Welcome to the 2019 Scouting Grounds Draft

Play one of the tunes while you read https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6-FMx_gu6g

Time for another year of the draft in which we can actually hope the farm system can actually mean something.

• 1st pick EG: Evolved, Mid

• EG now have even more goodies to hit the ground running. What they are getting is a generational prospect with mechanics and map awareness far beyond that of other players with that same amount of experience. They’re going to be rivals to TL aren’t they?

• 2nd pick FLY: Fanatiik , Jungler

• After a disaster of a Summer Split, it’s time to replace that fossil in Santorin. (Life mechanics need work) but his mechanics are on point. He has everything he needs to take his skills to the next level. A player who’s more moldable than wet clay and a very positive attitude. The upside is huge and he will get some time to develop under Santorin.

• 3rd pick 100T: Gorica, ADC

• Conglaturation Thieves you blew up your own tank and your mid-lane situation is still unsolved. Your consolation prize? A guy who just starting playing ADC for a year but has grown exponentially. He’s probably still raw in his skills at the position but he probably went to the best situation possible. Bang has mastered his craft over the years and Aphromoo is the leader that a player like Gorica needs to flourish.

• 4th pick GGS: MistyStumpy, Top

• While GGS is the definition of mediocrity, they chose an absolute unit in the top lane. He almost never got smashed in the laning phase. He is the perfect combination of a high consistent floor and a high ceiling. Right now he is in metamorphosis in his crystalys in college.

• 5th pick EG: Tomo, ADC

• EG made another aggressive move and traded with IMT to get a mechanical prodigy in Tomo. He has a wide champion pool and can run circles around everyone in Yasuo. After college he has Zeyzal to go for solo kills on in the laning phase.

• 6th pick TSM: SPX, Support

• Um TSM? WTF are you doing. You miserably failed to make it back to worlds and your jungling situation was an absolute mess. SPX while mentally tough is inconsistent. Smoothie is the type of guy that can help you build an identity. Maybe they thought their backup wasn’t serviceable.

• 7th pick CLG: 5fire, Mid

• CLG got a steal at a position that will be in high need for them in a couple years. A soloQ legend with 1,200 LP, his climb through the ELO ladder has given him a work ethic that is an intangible among other prospects. The grind of soloQ shows as his mechanics are clean even by LCS standards.

• 8th pick DIG: Chime, Support

• Instead of picking an immediate impact former LCS support, they opted for a player of higher upside. Like most prospects very malleable and has a high ceiling. Hopefully he can give Dignitas a positive reputation rather than the memes of old like Dignitoss.

• 9th pick C9: Julian, Mid

• The 3rd mid taken off the board and arguably the best fit for the boys in blue. C9 has struggled to get over the hump and I have doubts if Nisqy can carry a franchise. He is considered a long term project but could be the solution to the championship puzzle C9 has… in 2 years. He does fit the criteria for a C9 mid-laner as he only has one direction being forward.

• 10th pick TL: Wolfie, Mid

• Team Liquid are sitting pretty at the top and select, the 4th mid-laner. I mean yeah you have to prepare your future but don’t you want to prep your ADC of the future. Doublelift is heading to the wrong side of 20. The mid-laner class was stacked so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt His shot-calling needs work but Jensen is a great player to develop behind.

Either these players explode into stardom, become wandering journeymen, or just fade into obscurity. Hopefully they all have lucrative careers.