Jashaun Corbin is with the Dallas Cowboys now. Keshawn Banks is with the Minnesota Vikings. Tre Stewart earned his NFL opportunity with the Arizona Cardinals after Orlando's inaugural season. For the Storm, that is a development pipeline working as designed and a clear set of offseason assignments.
Celebrate the players getting another NFL opportunity. Then get to work filling the roles they leave behind.
That is where the Storm's draft conversation should begin. Running back first. Edge help right behind it. Not because Orlando needs to erase its inaugural season, but because it needs to build on it while accounting for the players whose careers have moved forward.
Photo by Storm Queen Photography
When we wrapped up that first season in June, we praised the foundation Anthony Becht established: an 8-2 regular season, a Coach of the Year award and a playoff appearance that ended with a 28-22 semifinal loss to the D.C. Defenders. Corbin, Banks and Stewart were part of that foundation. Their contributions deserve to stay in the story even as the roster changes.
Corbin led Orlando with 131 carries for 437 rushing yards and three touchdowns, adding 21 receptions for 118 yards. That was a substantial workload in a 10-game season. Now listed on Dallas' practice squad, he is pursuing the next opportunity spring football is designed to help players reach.
(6) Jashaun Corbin
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Banks was the Storm's pass-rush spark in that same inaugural year. Across 10 regular-season games he posted a team-high 5.0 sacks, finished second in the UFL with 11.0 tackles for loss and added 24 total tackles, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He became the first Storm player to sign an NFL contract after the 2026 season, agreeing to terms with the Atlanta Falcons in June, and he is now with the Minnesota Vikings. The UFL announced that Orlando retains his rights if he returns. That is exactly how this pipeline is supposed to work: develop, promote and then replenish.
Stewart contributed 28 carries for 108 yards and four receptions for 27 yards during the inaugural season, then signed with the Arizona Cardinals in August. Like Corbin and Banks, that NFL look is a development win. It also means Orlando cannot draft as if last year's backfield is frozen in place.
(13)Jack Plummer. (29) Tre Stewart.
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The Storm's response should be to replace that experience and production, not pretend those touches and pressures recreate themselves.
Elijah Dotson remains part of the backfield conversation. He recorded 41 carries and 10 receptions in 2026 and can still help Orlando if he returns. Adding another talented runner would create competition, distribute the workload and give the coaching staff more ways to shape the offense.
A backfield should have options. It should not require an emergency meeting every time somebody needs a breather.
The 2027 UFL Draft begins November 18 at Ballpark Village in St. Louis. The first two rounds air on NFL Network at 8 p.m. Eastern. Orlando holds the sixth pick in each of those rounds, putting the Storm at No. 6 and No. 14 overall in a 15-round draft.
My preferred first target is Jamal Haynes, provided he remains eligible and available when Orlando selects. Haynes was waived by Cincinnati at final cuts and is not currently on an NFL roster or practice squad, which keeps him in the draft conversation if that status holds through Nov. 18.
The UFL features the former Georgia Tech back on its Draft Central prospect list, noting his transition from receiver and his place among the school's top 10 career rushers. That background makes him an interesting candidate for an offense that should want receiving ability alongside its rushing production.
The appeal is versatility. A back who can contribute as a receiver gives a play-caller more ways to use the same personnel. Motion him, release him into space or keep him in the backfield. The defense still has to account for him. Haynes' receiving background makes that an avenue worth exploring, although his protection skills and ability to handle a professional workload still require evaluation.
He is my first call, not a guaranteed selection. The league's featured prospects are not a promise that every name will remain available. NFL roster and practice-squad status can change the pool before draft night.
Jordan Mims would be another target. Waived by Philadelphia at cutdown and not currently on an NFL roster or practice squad, he remains a conditional option if still eligible. The UFL highlights his contact balance and receiving ability, a combination worth considering as Orlando rebuilds its rotation. Carson Steele offers a different approach: the downhill running style emphasized in his league profile. Steele reached an injury settlement with the Eagles in late October and is also not currently on an NFL roster or practice squad. Both are draft targets only if available on draft night, not free-agent announcements and not locked NFL futures.
The important thing is matching the player to the job. Orlando needs someone who can earn meaningful touches, contribute beyond one narrow assignment and work within the offense. Winning the press conference is optional. Picking up the blitz is not.
Offensive line is my second priority, and it is close enough to first that the available talent could change the order.
Photo by Storm Queen Photography
Jack Plummer took 19 sacks during the regular season. Protection and run blocking both deserve investment, regardless of which back Orlando drafts. Bringing in a runner without improving the conditions around him is an incomplete plan.
Izavion Miller is the first name I would examine for that second-round selection. Waived by Cleveland in August and not currently on an NFL roster or practice squad, he remains a draftable option if eligibility holds. The UFL's prospect profile emphasizes his balance, quickness and sustained run blocking. Dalton Wagner, listed at 6-foot-8 with right-tackle experience after time with Las Vegas, is another option if Orlando prioritizes help on the edge and he remains available.
The preferred sequence is Haynes at six, then a suitable offensive lineman at 14. But if a clearly stronger lineman is available and the preferred backs are gone, adjust. Running back first is a roster strategy, not a reason to ignore better value.
Edge depth moves up the board for the same reason the backfield does: Banks' NFL opportunity with Minnesota creates a real production hole. Orlando recorded 17 sacks as a team last season, with Banks supplying five of them during that inaugural year. That is not a soft need anymore. It is a reload item.
Xavier Thomas and Jahfari Harvey appear among the league's featured edge prospects and are names worth examining as the Storm builds its rotation. Neither is currently on an NFL roster or practice squad in the latest available listings, though Thomas' recent free-agent and suspension history and Harvey's recent Denver practice-squad stop mean eligibility still has to be confirmed on draft night. Thomas brings explosiveness and upside. Harvey offers length and an aggressive rush style. Either would need to earn the job, but both fit the profile of players Orlando should study closely while Banks pursues the next level in Minnesota.
Interior defensive line still belongs in the conversation. Opponents averaged 4.58 yards per carry against Orlando last season. Brodric Martin, the former third-round NFL selection listed by the UFL at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, deserves evaluation as a possible addition in the middle after being waived by Arizona and not currently appearing on an NFL roster or practice squad. Size is only useful if it comes with the technique and discipline to control a gap.
Those priorities remain subject to returning-player decisions and further NFL opportunities. Spring rosters move. A responsible draft board has to move with them.
For now, the order is running back, offensive line, edge and interior defensive line. Haynes is the preferred backfield target, with Mims and Steele among the alternatives. Thomas and Harvey are the early edge names to watch.
(52) Keshawn Banks
Photo by Storm Queen Photography
Corbin, Banks and Stewart helped Orlando establish a winning foundation. Their NFL opportunities in Dallas, Minnesota and Arizona deserve recognition. The next step is giving other players a chance to contribute while protecting what made that first season special.
Keep developing players. Keep replenishing the roster. Keep building a team Central Florida can get behind.
Don't just watch the draft. Understand it. Queen Media Sports Report.
Cody Queen is the lead columnist for the Queen Media Sports Report, bringing you the hard hitting facts, the deep dives, and the unapologetic truth about the teams you love. Queen Media Sports Report is brought to you by Backwater Royalty.
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