It’s finally that time of year where the darkest forces of the NPIFL underworld awaken from hibernation and prepare for the campaign ahead. 2024 saw its fair share of triumph and disaster, and the upcoming campaign sees the NPIFL’s first-ever non-randomized draft order.

The other major change is the introduction of the keeper system, which will be implemented from this year going forward. From this season, teams will be able to keep hold of a yet-to-be-confirmed number of players every season, thus enabling a franchise feel. The number of players to be kept is rumored to be either 3 or 4.

Other exciting changes include the addition of the linebacker position, which comes after the hugely successful additions of defensive backs and linemen.

We are also going to see slight improvements to defensive stats, featuring a tackle for loss bonus of 1 point for defenses and individual players, as well as the implementation of sack yards. Individual players will be awarded 1 point for every 10 sack yards (and 0.1 point for each yard).

The draft order will follow reverse order of postseason standings (and continue to snake), with the exception of a slight kicker: The No. 1 overall pick was won on the field of battle by the Brymbo Originals, who so famously started the season 0-5.

While many might see a campaign that in October was destined for at most Famous Idaho Potato Bowl glory to be a travesty, this time it has at least paid out in one way.

Super Bowl-winning Chubble HC Olly Bailey will be eating snacks and waiting for his double-chubble picks at No. 12 and No. 13; for when the 2025 NPIFL Draft starts at 7.30 p.m. BST on Aug. 31, the Brymbo O’s will be on the clock at No. 1.

2025 NPIFL Draft: Round 1 Mock

#1. Brymbo Originals – Lamar Jackson (QB)

Andrasta sees a nervous Nathan Adams taking nearly all his allotted time in a haze of indecision before settling on the cornerstone of the Brymbo Originals’ future, which we believe will be Lamar Jackson.

We think the O’s will be looking to nail down the QB spot for years to come, and after much hesitation and palm-wringing, Jackson will get the nod over Bills star Josh Allen.

Jackson, a two-time NPIFL Super Bowl winner, was the QB1 and the No. 1 player in NFL fantasy in 2024 with Chubble, and we can’t see Adams being able to look past Jackson’s pedigree and stats.

#2. Tyreek or Treat – Tyreek Hill (WR)

This may seem a slightly controversial pick, given Tyreek Hill’s decline in 2024 and off-season comments about Miami, but we see HC Jordan Clough keeping the faith and his team name by running it back for a third year.

Speed kills and Hill certainly has plenty of it. Plus, with an offseason to get fully healthy and the Dolphins with slightly better backup QB options behind Tua Tagovailoa (Zach Wilson & rookie Quinn Ewers), Tyreek Hill could be in for a huge comeback campaign.

#3. Eagles Raid Steelers – Ja’Marr Chase (WR)

This one really could go one of two ways, as ERS HC Dan Gittins is a known Philadelphia fan and the lure of Saquon Barkley could prove too strong to resist; however, we see Gittins looking to land his beloved Ja’Marr Chase for the fourth time in his five NFL seasons.

The ERS will look to build a competitive team around the iconic WR for the first time since losing the Super Bowl in Chase’s rookie campaign, as since that disappointment the franchise has finished 7th, 12th and 10th.

Ja’Marr Chase won the triple crown in the 2024 campaign, leading the WR charts for receptions (127), yards (1,708) and TDs (17), so his going in the top three would be no huge surprise. How delighted Chase will be about returning to and being locked down by a franchise that seems completely unable to get the most out of his stats is a separate matter.

#4. Old England Pats – Josh Allen (QB)

The Old England Pats had a rough 2024 season that was headlined by some QB confusion. While both Brock Purdy and Jared Goff had good days, they reserved them for whenever they happened to be on the Pats’ bench.

While former Old England RB Bijan Robinson will be staring a hole through HC Aminul Hassan at No. 4 in the draft, we think the Pats will elect to lock down the QB position for years to come instead. The opportunity cost is high, but that is the way of the NPIFL draft.

#5. Wardiefence Wins Championships – Bijan Robinson (RB)

The WWC were hugely unfortunate in 2024 in that they saw their No. 1 overall pick, Christian McCaffery, miss all but four games of the season. HC Chris Ward enters the 2025 NPIFL draft with that bitter taste very much in his mouth and will look to build a team to take the franchise to the playoffs for the first time in history.

To do that he will take the best player available to him every time the WWC is on the clock, and we see that being Bijan Robinson.

Robinson is a former WWC player and after a very impressive sophomore campaign (311.2 HPPR fantasy points from 1,456 YDS, 14 TDs, 61 rec, 431 RYDS, 1 TD), we think Ward will wary of Saquon Barkley’s injury history and prefer the known quantity to the exciting Jahmyr Gibbs; that said, Wardie’s penchant for rookies will have him looking very closely at Ashton Jeanty.

#6. Brymbo Firestorm – Saquon Barkley (RB)

The Brymbo Firestorm enter the 2025 season with every intention of drafting an elite WR, and just as they do nearly every season, will be unable to avoid drafting an RB in the first round.

The Firestorm will take Philly superstar Saquon Barkley and hope for a repeat of his 2005 yards and 13 TDs rushing (278 YDS, 2 TDs rec) 2024 campaign. Brymbo will then look to address other needs in the second and third as they plan to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2019 season.

#7. Lloyds Leviathans – Justin Jefferson (WR)

While the Leviathans will be sorely tempted to bring back last season’s “Screamin’ Eagle” of A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts, we think they won’t be able to ignore Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson at No. 7.

With the positivity coming out of the Vikings’ camp regarding J.J. McCarthy, Jefferson could be in for yet another mammoth campaign, and we think the Leviathans will be looking to squeeze every drop of value from their early picks.

#8. St. Lewis Rams – Jahmyr Gibbs (RB)

After seeing what Jahmyr Gibbs can do over two seasons, culminating in a 1,929 scrimmage yard and 20 TD 2024 season, the St. Lewis Rams will look to bring back the Lions superstar.

Gibbs and David Montgomery are a two-headed monster in the Detroit backfield, and presuming he stays healthy, Gibbs could well be the RB1 when the 2025 season is all said and done.

The Rams are often a plucky, win-out-of-nowhere kind of team, and Gibbs’ breakaway, home-run potential is exactly the kind of explosive player HC Lewis Done likes at RB1. If he’s there at eight, we would be shocked to see Done pass on Gibbs.

#9. San Wrexham 49ers – CeeDee Lamb (WR)

There was some feeling the 49ers might be tempted to take a risk on Christian McCaffery here, but we feel San Wrexham HC Chris Blockley will take the consensus best player on the board at No. 9 in CeeDee Lamb and hope to take the now-healthy CMC in the second.

Lamb is a nightmare to play in fantasy, capable of wrecking any game with almost absurd numbers. After getting a major payday this offseason (4 years, $136 million) and with Dak Prescott fully healthy, Lamb could be on his way to being the WR1 in fantasy again.

While the Cowboys traded for George Pickens this offseason, that Prescott-Lamb connexion is too strong to ignore and if anything, Pickens could create more space for Lamb and help extend drives by making easy catches, setting up Lamb for more TDs.

#10. The Love Train – Brock Bowers (TE)

The fantasy app will suggest this is a reach, but we think Love Train head coach Damen Griffiths will take zero chances on letting Raiders TE Brock Bowers walk into another franchise in 2025.

Bowers set numerous TE rookie season records with the Love Train in 2024, and Griffiths will want to lock him down for years to come.

Griffiths might be tempted to let Bowers slide with the idea of taking him in the second round, but now that we’ve published this, there’s almost no way he will tempt fate with a competitive Super Bowl rival in Santos XI drafting immediately after him.

In case anyone missed it, last season Brock Bowers was the TE1 with 112 receptions for 1,194 yards and 5 TDs, and with the Raiders offense adding some potentially era-defining talent at RB in Ashton Jeanty, those numbers could even improve.

#11. Santos – Derrick Henry (RB)

Olly Bailey will have entered this draft, hoping to somehow piece together as many of his Super Bowl-winning team as he can, but he will see a third player picked in the first round here.

Santos and Derrick Henry have a great history, and Henry has an impeccable pedigree in the NPIFL. Teams that have drafted Henry has been to four NPIFL Super Bowls in six years, with Chubble getting the Ravens RB over the line last season.

“Tractorcito” is showing zero signs of aging, and put in a monster 2024 campaign featuring 1,921 yards and 16 TDs rushing, along with 193 yards and 2 TDs receiving. We’ve seen Santos HC Chris Faulkner reach up and take Henry at No. 2 once before, it would be no surprise to see him take “King Henry” at 11.

#12. You are in Chubble – Jalen Hurts (QB)

Chubble HC Olly Bailey is one of the least predictable managers in the NPIFL, and this was accordingly tough to surmise.

We feel he probably should go with the best player on the board in Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty; however, will think Bailey will pull of a huge heist and poke a fellow manager in the eye with a stick by taking Jalen Hurts.

Why is this such an eye-poke? Because immediately after at pick 13, we think Bailey will complete the “Screamin’ Eagle” and take WR A.J. Brown.

This would be a tremendous combo, and Bailey could sit back and consider just how many Jalen Hurts puns he could use this season while he waits for the draft to snake all the way back to him.

Aside from that, the soon to be ‘Hurts Locker,’ or some other Hurts variety, would be pleasantly comforted by the knowledge that they can keep their QB-WR combo for years to come in a keeper league.