On our podcast, Rodrik David and I sometimes debate the value of traits when it comes to making draft picks. I think it’s fair to say Rodrik is a big believer in traits, while I wonder if they’re being increasingly overvalued these days. It seems to me that, as I study the draft, teams are looking more than ever at triangle numbers (and other analytics) over film. In some cases, I think traits might far exceed film. But is there any way to really measure this?

One way, I think, is to look at the players teams pick in the seventh round. Many teams use seventh-rounders as dart throws, knowing no teams are going to lose their jobs if a draftee in the last round fails. Of course, all teams say they chose the best player available, but did they really just take the best athlete available?

Obviously, we can’t say anything conclusively. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all. However, we can look at the numbers over the past three drafts and see which teams seem to put a higher emphasis on athleticism, at least as measured by Relative Athletic Score. If you’re new to RAS, spend some time on this website. Basically, RAS gives you a more complete measure of a player’s testing scores. Not long ago, draftniks marveled at a player’s 40 time, but as popular analysis has matured, it’s become clear that a 170-pound guy running a 4.4 is not the same as when a 230-pound guy does it. OK, let’s look at the teams that value RAS most on Day 3, specifically, in Round 7.

Before we get started, 10.0 is a perfect RAS. Any score between 8.0 and 10.0 is considered in the green zone, i.e., exceptional athleticism. The next tier measures athleticism between 7.99 and 5.0, which is still better than average (that’s the orange zone). Anything below 5.0 is in the red zone and substandard for an NFL prospect.

• Colts: Indy has picked four times in the seventh round the last three years. Every single one of them has had a 9+ RAS. As you (may) know, the Colts won a Best Draft Award for their picks in 2018.
• Broncos: While some teams use their seventh-rounders as throw-ins, the Broncos are the opposite, having drafted in the seventh round seven times in the last three years (tied with the Broncos for the most in the league). How did they use those picks? Four of the seven are “green” (two were 9+) and all seven were 6.35 or higher. No “red” picks. By the way, like the Colts, the Broncos are a past Best Draft winner (for the 2021 draft).
• Giants, Jets: Both teams have chosen just twice in the last three years, but each picked a 9+ and an 8+ RAS player when they did pick. Obviously, it’s a very limited sample, but still interesting.
• Steelers: For a team with an old-school reputation, Pittsburgh sure seems attentive to workout numbers. Four picks, three greens, one orange.

On the other hand, which teams seem to spend their seventh-rounders based on other factors besides pure athleticism? Let’s take a look.

• Cowboys: Dallas was tied for second in most seventh-rounders since 2024 with six, but is nowhere near as beholden to RAS as other teams. I think this is especially interesting given that the Cowboys are one of the teams that have most completely embraced analytics. Two of their picks didn’t even have RAS scores, which is usually an indication that the player was hurt and couldn’t test pre-draft. Another had a terrible RAS, though he’s more of a two-gap defensive tackle and those guys rarely have gleaming triangle numbers. Just one of the six had a 9+ score. Clearly, Dallas isn’t looking for freaks in Round 7.
• Texans: Houston profiles very closely with its Lone Star cousin. One green, three orange (two of which had really blah numbers), one red, plus one no-RAS.
• Seahawks: Seattle, which won a Best Draft Award for its work in the 2022 draft, doesn’t rely on lazy parameters to decide who to draft. Of their six seventh-rounders over the past three years, one was a no-RAS, one was a red, two were green, and two orange.

Also of note:

• Of the top 10 RAS scores among seventh-rounders since 2024, the Colts have selected two of them (Oklahoma DE Jonah Laulu in 2024, who had a 9.62, and Kentucky OH Seth McGowan in April, who had a 9.47).
• The Broncos drafted two in the top 15 highest RAS scores in the seventh round since 2024: South Carolina OC Nick Gargiulo in 2024 (9.45 RAS) and Utah TE Dallen Bentley this year (9.4).
• The Jags and Ravens joined the Cowboys in drafting two players each with no RAS score.
• The Patriots are the only team that picked two players with bottom 11 RAS scores among seventh-rounders over the last three years.