The Oklahoma Freedom had the eighth pick in the first round and elected to take veteran Eli Vastbinder who finished ninth in the PBR standings in the 2022 season.
Freedom General Manager Bandon Bates told PBR.com he is excited for the roster he assembled, “I called every one of them before we picked them and I asked one question, ‘How bad do you want to win?’ They were emphatic that that was their only goal, and that was really all that I needed. I was able to watch what Eli did. He is such a great right-hander, a super talented guy, a guy of great character. There was absolutely no way that I could let him fall, knowing that I needed two legitimate right-handed guys on my team.”
Here is a look at the full Oklahoma Freedom roster.
1. Eli Vastbinder
Vastbinder was selected first overall by the Oklahoma Freedom, and for good reason. For the second consecutive season, Vastbinder finished ninth in the world. He tallied ten Top 10 finishes on the season, including two wins. Vastbinder rode 44 percent of his bulls, which is a tie for a career-high. the 31-year-old North Carolina Cowboy is going to be viewed as a veteran leader of the Oklahoma team.
2. Derek Kolbaba
Kolbaba has finished inside the Top 15 in six consecutive seasons after finishing 15th in the 2022 season. The highlight of Kolbaba’s career thus far is his 2017 season where he finished as the Reserve World Champion and tallied eight wins don’t the season with an impressive 19 Top 10 finishes. Kolbaba went ninth overall, one selection after Vastbinder.
3. Chase Outlaw
GM Brandon Bates had his eyes on Chase Outlaw the entire draft and made sure he got his guy. Bates arranged a trade in the draft with the Arizona Ridge Riders. The Ridge Riders traded picks 22 and 27 for the Freedom’s 24th and 25th selection. That set up the selection of Outlaw. Outlaw finished the season ranked 47th but as recently as 2019 has a Top 3 finish in the world.
4. Briggs Madsen
Madsen is a true prospect in the PBR. He only went to five events on the year but made it worth it with a win at the PBR at Tuacahn Amphitheater. Madsen also rides in the PRCA and averaged 80 points per ride in 2021.
5. Caden Bunch
19-year-old Caden Bunch finished inside the Top 10 in 2022 and his season included five Top 10 finishes. Bunch struggled to submit qualified rides, riding just 21 percent of his bulls on 24 outs. Bunch was the final pick of the draft going 40th overall.
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