10 Lowest picks in the 2016 WWE draft: Where are they now?

The 2019 WWE draft will take place across two nights on the October 11 episode of SmackDown and the October 14 episode of Raw.

Unlike the Superstar Shake-Ups that have occurred after WrestleMania in the last three years, the upcoming roster changes look set to have a similar theme to the 2016 draft, which saw all 59 Superstars ranked from most wanted to least wanted.

Seth Rollins was chosen as the #1 draft pick, largely due to his association with The Authority at the time of the draft, while WWE Champion Dean Ambrose was the second overall pick. Further down the top 10, some notable names included Charlotte Flair (#3), Roman Reigns (#6) and Brock Lesnar (#8).

In this article, let’s take an alternative look at the last major WWE draft by counting down the 10 lowest picks to find out how those Superstars’ careers have panned out over the last three years.

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#10 Bo Dallas

Bo Dallas’ WWE career in 2016 (draft pick #50)

Following The Social Outcasts’ split in 2016, Bo Dallas found himself without a meaningful storyline at the time of the draft in July.

After being drafted to Raw as a singles competitor, the former NXT Champion had a chance to break out on his own when he went on a run of defeating local talents in September 2016.

Although this series of victories eventually led towards some wins over established names on the roster, including Neville and Curtis Axel, Dallas hardly competed on Raw by the end of the year and mostly appeared on Superstars and Main Event.

Bo Dallas’ WWE career in 2019

Dallas remained associated with Axel after their 2016 rivalry, leading to them forming an alliance with The Miz as part of The Miztourage in 2017.

Two years on, the duo are known as The B-Team and they are now one of the longest-serving tag teams on the roster.

Despite holding the Raw Tag Team titles in 2018, The Miz’s former allies have not had much television time in 2019, as highlighted in their loss to Heavy Machinery on the September 17 episode of SmackDown when they competed in just their third match on the blue brand since WrestleMania 35.

#9 Eva Marie

Eva Marie’s WWE career in 2016 (draft pick #51)

One of the biggest moments of Eva Marie’s WWE career came in April 2016 when she teamed with four of her fellow Total Divas cast members – Alicia Fox, Brie Bella, Natalya & Paige – to defeat Emma, Lana, Naomi, Summer Rae & Tamina on the WrestleMania 32 kickoff show.

Three months later, the fitness model-turned-WWE Superstar became involved in an ongoing storyline on SmackDown Live after being sent to the brand in the 2016 draft.

Every week, she would find an excuse for why she could not compete in a match against Superstars including Becky Lynch and Naomi. The storyline was supposed to lead to Marie participating in a six-woman tag team match at SummerSlam 2016, but she was suspended by WWE for violating the company’s Wellness Policy.

Eva Marie’s career in 2019

One year after her initial push on SmackDown, Eva Marie mutually agreed to part ways with WWE in August 2017.

Speaking to Pro Wrestling Sheet’s Ryan Satin in October 2018, the former Total Divas star revealed that she wants to return to the squared circle one day and face the likes of Ronda Rousey and Alexa Bliss in title matches.

“I feel like I do have unfinished business there. Ultimately, everyone – I think it would be silly if you didn’t say this – but, you know, you want the title.”

Nowadays, Marie is concentrating on her acting career and modelling during her time away from wrestling.

#8 The Colons

The Colons’ WWE careers in 2016 (draft pick #52)

Formerly known as Los Matadores’ Diego and Fernando, Primo Colon and Epico Colon were repackaged as The Shining Stars shortly before the WWE draft in July 2016.

The former WWE Tag Team Champions picked up some impressive victories during their first few months on Raw, notably against Enzo Amore & Big Cass and Goldust & R-Truth, but they never seriously looked like potential winners of the Raw Tag Team titles.

Instead, WWE focused on The New Day, who were on the verge of breaking Demolition’s 478-day record reign with the tag titles, and the newly formed team of Sheamus & Cesaro.

The Colons’ WWE careers in 2019

This may come as a surprise to some people, but The Colons are still part of the WWE roster in 2019. Despite not featuring in a televised match since Survivor Series 2018, both Primo and Epico are currently assigned to the SmackDown Live brand.

As part of their WWE contract, the duo are allowed to compete in matches for Puerto Rican promotion World Wrestling Council (WWC), which is co-owned by Hall of Famer Carlos Colon (Primo’s father and Epico’s uncle).

Both men have been working for WWC in recent months, hence why they have not been reintroduced to WWE programming.

#7 The Vaudevillains

The Vaudevillains’ WWE careers in 2016 (draft pick #53)

Aiden English and Simon Gotch quickly found themselves in a WWE Tag Team Championship rivalry with The New Day following their move from NXT to Raw and SmackDown in April 2016.

Three months later, the former NXT Tag Team Champions were the lowest-ranked team in the entire draft, so it came as no surprise when they became the perennial losers of the SmackDown Live tag division after their switch to the blue brand in July 2016.

Their eight-month losing run finally ended in February 2017, but it did not count for much as Gotch was released by WWE just two months later.

The Vaudevillains’ careers in 2019

Two-and-a-half years after his release from WWE, Gotch regularly competes for promotions all across North America, most notably Major League Wrestling (MLW).

Aiden English, meanwhile, had a successful one-year run alongside Rusev and Lana as part of the Rusev Day tag team on SmackDown Live from October 2017 to September 2018.

Although he is still an active member of the SmackDown roster, the majority of English’s 2019 appearances have come as a commentator on 205 Live.

#6 Alicia Fox

Alicia Fox’s WWE career in 2016 (draft pick #54)

After mostly featuring in matches on Main Event and Superstars in the build-up to the 2016 draft, Alicia Fox found herself overshadowed by a quartet of up-and-coming women on Raw in 2016-17 – Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks – and did not get involved in many meaningful storylines following the roster changes.

The highlight of her post-draft run on Raw came in November 2016 when she teamed with the aforementioned four women to defeat Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Naomi & Natalya in a five-on-five elimination match at Survivor Series.

Alicia Fox’s WWE career in 2019

The status of Alicia Fox’s WWE career right now remains a mystery. While she is still listed as a current Raw Superstar on the company’s website, the former Divas Champion was among a group of 44 ‘legends’ who returned at Raw Reunion in July 2019, which led many people to believe that she is no longer an in-ring competitor.

Her most recent televised match came in April 2019 when she teamed with Tamina in a losing effort against The IIconics on Main Event. Since then, her absence has not been explained by WWE.

#5 Erick Rowan

Erick Rowan’s WWE career in 2016 (draft pick #55)

The original three Wyatt Family members – Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper – became a trio again on SmackDown Live in July 2016 when Braun Strowman moved to Raw as a singles competitor.

As he had done for much of his time on the main roster, Rowan carried out Wyatt’s orders on SmackDown by attacking the likes of Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler in the weeks that followed the draft.

In October 2016, Rowan underwent shoulder surgery and he was soon replaced in The Wyatt Family by Randy Orton.

Erick Rowan’s WWE career in 2019

Five months on from suffering a torn bicep, Erick Rowan returned to WWE television in January 2019 as an ally of WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. The duo went on to win the SmackDown Tag Team titles before splitting up in September 2019 after it emerged that Rowan lied when he told Bryan that he did not attack Roman Reigns.

Ahead of the 2019 draft, Rowan has reunited with his fellow Bludgeon Brother, Luke Harper, and the destructive duo are likely to be one of the top tag teams on Raw or SmackDown after the next round of roster changes.

#4 Dana Brooke

Dana Brooke’s WWE career in 2016 (draft pick #56)

After a one-year run on NXT television, Dana Brooke made an immediate impact on Raw and SmackDown in May 2016 by defeating high-profile names including Becky Lynch, Natalya and Paige during her first month as a member of the main roster.

Despite forming an alliance with the top female Superstar in WWE at the time, Charlotte Flair, Brooke was the lowest-ranked woman with Raw and SmackDown experience in the 2016 draft.

Dana Brooke’s WWE career in 2019

Overcoming critics can be a very difficult task for WWE Superstars, but Dana Brooke has been able to do just that in 2019. While she was once mocked for in-ring mistakes that she made early on in her career, the Raw Superstar has now become one of the most underappreciated members of the women’s division.

The positive crowd reaction to her appearance in the WrestleMania 35 Battle Royal did not result in any meaningful television time on Raw. Instead, she has mostly featured in matches against Sarah Logan on Main Event.

#3 Mojo Rawley

Mojo Rawley’s WWE career in 2016 (draft pick #57)

One of six NXT Superstars who became main-roster members after the 2016 draft, Mojo Rawley continued his run alongside Zack Ryder as one-half of The Hype Bros following the duo’s move to SmackDown Live.

Unfortunately for Rawley, the SmackDown tag division largely centred around Heath Slater & Rhyno, American Alpha and The Wyatt Family in the weeks following the draft, meaning The Hype Bros were not the focus of any storylines in the second half of 2016.

Mojo Rawley’s WWE career in 2019

Earlier in 2019, it looked as though Mojo Rawley was set to receive a push as a singles competitor after he cut various cryptic promos on Raw whilst staring into a mirror in the backstage area.

However, he has still only competed in one singles match on Monday nights this year – a victory over Apollo Crews in May 2019 – and his last three appearances have all been on Main Event.

Looking ahead to the upcoming roster changes, fans can expect to see Rawley as a late pick once again if WWE adopts a similar approach to 2016 with the 2019 draft.

#2 Curtis Axel

Curtis Axel’s WWE career in 2016 (draft pick #58)

Like Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel was separated from fellow Social Outcast members Heath Slater (SmackDown Live) and Adam Rose (released) when the WWE draft took place in July 2016.

Following the draft, the former Intercontinental Champion continued to join forces with Dallas against teams including Goldust & R-Truth and Darren Young & Neville. However, the two men then began to feud with each other during a brief rivalry on Raw in October 2016.

Axel ended the year as a singles competitor by losing to Braun Strowman on Raw and Goldust on Main Event.

Curtis Axel’s WWE career in 2019

As noted earlier in this article, Curtis Axel reunited with Bo Dallas as part of The Miztourage in 2017 and the two men went on to win the Raw Tag Team titles from Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy in 2018 after being repackaged as The B-Team.

Just like in 2016, both Axel and Dallas will likely be among the lowest picks again in the 2019 draft.

#1 Carmella

Carmella’s WWE career in 2016 (draft pick #59)

A valet for Big Cass and Enzo Amore in NXT, it is safe to say that fans had low expectations for Carmella when she was sent to SmackDown Live as a singles competitor in the 2016 draft.

“The Princess of Staten Island” competed in her fair share of matches in what was then referred to as WWE’s developmental system – she even challenged Bayley for the NXT Women’s Championship in January 2016 – but her association with Cass and Amore was definitely the highlight of her time in NXT.

As a result, it was no surprise that the former dancer was the last pick when she received her long-awaited call-up to the main roster.

Carmella’s WWE career in 2019

Of all the names on this list, nobody has proven their doubters wrong more than Carmella.

Whether she is competing in matches or working alongside R-Truth in 24/7 Championship storylines, the former Money In The Bank winner, SmackDown Women’s Champion and WrestleMania Battle Royal winner has massively exceeded expectations by becoming one of the most popular women on the WWE roster.

Needless to say, she will be placed in a much more favourable position in the 2019 draft picks.

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