Regardless of what a sports team does in a rookie draft, there will always be criticism from fans and experts. It’s no different in the world of professional wrestling, where there is always going to be criticism of some kind. But the recent WWE Draft is a unique draft where Raw and SmackDown built up their own rosters from a pool that featured not only rookies from NXT, but up-and-comers and veterans in the WWE.

There were good picks from both sides, while each brand also made some questionable draft choices. It also was a weird draft where Raw had more selections on the first live episode of SmackDown just because they had an extra hour of programming – not that it has necessarily made the show better since moving from two to three hours.

Unlike the actual draft, this re-imagining will be fair, with both SmackDown and Raw getting an equal number of picks respectively. Also, Brock Lesnar is being kept off the list mostly for the fact that he actually is not a full-time superstar and isn’t really valuable in the long-run for either brand. No one drafted The Undertaker since he is really only wrestling once a year at WrestleMania events.

There is that whole issue with multiple failed drug tests, but it looks like that won’t lead to the company suspending the Beast Incarnate.

20 1. Raw – Seth Rollins

via mirror.co.uk
via mirror.co.uk

There’s nothing wrong with the first overall selection made in the WWE Draft as Seth Rollins proved last year that he is deserving of being the top overall selection. He’s obviously part of the main event picture of the new generation of WWE that we are currently seeing evolve before our eyes. It also makes sense since Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley likely saw him having a decent chance of winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship later that night and wanted to have the champion on their brands.

Both brands are going to want to have at least one former member of The Shield so that both brands are going to have someone in the championship picture. That’s considering that there will be only one championship being defended between both brands. Rollins could very easily be the champion and continue to help be a top star in the company – making him a very good choice with the first pick in the WWE Draft.

19 1. SmackDown – Dean Ambrose

via danimalcrossing.com
via danimalcrossing.com

Another selection that makes sense, this time for the blue brand. If Raw was going to select Rollins with the first pick, then it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they were going to pick the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion at the time in Dean Ambrose. It was an interesting development at Battleground, as Ambrose walked away with the WWE Championship. It appears that RAW will eventually get a world title of their own, as WWE can't have their flagship show go by without a world title.

In addition to all of those facts, there’s a good chance that SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan saw a little bit of him with Ambrose as they both come from the independent circuit and have become surprising champions,  who had come close so many times. Ambrose has a chance to become a top guy with the new brand split and has a chance to become a thorn in the side of the Raw commissioner as he hopes to hold onto the championship for a long time.

18 2. Raw – John Cena

via pinterest.com
via pinterest.com

One cannot ignore the fact that John Cena is going to become a member of the WWE Hall of Fame when his days of hustling, loyalty and respect are done – maybe not long after his final match with the company. Cena is a 15-time world heavyweight champion and has won just about every championship title in the WWE during his long career. The only reason he wasn’t a top choice for either brand is that drafting should be focused on the long-term future of the WWE.

Cena is a veteran who probably doesn’t have as many years left in the tank as someone like Rollins or Ambrose, but he is worthy of being selected near the top. The odds are in favor of him tying and likely breaking the record for most world championships currently held by Ric Flair (16). It’s a surprise that he wasn’t picked up by Raw and instead, he will now go likely finish his career on the brand where he started his WWE run.

17 2. SmackDown – AJ Styles

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

SmackDown’s second draft choice was another one that hit the spot as AJ Styles has definitely shown he fits right into being near the top of the WWE ladder. After more than 15 years wrestling around the world and winning titles in just about every country, AJ Styles is one of the many WWE superstars who has the most to gain from the new brand split as he can now have the chance to main event the blue brand with the likes of Ambrose and others.

Despite having the least number of picks overall, SmackDown did make some quality choices with their first two picks. It’s hard to go against what Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan did in their first two choices, which is why we haven’t changed that in this redrafted list of WWE superstars. However, that doesn’t mean that the brand was perfect throughout. They just had a good start with Ambrose and Styles.

16 3. Raw – The New Day

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

Obviously, Raw was still able to get The New Day faction that currently holds the WWE Tag Team Championship belts. The only thing is that the trio of Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E should have been selected higher than the 10th overall draft choice. The main reason is that the three have become the most entertaining and consistent superstars on the main roster for the past few years, whether they are acting as heels or embracing being faces among the WWE Universe.

The three are easily the top of the class when it comes to the tag team division, but all three can easily win singles gold. Kingston has already won the Intercontinental and United States championships while Woods and Big E could do the same moving forward. However, fans are loving the trio working together and we hope that doesn’t end in the immediate future. Even if they are split up, the three are a valuable group of wrestlers to help build the future of Raw in the years to come.

15 3. SmackDown – Charlotte

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

It’s funny how Foley and Stephanie McMahon made comments towards the SmackDown team that there were also women eligible for the draft as the blue brand selected males for their first five picks. Charlotte is definitely at the top of the division as the Women’s Champion, but there were some superstars that would have been more valuable for Raw to select before the current Women’s Champion.

Charlotte should be selected in the top 10 and is definitely a keystone in building up a female roster that can hopefully rival that of the original brand split era that featured Lita, Trish Stratus and Mickie James. The Women's Revolution might have lost some momentum in the past few months, but it can be sparked up again as Charlotte continues to defend her championship with some of the newer women on the roster that should feature some call-ups from NXT in the next few years.

14 4. Raw – Kevin Owens

via reddit.com
via reddit.com

Part of drafting superstars for your prospective brand means looking at who could be ready for the main event spotlight. Among the recent additions to the roster from the past few years, Kevin Owens has made the biggest impact that anyone from the company’s NXT development brand has had. He won the NXT Championship shortly after debuting on the brand and was even able to earn a victory over John Cena in his very first match on the WWE main roster.

Looks can be deceiving when evaluating Owens as a prospect for the WWE Draft, but he’s won championship gold and could easily launch himself into talks of winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. If there’s one thing fans have seen both in WWE and his time on the independent circuit, Owens is a resilient talent who puts on five-star matches against anyone he faces – a priceless quality for anyone drafted in the top 10.

13 4. SmackDown – Sami Zayn

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

While many fans would love to see Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn fight forever, the two do need to be broken up so that they can each have a chance to find their own success in the WWE. That doesn’t mean we don’t think these two are going to never face each other again, but a break from the two interfering in each other’s matches is necessary. While Raw would select Owens, Zayn would have a chance to really spread his wings on the blue brand.

SmackDown really missed an opportunity in picking him up last week as they were looking more towards veteran superstars like Randy Orton and Cena. What should have happened was that SmackDown would have Zayn as someone who would have a great rivalry with someone like Styles and Ambrose – all of whom have similar ties before coming to the WWE that would help the brand stand out from Raw.

12 5. Raw – Rusev

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

While it’s one thing to have try and get the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on your brand, one cannot have just one singles championship on your program. When it comes to the mid-card championships, Rusev is the more impressive superstar in terms of overall talent an in-ring abilities. The current United States Champion is back to being a dominant heel that reminds many long-time wrestling fans of foreign villains like the Iron Shiek and Nikolai Volkoff.

Sure, there was that period where Rusev struggled after losing the U.S. title to Cena back at WrestleMania 31; proving that an awesome entrance with troops and riding a tank mean nothing to the WWE. But there is still a very good chance that Rusev is going to be an eventual main event talent that can one day be included in the main event picture with Ambrose, Rollins and Styles in the near future.

11 5. SmackDown – The Miz

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

It’s funny how Daniel Bryan admitted that he didn’t want to pick The Miz – probably due to the long history he had that dates back to his rookie year in the WWE years ago. However, with Raw having the United States Championship with Rusev, the Intercontinental Championship is needed to provide the blue brand with a singles championship that helps establish the best of the mid-card tier of the SmackDown roster. Looking at The Miz himself, he is a veteran who has found much success in his career that had the most awkward beginning. Do you remember him yelling “HOO-RAH” and looking like he tried his own version of the chicken dance as he walked to the WWE ring?

The Miz can be considered a superstar who has improved the most in the past decade, even though he has sort of slipped from the main event level to mid-card status. He isn’t likely going to win another WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but he can be part of a veteran presence that helps build the next generation of superstars.

10 6. Raw – Finn Balor

via wrestlefeeds.net
via wrestlefeeds.net

The Raw brand made the right choice in picking up former NXT Champion Finn Balor, but they likely could have picked up some other talents earlier in the draft and still nabbed Balor. While he is obviously going to be a big name talent moving forward in the future, Balor could arguably be considered a bit of a stretch when Raw picked him up with the fifth overall selection of the WWE Draft.

That’s not meaning to discredit what Balor has done so far and will likely do on the main roster. Balor is still unproven in what he can do against main roster competition, so it’s hard to pick him over superstars that have already established themselves on Raw and SmackDown. Balor does belong high on this list when considering some of the names he has earned victories over, including Kevin Owens to win the NXT Championship before the “Prizefighter” made the full-time jump to the main roster.

9 6. SmackDown – Samoa Joe

via inquisitir.com
via inquisitir.com

With Balor having made the jump to the main roster, SmackDown should have responded with their own selection from the NXT brand. A big announcement that would have sent shockwaves through the WWE Universe would have been to respond to Raw selecting the former NXT Champion by picking up the current NXT Champion in Samoa Joe. It wouldn’t be the first time someone currently holding the NXT Championship would be called up before dropping the title down in Florida (i.e. Kevin Owens).

Additionally, Joe is someone who has years of experience and probably should be called up sooner rather than later. He is an older veteran to be competing in NXT, which is one thing. But the stay in WWE’s developmental brand should not be much longer. The WWE Draft should have been the time for Joe to make his jump to the main roster and that’s why he is on this list.

8 7. Raw – Enzo and Big Cass

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady have made a surprising impact since coming up to the main roster back in April. There were no vignettes to build attention to their debut on Raw. But with the WWE Network and the WWE placing weekly highlight videos from the NXT brand has helped the WWE Universe track the future generation of the WWE and that’s why there was such a big pop to the main roster debut of Enzo and Big Cass.

The two will likely be holding the WWE Tag Team Championship belts in the very near future. They are the most entertaining superstars in the WWE today, second only to The New Day. Despite previous rumors of them being split up, the two are still together as the perfect combination of a smaller loudmouth with microphone skills and the seven foot tall enforcer – and you can’t teach that.

7 7. SmackDown – Cesaro

via aminoapps.com
via aminoapps.com

While he hasn’t really fully developed with a microphone in his hand, Cesaro has become the go-to guy for the WWE when they need a guaranteed five-star quality match. It really doesn’t matter who he works with in the ring. Cesaro has put together top-notch matches with many of the WWE superstars currently ahead of him on this list. It can be argued that he deserved to be selected well before the sixth round of the actual WWE Draft.

Cesaro does need to continue improving in terms of his personality, but has all of the intangibles that have made him a bit of a favorite among the fans. Cesaro would have been a great choice for the SmackDown roster that includes other wrestlers who have worked in similar backgrounds that he has. Honestly, matches with the likes of Ambrose and Styles could be deserving main event matches on the new live SmackDown.

6 8. Raw – Sasha Banks

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

With a need to showcase the importance of the women’s roster in the WWE, Becky Lynch is someone who could help one of the brands in being able to help them stand out. If the WWE has only one women’s championship title and SmackDown was able to pick Charlotte, then Raw would have needed a top female wrestler of their own. And while someone would have namedropped Natalya for this type of spot, she is a veteran who might soon be leaving the WWE.

Therefore, Sasha Banks would be a top name to consider as Charlotte’s next rival on the WWE main roster. She doesn’t need to rely on her family connections as she is able to stand out on her own with a combination of style, charisma and in-ring abilities. Having Charlotte and Banks on separate brands would add a twist on each brand trying to have the best female talents in professional wrestling.

5 8. SmackDown – Sheamus

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

Maybe the stock of Sheamus has fallen in recent years and was the leader of the short lived League of Nations faction that slowly died in 2016 with the departure of Wade Barrett. But Sheamus is still a pretty good performer in the ring as someone who has a good combination of speed and agility for a big guy. He’s also very good at the microphone and could be someone who helps bring five-star matches to SmackDown.

He was one of the many talents who fell down the list as a number of WWE superstars like Baron Corbin and Big Show were selected in the first 20 selections. While he might not be a top 10 selection, Sheamus is a former world heavyweight champion who has shown he can perform well in the ring with other superstars of different sizes and styles. Consider Sheamus to be a dark horse moving forward; one that SmackDown should have grabbed.

4 9. Raw – Alberto Del Rio

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

While the former World Heavyweight Champion from the later years of the original brand split hasn’t been in the title picture for a while – part of that due to his departure in 2014 after the backstage incident with an employee – Alberto Del Rio can still be the WWE’s top superstar in among Latin American fans. Del Rio comes from the Dos Caras line, but has recently done well unmasked to becoming Mexico’s top star as he competed as Alberto El Patron between 2014 and 2015.

If nothing else, Del Rio could be a valuable part of WWE’s overall roster as someone who could work very well with other incoming NXT superstars one would expect in the next few years. Imagine Del Rio having a strike-based match with Shinsuke Nakamura, or a mixed martial arts type bout with Samoa Joe. The possibilities are there for Del Rio to be a factor in the new era of the WWE; a ball that Raw should not have dropped.

3 9. SmackDown – Bayley

via pictaram.com
via pictaram.com

No disrespect is meant towards Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss or Carmella, but none of those women were who many wrestling fans were expecting to see called up during the WWE Draft. The top female prospect from the development brand was Bayley, who would have really been a big addition to either Raw or SmackDown. Considering the mentality that both Bryan and Shane McMahon have shown towards building towards the future, one would have truly thought Bayley was bound for the blue brand.

Bayley is someone who embraces being a kid-friendly superstar as she has developed her own following by giving out hugs. She would be a big name among the families coming out to the WWE live events and will certainly be one of the more marketable female wrestlers in the company, which is all the more reason why it was a surprise not to hear her name brought up last week during the WWE Draft.

2 10. Raw – Roman Reigns

via insidepulse.com
via insidepulse.com

While the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion has a good chance at winning back his title in the near future, one would imagine that his stock in the company has taken a bit of a hit. He did serve a 30-day suspension for his first violation of the WWE’s Talent Wellness Program, but came at a bad time as he was finally showing he belonged as “the guy” in the WWE after some great matches with AJ Styles after WrestleMania.

Still worthy of being a top 20 selection, Reigns could still be a top star on the Raw roster. It all depends on how he bounces back after the failed drug test moving forward. It might be a good thing for him to have taken a bit of a break from the fast-paced work environment of the WWE, but maybe the time off will be the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire. Only time will tell, but he still rounds out Raw’s Top 10 from the WWE Draft.

1 10. SmackDown – Wyatt Family

via reddit.com
via reddit.com

The worst thing that could have happened for Bray Wyatt during last week’s draft was having his faction split up. Unless the WWE creative team has something special planned to replace the Wyatt Family, the WWE made a terrible choice to have only Wyatt and Rowan go to the blue brand. Remember how Erick Rowan did on his own when the team first split up in 2014? He was dull in terms of character development and wasn’t able to stand out on his own.

The split did work for someone like Luke Harper, but has little chance of helping someone like Braun Strowman. While SmackDown made the right choice in drafting Bray Wyatt, they really needed to help multiple superstars by selecting the entire Wyatt Family as one of the only heel factions the company currently has to feud with teams like the New Day and the pairing of Enzo and Big Cass.