Year two of the draft: What the 2022 season would look like if hurling was professional

Last week, we looked at the idea of a professional inter-county hurling landscape, and what it would look like it if had adopted an NFL style draft system that was used to determine where each of the best U20s across the country would be playing their “professional” hurling.

The 2021 draft put together in last week’s example offered a glimpse of what competitive balance might look like, if it were engineered rather than hoped for.

Last week's breakdown of how it would work if hurling an NFL style draft  

The end result saw Cork seniors Ciarán Joyce, Alan Connolly and Shane Barrett as the top three picks in the draft, which left them playing with Monaghan, Louth and Cavan.

But what if you keep it going with the same rules in 2022?

One single draft wouldn't completely reshape the competition. Two drafts probably wouldn’t either. But it would be the start of a changing landscape.

For the 2022 season, Cavan, Monaghan and Leitrim were the three worst teams. And so, they would get the top three picks. Add a second young star to each team – following the players they received in our 2021 draft the season before – and they each become a little more competitive.

All while the top counties do not progress.

Given Cork’s 2021 U20 campaign ended with an All-Ireland victory, you could be certain that in our hypothetical world with a hurling draft, a large cohort of that team will have been selected by many of the 32 counties.

That would mean that, Cork’s U20s would be without the likes of Brian O’Sullivan in this hypothetical – a player they had in reality during the 2022 U20 season – because he was selected by Westmeath in the 2021 draft.

The 2022 season’s Cork U20 team didn’t hit the same heights anyway, the Rebels were eliminated in the Munster semi-final. So, naturally, they’re going to account for fewer of that season’s U20s that are selected in the draft.

So, like we did for 2021, the draft order follows senior results. 

Cavan finished bottom of the Lory Meagher Cup, they pick first. Limerick were the All-Ireland champions, they pick last.

First round draft picks for 2022:

1 Billy Drennan (Kilkenny) – selected by Cavan 

2 Colin Coughlan (Limerick) – selected by Monaghan 

3 Joe Fitzpatrick (Kilkenny) – selected by Leitrim 

4 Shane O’Brien (Limerick) – selected by Longford 

5 Padraic Moylan (Kilkenny) – selected by Louth 

6 Peter McGarry (Tipperary) – selected by Fermanagh 

7 Aidan Tallis (Kilkenny) – selected by Armagh 

8 Jimmy Quilty (Limerick) – selected by Donegal 

9 Timmy Clifford (Kilkenny) – selected by Roscommon 

10 Patrick Crotty (Clare) – selected by Tyrone 

11 Ethan Hurley (Limerick) – selected by Wicklow 

12 Cian Galvin (Clare) – selected by Sligo 

13 Diarmuid Healy (Cork) – selected by Derry 

14 Paddy Langton (Kilkenny) – selected by Mayo 

15 Liam Collins (Galway) – selected by Kildare 

16 Ben Cunningham (Cork) – selected by Meath 

17 Cian Scully (Limerick) – selected by Down 

18 Padraig Fitzgerald (Waterford) – selected by Offaly 

19 Rory Furlong (Waterford) – selected by Carlow 

20 Sean Purcell (Kilkenny) – selected by Kerry 

21 Joe Fitzpatrick (Kilkenny) – selected by Antrim 

22 Kyle Shelly (Tipperary) – selected by Laois 

23 Joe Booth (Waterford) – selected by Tipperary 

24 Conor O’Dwyer (Tipperary) – selected by Westmeath 

25 Billy Reid (Kilkenny) – s elected by Waterford 

26 Sean Walsh (Cork) – selected by Dublin 

27 Denis Walsh (Kilkenny) – selected by Wexford 

28 Joe Sweeney (Limerick) – selected by Cork 

29 Colin Walsh (Cork) – selected by Clare 

30 Corey Byrne-Dunbar (Wexford) – selected by Galway 

31 Killian Doyle (Kilkenny) – selected by Kilkenny 

32 Evan O’Leary (Limerick) – selected by Limerick 

And when you consider this would be the second year, Monaghan would now head into the 2023 season with Ciarán Joyce and Colin Coughlan, while Longford have Shanes Barrett and O’Brien in their ranks.

Cavan come away with Kilkenny star Billy Drennan, adding to Cathal O’Neill they acquired in 2021. Not bad.

Derry would end up with a steal in Diarmuid Healy, while Offaly would be getting Waterford hurler Padraig Fitzgerald, despite picking well outside the top 10.

This, though, is where you start to reach the point where following the guideline of senior results is no longer sufficient.

Because, while one year of the draft won’t make much of a difference, two will. Would Leitrim still be the worst team in the 2023 season if they had Adam English and Joe Fitzpatrick? Perhaps. But add in another draft pick for 2023 – say a Darragh Stakelum, Charlie Mitchell or Colin Walsh – they’re suddenly a much, much stronger team.

The more years that pass with a round of draft picks taking place, the stronger Lory Meagher teams get, and the weaker those vying for Liam MacCarthy get.