning. She's a fine wrestler though, and should by atop the women's division for years to come.
Round 1, Pick 4- Smackdown selects AJ Styles
Grade: B+
Value is everything in a draft, and this is one hell of a value pick. This puts Raw's previous pick to shame, as Styles easily could've gone first overall. Falling to fourth was a godsend to Shane and Bryan, who got one of the most popular wrestlers in the company. The only drawback to Styles is his age, as he's 39 years old and wrestles in a pretty dangerous style. However, if you watch his classic with John Cena at Money in the Bank, you see just how good of a performer The Phenomenal One truly is.
Round 1, Pick 5- Raw selects Finn Balor
Grade: C+
Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon referred to this as a "statement pick", and I'm still struggling to find out what that statement was. Don't get me wrong, Balor is a world-traveled veteran that's absolutely wowed audiences down in NXT, but he's gone way too high. Taking an unproven call-up this early is a questionable move, but the flagship show will be hoping it works out.
Round 2, Pick 1- Raw selects Roman Reigns
Grade: B-
What on earth is happening on Raw? This is a third questionable pick, as Roman has been out for almost a month now, and has to have a degree of ring rust. Taking him this high in the draft was a very poor choice, and could cost Stephanie and Mick in the long haul. He is a multi-time WWE Champion, but each of his title reigns ended in poor fashion, losing to a cash-in, in the Royal Rumble match, and getting pinned by Seth Rollins. This was not the worst pick of the draft, but there was clear value here, and Raw definitely dropped the ball.
Round 2, Pick 2- Smackdown selects John Cena
Grade: A
Smackdown continues to school Raw on value, as the blue brand gets the face of the WWE at an absolute bargain. How Cena dropped to seventh, I have no clue, but Shane and Bryan show some absolute cunning in stealing Cena from Raw. I have to imagine Steph and Mick were kicking themselves for missing out on this one. The main drawback to Cena is his age, but like Styles earlier, Cena has proved that he can still put on great performances. His US Title Open Challenge in 2015 was fantastic, and he is a massive draw.
Round 2, Pick 3- Raw selects Brock Lesnar
Grade: B
I still don't get what Raw is playing at. Lesnar is a dominant force and a big draw, but he's also a complete part-timer who is not consistent enough to turn a profit. The grade does get a bump from a potential association with Paul Heyman, though that isn't set in stone. Despite this being a somewhat questionable pick, I do think Smackdown may have taken Lesnar next. If that's true, this pick is painted in a more favorable light.
Round 2, Pick 4- Smackdown selects Randy Orton
Grade: C+
Smackdown's run finally comes to an end, and this one is quite odd. There's no way Raw was taking Orton this high, as The Viper is just returning for a major injury. A pick this high assumes that Orton is going to be one of the big stars of the brand, as he simply won't be. A definite missed opportunity.
Round 2, Pick 5- Raw selects The New Day
Grade: B+
Raw scores three for the price of one, getting one of WWE's hottest acts. New Day's merch has been flying off the shelves, with the WWE Universe fully behind the two-time tag team champions. Big E and Kofi are clearly the stars of the group, but don't sleep on Xavier Woods either. Just getting three guys makes this good value, but the quality of the group elevates the pick.
Round 3, Pick 1- Raw selects Sami Zayn
Grade: A-
This was an outstanding pick. Sami's been on the main roster for a few months now, and has put on some incredible displays of fast-paced, technical wrestling. One of the hottest up and comers on the entire roster, getting him this low was always going to be a great pick. He fits in well with the rest of the Raw roster, and this pick sets up some very interesting future plans.
Round 3, Pick 2- Smackdown selects Bray Wyatt
Grade: C
I have a sneaking suspicion that Smackdown was targeting Sami, and this stank of a rushed pick. In their haste to get the next member of the roster, Shane and Bryan seemed to forget to pick up the other members of the Wyatt Family. Bray is a solid competitor on his own, but he's at his best with his followers, and not picking them up was a huge mistake.
Round 3, Pick 3- Raw selects Sasha Banks
Grade: B
Sasha is one of the best young female wrestlers in the entire world, and has captured attention with her charisma and technical skill. To add to this pick, Raw beat Smackdown to the punch, as Sasha would've been a great cornerstone of their women's division. A future champion and a good draw at only 24, Sasha Banks is a solid, solid pick.
Round 3, Pick 4- Smackdown selects Becky Lynch
Grade: C+
Smackdown was once again outplayed, as Raw got the great pick in Sasha Banks, and they clearly panicked again, taking Becky Lynch. This was not quite as bad as the Bray pick earlier, as Becky has quickly become beloved by the fans, but it wasn't really that good either. Considering this is Smackdown's first female wrestler, Becky is under pressure of being the divison's cornerstone, and she simply doesn't fit the role.
Round 3, Pick 5- Raw selects Chris Jericho
Grade: C
Jericho's a former world champion, but has long passed his prime. Taking him this high is pretty dumb, as I doubt Smackdown was coming close to targeting Y2J. He can still deliver in the ring, on the plus side.
Round 4, Pick 1- Raw selects Rusev w/Lana
Grade: C+
This was not a bad pick, as the Bulgarian has proven to be an absolute animal, destroying and defeating some big names. He also comes with the US Title, adding another belt on Raw. However, he's not been in a prime spot in the company, and there are some questions on whether he can deliver outstanding performances, night in and night out.
Round 4, Pick 2- Smackdown selects The Miz w/Maryse
Grade: B-
The Miz scores higher than Rusev for being a more established competitor who is a a bigger draw to boot. Although The Miz has headlined a Wrestlemania, he's yet to return to that level of success. He's been on a bit of a career renaissance since capturing the Intercontinental Title, and brings quite a bit to the table.
Round 4, Pick 3- Raw selects Kevin Owens
Grade: A
I really would love to have a conversation with everyone involved in why KO fell this far. Owens almost completely lost it at some point, becoming fed up with his slide down the draft board. Raw finally spotted the mistake, and took one of WWE's top stars in the fourth round. A stunning slide for Owens gives Raw one of the picks of the night.
Round 4, Pick 4- Smackdown selects Baron Corbin
Grade: D
You have to respect Shane and Bryan for having the nerve to attempt this move, but it doesn't cover up how bad of a pick this was. Corbin is almost completely unproven, having only been called up from NXT just a few months ago. He's yet to mix it up with any major star, and hasn't gotten the reaction from the fans to deserve this slot. Just a dreadful pick.
Round 4, Pick 5- Raw selects Enzo and Big Cass
Grade: B+
Raw continues to add to their tag division in a major way, picking up a really hot commodity in Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. The fan response is there and their merch sales are insane. You only have to listen to the massive ovation they got on this show to realize how great of a pick this was.
Round 5, Pick 1- Raw selects Gallows and Anderson
Grade: B+
The tag division on Raw gets better, as Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows join the fold. Since their debut in April, Gallows and Anderson have been dominant, but unable to break through the glass ceiling. With a big six-man tag coming up at Battleground, it might be their time to shine.
Round 5, Pick 2- Smackdown selects American Alpha
Grade: B+
With two of WWE's top tag teams picked back to back by Raw, it would seem that Smackdown would panic once again. They instead went outside the box, picking up NXT's American Alpha. Chad Gable and Jason Jordan have been outstanding in NXT, with their wrestling style and personalities making them one of NXT's best. A call-up can be risky, but Smackdown needed some star power and delivered.
Round 5, Pick 3- Raw selects The Big Show
Grade: C
Big Show is a solid member of the WWE roster, and provides Raw with a nice veteran presence. However, Big Show is getting on in age, and picking him in the fifth round is a blown opportunity.
Round 5, Pick 4- Smackdown selects Dolph Ziggler
Grade: C+
Dolph Ziggler will become one of Smackdown's most popular members of the roster, with a gigantic fan following. Ziggler has an impressive resume, a two time world champion, a former Money in the Bank winner and 2014's Sole Survivor. Despite that, he's not quite on the level of some of the other talent available, and may have gone a little too high.
Round 5, Pick 5- Raw selects Nia Jax
Grade: D-
NXT call-ups can be a roll of the dice, with some of the talent being ready for their opportunity, and some way out of their depth. Nia Jax has been on a bit of a roll over the past sixth months, competing for the NXT Women's Title several times. She has an impressive lineage, a cousin of The Rock, but not much else. She's virtually unknown to the WWE Universe, and it'll take some great performances to get her to a suitable level. Jax was not a bad pick-up, but was taken way too early.
Round 6, Pick 1- Raw selects Neville
Grade: C-
The Man That Gravity Forgot was on a hot streak in 2015, debuting on the main roster and putting on some great matches. However, Neville has not returned from injury quite yet, and that makes this a bad pick.
Round 6, Pick 2- Smackdown selects Natalya
Grade: C+
The Queen of Harts is a solid addition to Smackdown's female roster. She would've been available much later, though, so the grade takes a hit.
Round 6, Pick 3- Raw selects Cesaro
Grade: A-
This is the very definition of a value pick, as Raw snatches a popular hard-working figure in Cesaro all the way in the sixth round. Cesaro is first round talent, but there may be some questions about his health. It's baffling why he fell this far, and there may be something the GMs and Commissioners knew that we didn't. On the surface, it's a fantastic pick.
Round 6, Pick 4: Smackdown selects Alberto Del Rio
Grade: B
Smackdown fills out its roster with a former world champion. Good value pick, to say the least.
Round 6, Pick 5: Raw selects Sheamus
Grade: B
Raw plays it safe, adding another former world champion to finish the televised portion of the draft.
Stay tuned for part two, releasing tomorrow.
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