As the AAF rolls into March, I'm reminded that we're less than two months away from the 2019 NFL Draft, and then we'll be only a few months away from training camp. By then, some of the players who've made a name for themselves in the AAF could be back in the league competing for playing time. 

That's why every Friday I like to share five players who've either been showing up during game days and/or creating buzz around their organizations. Obviously, not every player in the AAF will move on to do great things in the NFL, but even if a few have success, the model of a spring development league will have worked. 

The following five players have either been instrumental to their teams or will be soon enough. Keep an eye on them this weekend, as they'll be involved in critical matchups that will decide the outcomes of their respective games. In some cases, fantasy implications have been taken into consideration as well. 

Ed Reynolds, S, Atlanta Legends

Fellow Legends safety Tyson Graham Jr. actually leads the Alliance with 31 tackles, but against Memphis on Sunday, Reynolds will be every bit as important. He's the highest-graded player on the defense, per Pro Football Focus, and will be a key centerfielder against the Express' vertical passing attack now that Zach Mettenberger is at quarterback. The Legends' defense has not been particularly stout, but as the last line, Reynolds' role this weekend cannot be overstated. 

Damontre Moore, DE, San Diego Fleet

Moore is among the names who could make an impact in the NFL next season. He's been one of the best players on one of the best defenses in the Alliance. Although he only has two sacks on the year, which isn't even first on the team, he is the highest-graded defensive lineman for the Fleet, per PFF. Seeing as the Stallions are a more run-heavy offense with Branden Oliver and Joel Bouagnon serving as the lightning and thunder, Moore is going to be an impact player in winning at the line of scrimmage. With Fleet quarterback Philip Nelson out for this weekend's game with a clavicle injury, San Diego's defense may have to pick up the slack. 

Brandon Ross, RB, Birmingham Iron

We know about Trent Richardson and his seven touchdowns. He's been a red zone scoring machine since Week 1. However, he's been more volume (67 attempts) than efficiency (2.4 yards per rush). Ross, on the other hand, had a coming-out party with nine carries for 64 yards -- that's just north of seven yards per touch. Richardson is still the bell cow of the ground game and more likely to get those coveted red zone touches -- so hold on to him for your fantasy league -- but don't be surprised if Ross gets his share of carries and yards in between. He might be a good complement not only to Richardson, but in opening up the run game in general. That's going to a key aspect to the Iron's highly anticipated game against Orlando. 

Derron Smith, S, San Antonio Commanders

I can tell you that people within the Commanders organization think highly of Smith and PFF agrees. But he's valuable to San Antonio's defense because of what he can improve. General manager Moose Johnston said before Week 4 that, at the time, his team had allowed four of the five longest plays on the season. That's ... not great. However, Smith has bolstered that deep-pass coverage and led his defense with seven tackles and a pass deflection during last weekend's win at Birmingham. Against Arizona's passing attack -- Hotshots quarterback John Wolford is third in the Alliance with 780 yards passing -- Smith might be the most important defender on the field. 

Trenton Thompson, DT, Arizona Hotshots

If you follow college football, and specifically college football recruiting, Thompson's name probably rings a bell. He was the No. 1 player coming out of high school in 2015 and went to Georgia. However, his college career never quite lived up to the hype. He went undrafted in 2018 and didn't make it with the Browns. He eventually found his way to the Hotshots and he's low-key been productive for them. His stats don't jump off the page -- 11 tackles in four games -- but his job is to command double teams and plug holes, both of which he does pretty well. He's an under-appreciated player and he has the opportunity to play his best game against a San Antonio offense that has found its groove with running Kenneth Farrow and Trey Williams. After an overall disappointing career, this might be the beginning of his comeback story.