NXL Mid Atlantic Major NXL Power Rankings, Shaking Up The Rankings After a Wild Few Weeks, Is Dynasty Still on Top?

The Mid Atlantic Major event is here, and the third stop of the NXL season brings a new power rankings update. These opinion based rankings are all about the "what have you done for me lately" and ranks each team in the NXL based on this point in the season. This season has been the largest shuffle in the ranks so far, with teams like the NO Hurricanes making a huge jump in the ranks. 
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1) Edmonton Impact (Previous Rank: 5) 
Player to watch: Nick Levial

Impact comes into the event with one of their best rosters since the last dynastic run they had in the late 2010s. Justin Rabackoff and Alex Goldman will immediately return to their starting roles, and with the talented Axel Gaudin playing some of the best paintball of his career, this team is scary. Nick Levial should feast in this center, favoring towards the dorito side middle.
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2) San Diego Dynasty (Previous Rank: 1)
​Player to watch: Blake Yarber

Dynasty has something to prove for the first time in a while after not making Sunday in nearly half a decade at the last event. This is the most talented and cohesive roster in the NXL and with a balanced, slightly defensive layout, are maybe the best equipped team to win this event. Yarber is going to absolutely bully opponents and I expect to see the biggest moves of the event go through Blake’s gun. 

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3) Houston Heat (Previous Rank: 2)
​Player to watch: Tyler Harmon

Heat has played consistently elite for the last few seasons, but have seemed to always come up just short outside of this event one year ago. I believe they will return to the grounds at Royersford ready to take home another event win. Todd Martinez may be the best coach in the league, and with more weapons at his disposal than ever and a surging Tyler Harmon, Heat is dangerous. Tyler should be dominant from the very strong backline positions and prove once again, he is the best gunfighter in the NXL. 
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4) Tampa Bay Damage (Previous Rank: 8) 
Player to watch: Jacob Edwards

Damage gained their first win in nearly a decade at the Lone Star Open and surprised many fans by going the distance. This roster is really deep, and they utilize it fully each event. No other team makes switches more frequently, and this hard-to-scout style may rapidly become the new meta of the league if Damage continues their success. Jacob Edwards is a near superstar level player in this league and ready to join the conversation as a top ten player in the World. 
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5) San Diego Aftermath (Previous Rank: 9)
Player to watch: Mike Mesa

Aftermath plays a incredibly balanced style of paintball and their dorito side attack should shine on a layout where many teams have been winning on that side of the field during practice the last two weekends. Thomas Kim is the most underrated player in the current NXL landscape and he is a viciously precise dorito side attacker with great athleticism and decision making. Mike Mesa will bring a much needed veteran presence to a snake side that looks like it may be tough to crack throughout the weekend. 
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6) Los Angeles Infamous (Previous Rank: 3)
Player to watch: Thomas Taylor

Infamous has been consistently at the top of the league for a few seasons now, coming within a single match of a season title in 2012. They revamped their roster a bit in 2022 and have been effective thus far. With one of the best defensive back lines in the sport, and the ultra aggressive attack of Thomas Taylor and Harrison Frye, this layout may very well be the one that earns Infamous a win. Taylor is in his 20th season in professional paintball and he looks as lean and athletic as ever. This field can be attacked at many levels and I expect Thomas will be utilized in a variety of roles in this event. 

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7) Columbus LVL (Previous Rank: 11) 
Player to watch: Sam Silberg

LVL quickly has become the darling of the NXL, and one of the league's youngest franchises is on a hot streak dating back to NXL Chicago in September of last season. Dany Schonauer has been a huge reason behind that surge, but Sam Silberg’s versatility and poise is the foundation of this team's success. They arguably are the hardest to read team going into this event, as the layout may not suit their aggressive style, but Head Coach Robbie Goldsmith has shown his creativity with his play-calling and should be key for LVL to find any success in Philly. 

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8) New Orleans Hurricanes (Previous Rank: 18)
Player to watch: Andrew Bell

No team has made a bigger impact upon entering the pro division in their rookie season more than the NO Hurricanes. Over their first two events they are sitting higher in the rankings than teams like Revo, Xfactor, and NYX, and have shown a strong style of play throughout. Their coaching from Mike Bianca has been a revelation for the young franchise and the level of chemistry they display on the field is vastly impressive for their first season in pro. 

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9) MLKings (Previous Rank: 17) 
Player to watch: Connor Kelley

The MLKings have been slugging their way up the pro division ranks for a few seasons now, and the dedication by owner Charlie Givens to this roster has paid huge dividends. The team is led by the talented Kyle Barry and up and coming star Connor Kelley has provided a steady offensive presence for the MLKings. This roster may be on their way to a Top 8 finish in the season standings and may continue to surprise throughout the rest of 2022 after multiple seasons towards the bottom of the rankings. 
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10) NRG Elite (Previous Rank: 14)
Player to watch: Caleb Abuhl

For what NRG Elite lacks in superstar players, they make up for with a high level of team synergy and solid game planning. Their style, although a bit chaotic at times, has been producing consistent results for them over the last two years. They have firmly cemented themselves in the top half of the league and Caleb Abuhl has played strong so far this season. With the addition of the very athletic Kristian Woodmansee to bolster the snake side attack, NRG should continue to move up the rankings. 
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11) San Antonio XFactor (Previous Rank: 4) 
Player to watch: Raney Stanczak

The biggest surprise of the season so far, XFactor has had their worst start to a season in franchise history, dating back nearly 20 years. However, the roster had some shake ups over the offseason and it takes time in paintball to develop the chemistry and trust needed to find success. LJ Parrish and Billy Bernacchia seem to be gelling on the snake side of the field, albeit slowly, but the player to watch is Raney Stanczak. On this layout, Raney will be potentially be one of the best players of the event in the center of the field with his elite closing ability. 
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12) Baltimore Revo (Previous Rank: 6) 
Player to watch: Stephen Omara

Revo had a tough offseason where they lost a large part of their core roster just as they were looking like a top five team. The bad news continued after the newly acquired Zach Hoeg departed the team to join Aftermath after just one event. The big three of this roster, Chris Schehr, Stephen Omara, and Henry Sentz will still help pull this team up the rankings, and if Rob Velez continues to play the way he has, Revo may yet salvage their season. Look for Omara to make a huge impact in the center of the field. 
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13) New York Xtreme (Previous Rank: 13) 
Player to watch: Harris Hussain

NYX has been a team that is loaded with talent every year, but has been challenged to find consistent placing in the ranks. Coach Rich Telford has been working hard to instill the poise needed for a team to succeed in the NXL and if they can steal a win from Aftermath or Impact in the prelims, they just might finally break the 2-2 prelims curse and make Sunday this event. The versatile and aggressive Harris Hussain will be fun to watch on this layout, and should be all over the field making huge moves. 
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14) ac Diesel (Previous Rank: 12) 
Player to watch: Clint Johnson

Diesel comes into the Mid Atlantic Major with maybe their best roster in two seasons, and the return of Clint Johnson should help this team greatly. They have all the tools needed to be a Sunday team and if they are able to make the cut, it will help continue to develop this young team. This roster is athletically talented and the leadership of Mark Johnson will be key if this team wants to move into the top half of the league. 
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15) Seattle Thunder (Previous Rank: 10) 
Player to watch: Corey Field

Thunder has been searching for their identity as a team since the conclusion of the Mid Atlantic Major event one year ago, but that may change coming into the 2022 event. This layout screams zone control, and Thunder still has very good lane discipline in the pro division. Corey Fields' gun off the break will be huge for Thunder if they want to make any headway, and if Field and the rest of Thunder are getting eliminations early, we may see a repeat of last year's great performance at this event. 
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16) Portland Uprising (Previous Rank: 16) 
Player to watch: Graham Arnold

Uprising still have the bulk of their original core players but inconsistency has been their bane; for every great game they have an equally difficult game occur. However, the long history of this roster and their familiarity will be helpful on a layout that will require discipline and control. If they can muster up some level of offense down the dorito side with Graham Arnold, they may be able to find success, but the road is long. 

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17) Los Angeles Ironmen (Previous Rank: 19)
Player to watch: Trent Nitta

The Ironmen are facing new challenges in 2022; the roster was picked apart at the end of the 2021 season and there has been a bit of a churn throughout the offseason and early part of the year to find the combo of players they think can win. The recent addition of former NE Hurricane players Keith Devit, Trent Nitta, and Kyle Nicholaou are probably the best moves they have made in recent memory. Keith is a pro veteran who will bring much needed leadership, and Trent Nitta’s offensive versatility and competitive fire will be huge. Look for Trent to make an impact in a slower playing snake behind his gun skills and lightning fast snapshot. 
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18) Sacramento DMG (Previous Rank: 15)
Player to watch: Zack Hill

DMG needs to prove quickly that they still belong in the pro league if they want to avoid the dreaded relegation. Their bracket is arguably the most ideal one they could have ended up in, with a legitimate chance to go 2-2 or better in this event. Zack Hill joins the team from Edmonton Impact after their roster shuffle and will bring a high level of offense to a roster that desperately needs it, will that be enough? 

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19) Latin Saints (Previous Rank: 7) 
Player to watch: Kraig Martin

After one of the best opening events in any pro franchises history, the Latin Saints roster dissolved and they are coming into the Mid Atlantic Major with an entirely new roster of talented South American and Central American players. Like many fans, we are excited to see what these players can do, and with the guidance of long-time player and industry veteran Russell Jackson as their new coach, they have the leadership needed to make some progress in 2022. They benefit greatly from the all-but-guarantee they avoid relegation this year after the franchise scored a second place finish in event one. That will provide critical time for development of this roster without the stress of relegation looming.