WWE Mock Draft: Night One on SmackDown

Let’s be honest. Most of us stayed up way too late watching the opening round of the NFL Draft, but just because the annual spring spectacle — that is Commissioner Roger Goodell reading off a list of names — is underway does not mean that mock draft season is over!

The WWE Draft kicks off tonight from the Heritage Bank Center in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Very excited to be there live as Raw GM Adam Pearce and SmackDown GM Nick Aldis shape their rosters for the next year of competition.

I’m also extremely thankful for the new Endeavor era of WWE programming with Triple H at the helm. Actual rules for the Draft being released days in advance? Never in my wildest dreams did I think this day would come. Finally, a chance to put together a decently accurate mock.

In case you missed it, the following was announced by WWE this week:

RULES OF THE DRAFT

• Champions on each brand will be protected and are not eligible to be drafted.
• The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Asuka and Kairi Sane are eligible to be drafted since their titles allow them to float between brands. They will be assigned to their drafted roster upon losing their Championships. they lose the titles.
• Tonight’s SmackDown will feature four rounds of draft picks. Each round will consist of four picks for a total of 16 picks being announced on the show. Eight for SmackDown and eight for Raw.
• Monday’s Raw will feature six rounds of draft picks being announced. Each round will consist of four picks for a total of a total of 24 picks. 12 for Raw and 12 for SmackDown.
• SmackDown will receive the first pick tonight while Raw will choose first this coming Monday.
• There entire WWE roster will be split into two draft pools that are eligible to be selected each night.
• Unspecified NXT Superstars will be eligible to be drafted.

Available main roster Superstars for tonight’s draft include:

AJ Styles, Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, Alpha Academy, Andrade, Bianca Belair, Bron Breakker, Cedric Alexander and Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Ivar, Jey Uso, LA Knight, Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Randy Orton, Ricochet, Seth Rollins, Shayna Baszler, Sheamus, The Bloodline, The O.C. and Zoey Stark

Let’s get drafting!

Round 1, Pick 1 – SmackDown – The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga & Paul Heyman)

Nick Aldis has been handed a gift by the WWE decision-makers. Getting the No. 1 overall selection in the Draft with Roman Reigns on the board is like an NFL franchise having the option to choose Tom Brady in his prime, and then getting Bill Belichick, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman as bonuses.

From a pure business aspect it makes all the sense in the world for the SmackDown GM to snatch up the Bloodline, but Nick Aldis has had his fair share of issues with WWE’s top faction during his brief tenure with the company.

The temptation might be there to just allow them slide to Monday Night Raw and let Adam Pearce handle the anarchy, mayhem and manipulation that makes this draft choice not as much of a no brainer as it is on paper.

I’m speaking strictly from a kayfabe standpoint here. The Bloodline storyline is still money as it enters its post-Endgame phase of the WWE cinematic universe. Especially with Solo Sikoa emerging as the next big bad in the wake of the Tribal Chief falling to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XL.

I would like to see Aldis’ conflict playout on screen, especially with Tama Tonga’s brutal attack on Kevin Owens fresh on everyone’s mind. However Triple H and company decide to play it out on screen, I expect The Bloodline to remain on the Blue Brand.

Round 1, Pick 2 – Raw – Randy Orton

With Nick Aldis making a difficult, albeit, wise business decision by securing the exclusive rights to Roman Reigns and the majority of his family members, Adam Pearce will land the first big steal of the draft by grabbing the Viper with the second overall selection.

It was just a few months ago when Pearce and Aldis competed vigorously for Randy Orton’s talents, with the 14-time World Champion ultimately choosing SmackDown in order to exact revenge against Roman Reigns and the Bloodline.

Creatively speaking, I hate this move. I’ve debated back and forth about swaping Orton out of this spot because I think it would make more sense to keep him on SmackDown. There’s a potentially juicy story to tell with Cody Rhodes locked in as a member of the Blue Brand and his former mentor craving his 15th reign atop the mountain in WWE.

It’s a match and rivalry we all deserve to see play out. At the same time, if I’m Adam Pearce, I don’t give a damn and I’m gonna stick it to SmackDown by swiping one of Nick Aldis’ top stars.

Round 1, Pick 3 – SmackDown – Bianca Belair

The strength of the SmackDown roster is the depth of its Women’s Division. Having just lost one of his core pieces in Randy Orton, Nick Aldis is going to make the logical choice to secure the strong-EST performer in that women’s locker room.

Another move that I hate from a creative standpoint. Even as I write this, I’m debating switching Bianca to the No. 2 spot because she is in dire need of some new rivals. Belair has been tangled in a web of Damage CTRL chaos for going on two years.

Even if Damage CTRL were to be separated from Belair by being drafted over to Raw this coming Monday, the prospect of Belair challenging Bayley for the WWE Women’s Championship when the time comes is not overly appealing at the moment. Not because they don’t have great chemistry or don’t produce great matches, we’ve just seen it over two dozen times the last couple years – house shows included.

To be fair we’ve seen her face Becky Lynch a great many times as well, so Belair could be out of the World Title picture for a bit… at least until one of the Horsewomen lose their newly acquired gold.

The saving grace may be Bianca’s partnership with Jade Cargill. The new ‘Big Three’ could potentially be split in this draft, but if Belair and Cargill capture the Women’s Tag Team Championships they’ll be able to stay together a little longer. And more importantly be able go to whichever brand they desire.

Round 1, Pick 4 – Raw – Seth Rollins

The case of Seth Rollins is an interesting one. According to his wife, new Women’s World Champion Becky Lynch, the Visionary just underwent knee surgery to repair his meniscus.

There is no timetable for his return to action, but he could potentially be out for a while. Maybe even several months. Unlike Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Jimmy Uso and other injured Superstars, however, Rollins is eligible to be drafted.

Deciding when to pull the trigger on a Superstar, that you know is not going to be available for a good chunk of the year you are guaranteed to have them, is a spectacular storyline for a GM like Adam Pearce or Nick Aldis to have on draft night.

There’s also the issue of Rollins’ contract reportedly being up within the next few months, but one has to expect that a deal will get done eventually with one of the company’s biggest flag bearers.

Based of past accomplishments alone, I do not foresee Rollins falling far at all later tonight. Even if he does, his wife is locked into the Red Brand as the Women’s World Champion. Which means Rollins will be staying on the Raw roster.

Round 2, Pick 1 – SmackDown – AJ Styles

As appreciative as I am of WWE announcing the rules for this year’s draft in advance, there are still a few things that need cleared up. First and foremost, if the Champions are locked into their respective brands, why aren’t their challengers?

If AJ Styles is drafted to Raw and then goes on to defeat Cody Rhodes at Backlash to win the WWE Championship, does that mean the title will also head to Monday nights? Or would AJ Styles have to return to SmackDown as the new Champion? Would Cody Rhodes then have to go back to Raw as compensation?

These are all valid questions that we probably will never get answered. You don’t need me to give you the latest betting odds to know that AJ Styles is a heavy underdog to dethrone the American Nightmare in his first title defense.

Regardless, Styles still has incredible value and is worthy of being selected high in the 2nd round of the draft. He’s gotten himself into the best shape of his life at 46 years-old and more than proved at WrestleMania that he still has plenty left in the tank for a main event level run.

Round 2, Pick 2 – Raw – Jey Uso

‘Main Event’ Jey Uso has been one of the biggest success stories of Triple H’s tenure as the Chief Content Officer of WWE. Growing from tag team specialist and Bloodline loyalist to bonafide singles Superstar.

His off the charts charisma and comedic chops have captured the hearts of WWE fans across the globe. Even if he wasn’t challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash, he would be worthy of a high draft selection.

From a storyline perspective, it just makes sense to keep Jey Uso separate from the Bloodline and let him continue to flourish on his own. At least until brother Jimmy is ready to return from injury and begin the slow reunion of one of the company’s most decorated tag teams.

Round 2, Pick 3 – SmackDown – Bron Breakker

Some people were just born to be professional wrestlers and Bron Breakker certainly fits that mold. Speed, strength, athleticism, tenacity, viciousness — the 26 year-old has it all. Almost like he was engineered in a lab with some mad scientist taking the best qualities of his father and uncle and combining them into one elite package.

Nick Aldis will secure the future of SmackDown by ensuring that the former NXT Champion remains a member of the Blue Brand.

Being drafted this high should signal that Triple H has big things in mind for Breakker now that he’s officially on the main roster. It would take something absolutely unforeseen to keep him from being a major player right away. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be, maybe even a multi-time, singles champion by next year’s WrestleMania.

Round 2 Pick 4 – Raw – LA Knight

If anyone in this draft needs to find a new home, it’s LA Knight. As long as Cody Rhodes remains the WWE Champion, which all reports indicate that will be the case for a while, the Megastar remains blocked from capturing the top prize on SmackDown.

It’s not outside the realm of possibility that Knight stays on the Blue Brand to one day take the United States Championship away from Logan Paul, or even turns heel to become a challenger to the American Nightmare for the WWE Championship. Neither seems like the right move to make.

The time is now for WWE to pull the trigger on the massive push that so many have been wanting to see.

Knight is still massively over with the fans, despite not being featured in one of the top title matches at WrestleMania this year. A move to Raw should solidify him as a future challenger for Damian Priest and his World Heavyweight Championship — a title that seems tailor-made for the Megastar.

Round 3, Pick 1 – SmackDown – Sheamus

The Celtic Warrior will open up the 3rd round as the newest member of the SmackDown roster, the first big addition for GM Nick Aldis as he’s been focused on keeping his own up until this point.

Sheamus should immediately rush the podium to give Aldis a hug (gingerly, he’s recovering from a ruptured biceps) and smash a celebratory burger.

This is another selection that I’m personally not thrilled with as it once again puts a wedge between Sheamus and the Intercontinental Championship with Sami Zayn locked in as a member of the RAW roster.

Realistically though, I just can’t see Sheamus falling any further in the draft than this spot. He’ll head back to SmackDown where he have banger after banger with the likes of Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul and others.

Round 3, Pick 2 – Raw – Liv Morgan

I expect the women’s roster to be shuffled up quite a bit in this year’s draft to help spread out the embarrassment of riches on the SmackDown roster, but the majority of the big moves will be made this coming Monday Night.

Liv Morgan has storyline immunity from switching brands. She may have finished second in yet another battle royal this past week, but she is the Women’s World Champion in waiting.

I believe WWE put the title on Becky Lynch to make Morgan’s eventual title win more impactful and thus a more credible Champion for when Rhea Ripley is healthy enough to make her return to action.

Round 3, Pick 3 – SmackDown – Andrade

Since making his return to WWE at the Royal Rumble, Andrade has yet to really get going with any juicy creative angle of his own outside of being courted by the Judgement Day.

He helped Rey Mysterio pick up a win at WrestleMania XL over Dirty Dom and Santos Escobar, but now its time for him to make strides on his own.

SmackDown should provide Andrade plenty of opportunities to break out as a singles competitor, depending on where Mysterio and the rest of the LWO wind up in this draft. It would be easy for him to get mixed up in all the drama surrounding the attack on Dragon Lee, whom we all suspect was Carlito.

Andrade is a prime candidate (see what I did there) to compete against Logan Paul for the United States Championship. Big things should be ahead regardless where he ends up, but I have him going to SmackDown here in the third round.

Round 3, Pick 4 – Raw – Carmelo Hayes

The former NXT Champion has long been ready for this opportunity. Having already had a cup of coffee with the main roster, fans who are unfamiliar with the product on Tuesday nights have already seen glimpses of his incredible athletic ability and in-ring prowess.

His list accomplishments in NXT is only outclassed by the potential of what he’ll achieve on either Raw or SmackDown (or both) in his career. Former NXT Champion, two-time and longest reigning combined North American Champion, Cruiserweight Champion and NXT Breakout Tournament winner.

The sky is the limit for the 29 year-old if given the opportunity to really shine. The move to Monday nights would be extremely beneficial for Hayes as the lack of a third hour on SmackDown can make it difficult for certain talent to garner consistent screen time and truly build momentum. Being drafted to Raw should ensure a weekly spot on WWE programming.

Round 4, Pick 1 – SmackDown – Nia Jax

Some people still don’t want to admit this, but Nia Jax has been an excellent addition to the roster since returning full-time last year. She has gotten herself in tremendous shape and has easily been putting together the best work of her in-ring portfolio.

After spending the last few months battling it out with pretty much every woman on the Red Brand, Jax could really benefit from a whole new crop of talent being placed in her path of destruction.

Expect Nia to get a change of scenery and become an instant threat to Bayley’s reign as WWE Women’s Champion.

Round 4, Pick 2 – Raw – Lyra Valkyria

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the NXT Women’s Division is STACKED! Shawn Michaels has gone out of his way put over the ladies inside a locker room that has become so overcrowded that the company is creating an all new North American Championship.

Lyra Valkyria has made tremendous strides in her development as a performer over the past year, which of course, was highlighted by her 164 day reign as NXT Women’s Champion.

With Roxanne Perez currently brand protected as the reigning NXT Women’s title holder, Valkyria seems the most likely among the Tuesday night women’s competitors to be getting a main roster call-up.

She’s ready for a shot at the big time. Speaking of ‘Big Time’, a move to Raw would allow WWE the opportunity to establish a true rivalry between Valkyria and Becky Lynch, the woman she beat to become NXT Women’s Champion.

Perhaps Lyra announces her presence with authority and challenges the Women’s World Champion to a match to see if she can go 2-0 against The Man.

Round 4, Pick 3 – SmackDown – Baron Corbin

Baron Corbin has found his edge again. He’s been revitalized as a performer after his most recent run in NXT and even found him a tag team partner in Bron Breakker.

The Wolf Dogs just work as a team. There’s no guarantee that Corbin and Breakker will continue to work with one another on the main roster, but drafting WWE’s favorite pit master to SmackDown will at least give them the option of keeping the team together for one more run at tag team gold.

Breakker has future WWE Champion written all over him, so the company could opt to start that push now. I’m honestly not sure where that would leave Corbin, who’s cycled through a number of gimmicks on the main roster in years past.

Round 4, Pick 4 – Raw – Alpha Academy (Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri)

This pick comes down to the numbers. Raw is a three hour show and Adam Pearce needs a large roster to fill it out. Drafting four Superstars in one fell swoop just makes mathematical sense. Even if this group doesn’t exactly scream ‘long-term stability’.

Chad Gable’s new found attitude may catapult him to that singles championship he’s long coveted, but it seems as though it will come at a price. Conventional wisdom leads us to believe that Gable’s tough love tactics toward his pupils in the Alpha Academy will not be tolerated for long.

There are also rumors that Gable could soon dump his current stablemates and pick up the Creed Brothers as his new running buddies. For now though, Raw will play the numbers game and pick up the Alpha Academy with the final televised pick of the night.

Remain available talent on night one (Presumably to be taken in an online supplemental round):

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn – Raw
Cedric Alexander and Ashante “Thee” Adonis – SmackDown
Ivar – NXT
Ricochet – Raw
Shayna Baszler – SmackDown
The O.C. (Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and Michin) – NXT
Zoey Stark – RAW

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Find out about every pick as it happens in cSs’ live blog of tonight’s SmackDown —right here! And stay with Cageside through the weekend and straight through to the second night of the WWE Draft on Monday’s Raw!

You can follow Rick Ucchino on X/Twitter and stay tuned for more in depth interviews with WWE and AEW talent here on Cageside Seats. The Monday Morning Gorilla Position returns next week with our WWE Mock Draft for night two!