5 most improved WWE Superstars since the 2016 Draft

#3 Jinder Mahal

An unlikely champion.

Jinder Mahal's rise to the top of the WWE main event scene might not have kicked in immediately after the 2016 Draft, but out of all the names on this list, his ascension has probably had the biggest impact. Mahal is the true embodiment of the fact that when it comes to the WWE, there is always the possibility of redemption.

The 2016 Draft did allow the Modern Day Maharaja a way back into the company after a brief spell away in the indies. In order to shore up the overly-stretched rosters of RAW and Smackdown, Vince turned to people he had previously not had any use for. At first, however, it appeared as though not a lot had changed.

His time of RAW was forgettable at best, being involved in various storylines that led nowhere. It wasn't until his draft to Smackdown following Wrestlemania 33 that his career took off in a way nobody could have imagined.

Smackdown presents itself as the land of opportunity, and on a throwaway edition of the show, Jinder was suddenly given his opportunity when he became the number one contender for Randy Orton's WWE Championship. Defying all expectations, Jinder went on to win the belt from Orton at Backlash and has not looked back since.

Whether the push was too fast is still a point of contention for many fans, but to the man's credit, Jinder hasn't performed too badly so far. His true test will probably come later this month at Summerslam where he is due to face either John Cena or Shinsuke Nakamura in what will be one of the signature matches of the show.

The Draft was always going to be an opportunity for the more forgotten superstars to be afforded opportunities, and Jinder has been able to take advantage of it like no other.