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~ The daily blog written by ITL's Neil Stratton

Succeed in Football

Category Archives: NFL draft

2025 Next Wave Zoom Session: What We Learned

20 Friday Dec 2024

Posted by itlneil in Getting started, NFL draft, Scouts

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Last week in this space, we discussed the special event we had for all the aspiring NFL scouts who come in as part of our “Next Wave” program. Since it was really great, I wanted to use the space this week to pass along a few highlights. As always, we have preserved the privacy of the participants as some of them didn’t ask permission before volunteering.

Speaker 1, an NFC GM: We spent a little more than 20 minutes with our first speaker, who was really generous with his philosophy and methods when it comes to identifying interns, as well as the process involved in promoting them up the ladder. Most of what he told me was not surprising: the team mostly pulls from the recruiting departments of FBS-level schools (particularly P4); the most important attribute in a potential hire is initiative and attitude, a willingness to go beyond the call of duty; there is no specific degree they seek, and having a “diploma” or “certification” from one of the various scouting schools has no value; and while having a general idea about football schematically is important, having a scouting “eye” is something the team teaches to its entry-level employees.

Speaker 2, an AFC executive: Our second speaker took the second 20 minutes of the hour and was completely different from his predecessor in that he talked more about his own journey of 20+ years with one team. His discussion was helpful because it showed the value of doing whatever it takes. He started off not in a scouting position, but in video for a different team, and after living at home for meager pay, working on cutups and splicing film, he finally got a chance to apply for a scouting position with a rival team. He got passed over for the role he wanted, but due to his video skills, landed in the film department, and from there, he was able to work his way into player evaluation at long last. Also important: he emphasized that building a network is key, and one way he does that is by saving a contact’s spouse’s name along with the contact in his phone so he can remember to ask about the contact’s family when he’s passing through a school. I thought that was genius.

Speaker 3, an NFL executive: Our third and final speaker is one of the most respected evaluators in the game. His team drafted a young, promising passer in the last few years, and he discussed the process involved, going back to in-person evaluation that took years. He also talked about how to develop an eye for determining talent (he said it took him five years, even though the depth of his football experience is rivaled by few people in the business), and even solicited everyone on the call to send in their resumes. That was a first in our four years doing this, and was a special treat for everyone involved. 

It was a special night, and if you hope to travel the roads for an NFL team one day, I’m sorry you missed it. I hope you can join us next year. 

Here’s How We’re Helping Aspiring NFL Scouts Get Opportunities

13 Friday Dec 2024

Posted by itlneil in Getting started, NFL draft, Scouts

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Breaking into scouting isn’t easy. At the same time, the question I get most often is, how do I get a job in scouting? It’s a question I’ve addressed here multiple times (and quite frankly, I don’t know the answer), and I sincerely want to help, but there’s one thing we do every year that I think is missed by a lot of people seeking to work in the game.

December is when our “Next Wave” subscribers sign up for the year at a discounted rate ($75 per year vs. $29.95/mo). They get access to the site through the end of November, but there are other benefits. Here’s a rundown of what we offer, if you happen to be interested:

  • We’ve never drilled into scouting assistant hiring, but we’re planning to do that this month. Not every team even hires (or at least lists on its website) scouting assistants. Sometimes, that’s because state law sets up employer rules that make it nearly impossible, but for some teams, it’s simply choice. That’s not a big deal, but it’s helpful to know who’s who when it comes to hiring.
  • It’s also important to be able to predict who might have openings. Most scouting assistants have two-year deals, so if you know which teams have hired in the last year or two (and which haven’t), you can better target the teams with openings.
  • At the end of the day, of course, it all hinges on relationships when it comes to getting hired since there’s no certification/degree/whatever that gives you a leg up on everyone else. That’s why we bring friends from around the league on Zoom to talk to our clients. Often, those people share their cells and express a willingness to help. In the last three years, we’ve had scouts and executives from eight teams (Chargers, Jags, Vikings, Raiders, Lions, Ravens, Saints and Giants) join us, and we’ll have three new teams represented next week. We think helping people build their respective networks is the best way to get them through the door. Putting good people together is one of the most rewarding things I do.
  • It goes without saying that we also provide more coverage of jobs and openings in the scouting world than anyone else (in fact, I don’t know of anyone else who even covers these things). Having that kind of information is critical.

Want in for next week’s session? If you are an aspiring scout, we’d love to have you. Contact me at @InsideTheLeague (DMs are open) or through our website if you’d like more information. 

 

A Few Notes from a Busy Fall 2024

31 Thursday Oct 2024

Posted by itlneil in Agents, NFL draft, NIL, Scouts

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Today, I didn’t have any topics I wanted to spend 500 words on, but I had a lot of topics I wanted to spend 100 words on, so here’s a bunch of stuff I found interesting this week.

  • Has Pittsburgh cracked the code on how to intelligently integrate former NFL scouts and executives into the organization in a way that helps identify, grade and reward top performers? Maybe. Per this story, the Panthers have brought in former Bills GM Doug Whaley to help in doling out a $6 million NIL budget based on quality of play. Given the team’s success this season (7-0 entering this weekend’s game against SMU), maybe head coach Pat Narduzzi’s plan to pay players based on production rather than promise will be replicated elsewhere.
  • Mark your calendars: the final resolution of the NCAA’s $2.7 billion deal with the plaintiff attorneys seeking NIL compensation in a class action lawsuit (for players dating back to 2016) is set for April 2025. The agreement is expected to clear the way for a $20 million-per-school tranche of money to be shared with players who participated in NCAA athletics from 2016-21. It also clears the way for schools to begin operating in ways that closely mirror a pay-for-play model, rather than the current system (which pretends that players only get compensated for their respective names, images and likenesses). Bottom line, during a time when all eyes will be focused on the 2025 draft, we could see federal and NCAA oversight of NIL representation change in radical ways. The impact of those changes could be immediate. We will do what we can to prepare you, our client, for those changes well in advance. 
  • Based on feedback from new agents this fall, the stories haven’t changed much over the years. One agent was contacted by the alleged uncle of a star player, only the uncle wouldn’t tell the agent who the player was (he would only divulge the player’s school and home location, and offered that the player is a mid-round pick). The uncle said the player’s focus is newly certified contract advisors, for some reason. We’ve also heard of a runner in South Florida who’s tried to solicit members of the 2024 agent class and wants money up front, with a promise of players later. 
  • So far, the only head coaching changes this season have been made at the G5 level. Maybe that’s why no search firms have been engaged so far, at least as far as we know. Last year, 17 G5 schools made head coaching changes. Of the 17, less than half (eight) used assistance. Of the 14 P4 schools making changes, not surprisingly, 11 hired firms.   

One other thing. If you’re a new agent (or a veteran agent trying to figure out how to keep up with the exploding costs of player representation), you should check out today’s Rep Rumblings at ITL. We’re trying to finalize a program that you might find helpful. 

We’ll also discuss it in the Friday Wrap. You can register for it here. 

By the Numbers: Position Scarcity in the 2024 Draft Class (and others)

13 Friday Sep 2024

Posted by itlneil in Agents, Getting started, NFL draft

≈ Leave a comment

This week, I finally got a chance to finish up the 2024 Draft By the Numbers grid. It always provides an interesting look at different draft classes. As a reminder, we take a look at every position (QB, RB, WR, TE, OC, OG, OT, PK, PT, CB, DE, DT, ILB, OLB, FS, SS and CB) based on eight categories, from signing with an agent to making a 53 or practice squad.

Here are a few thoughts:

  • It was a great year to sign a center. This year, a fourth of them were drafted and more than 60 percent made it to a 90-man roster. Last year, the same number of centers were signed by agents (44) but only a third of them (36 percent) made it to camp and eight were drafted. Last year was a lot closer to normal numbers. Generally speaking, if you’re an agent, stay away from centers.
  • On the other hand, signing a tackle is as close to a guaranteed player on a camp roster as you’ll find. This year, two-thirds of all tackles who signed with agents made it to a 90-man roster, while a third (!!!) were drafted. If you factor in tryout players, almost 90 percent made it at least as far as rookie mini-camp. That’s unbelievable. 
  • Incidentally, only twice in the last 10 years have half of offensive tackles signed by agents not made it to a 90-man roster. Think about that. Getting a player into camp is the biggest challenge an independent agent faces, yet he’s got a 50-50 chance on every client if he just signs tackles.
  • One more point to make about tackles: 32.5 percent of all the tackles signed for the 2024 draft class were drafted. Only three positions had half as many drafted, percentage-wise: cornerbacks (19.2 percent), defensive tackles (17.2 percent) and defensive ends (16.6 percent). 
  • Defensive ends and defensive tackles are a pretty good bet, as well. Generally speaking, both are drafted or signed as UDFAs at about a 40-45 percent rate. 
  • At the other end of the spectrum, among regular position players, both free safeties (9.6 percent) and outside linebackers (8.9 percent) got drafted at less than a 10 percent rate. Those were the lowest rates, not counting fullbacks. Last year, the lowest rate was at strong safety (10.3) and inside linebacker (8.8 percent). Generally speaking, linebackers and safeties are the least-drafted positions.  
  • Wide receivers (253) and cornerbacks (182) were the most popular positions with agents this year, and that’s not unusual. In the last 10 years, wide receiver has been the most popular client every year (the high-water mark was 313 in 2016). Likewise, cornerback has been second-most popular all 10 years.
  • Come draft time, wide receivers are normally drafted at a 10 percent rate and cornerbacks at a 15 percent rate. 

I know if you’re a scout, or even a seasoned agent, these numbers probably don’t matter. However, if you’re a new or newish agent, it pays to get a look at the analytics before you start recruiting. Make sure to review the numbers yourself over the last decade before you start deciding who you’re going to target for 2025. 

How Do You Evaluate the Best-Drafting Teams?

23 Thursday May 2024

Posted by itlneil in NFL draft, Scouts

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For all of May, we at Inside the League have tracked the comings and goings in NFL front offices. It’s big-time stuff to scouts and front office employees, as well as agents and other members of the football community, but why should fans (like this guy) care?

My feeling has always been that if you know who does best in talent management — both in drafting but also in free agency, as well as player development (i.e., turning raw players into established pros) — then you can pretty much tell the future, at least with regard to who’s gonna be a playoff team consistently. Of course, this begs the question, who does the best in talent and roster management?

I think, when it comes to how well a team drafts, here are five criteria worth considering.

Did the team draft and develop its own QB? I think you have to give Buffalo, Baltimore, Green Bay, Philadelphia, San Francisco and others like them a lot of credit for not having to go through free agency to find the most important position on the field. There are two reasons: you get a cost-controlled QB for five years, and you get system stability, which is a critically important (and highly understated) factor.

Does the team keep its first-rounder for the fifth year at least 80 percent of the time? This isn’t a failsafe, because sometimes a player barely gets the extra season (or gets it by default), but it’s still a good metric, especially when you see how many former first-rounders don’t get renewed.

Are the starters on the offensive and defensive lines team-drafted? It all starts up front, so if a team can build out its offensive and defensive lines — especially at the edges (DE/OT) — that’s good work and clearly gives that team an edge (no pun intended).

Does the team’s draftees hang around the league? Not every player a team drafts will make the roster — especially if the team consistently drafts at a position of strength — but is he good enough, consistently, to make another team’s roster? That’s a great indicator, I think. 

Does the team make the playoffs at least 70 percent of the time? Granted, this might be a high standard, but it’s all about making the playoffs, right? If you’re not succeeding at this basic measure, you need to make changes. If you don’t get to the tournament, you can’t win the title. 

Are there other measures of a team’s ability to draft? Of course there are. But I believe if you analyzed NFL teams and gave each one a point for each one of these items annually over the last five years, I bet you’d find that the leaders were universally considered the best teams on draft day. 

I ran this by several friends in scouting, got a general thumbs-up from them. What am I missing? Let me know on Twitter or DM me. 

Former NFL Scouts Weigh in on Four Draft Prop Bets

25 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by itlneil in NFL draft, Scouts

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It’s draft week, so it’s time for some fun. I don’t gamble, but I asked four friends who are former scouts — Blake Beddingfield (Titans); Rodrik David (Titans, Falcons); Greg Gabriel (Giants, Bears); and Mark Gorscak (Steelers) — to give me their opinions on four prop bets for the 2024 draft.

Topics and their answers, with their comments — remember, this is just for fun — are below.

O/U 4.5 QBs selected in the first round
Beddingfield: “(Over). Too many QB-needy teams will push that number to at least five QB selected in the first round, possibility of six.”
David: “(Over). Almost no question we will see four quarterbacks in the first round, maybe in the top 10. Will Nix or Penix make it five or six? I will take the over.”
Gabriel: “Over. It’s a QB league.”
Gorscak: “Over. (Washington QB Michael) Penix will be the fifth.”
O/U 4.5 ACC players selected in the first round
Beddingfield: “This is a tough one; the ACC is down this year in top-level talent. Only (North Carolina QB) Drake Maye and (Florida St. DE) Jared Verse are guaranteed first-rounders. (Clemson DC) Nate Wiggins and (Duke OT) Graham Barton have potential but not guarantees. Even with those two, the number is under 4.5.”
David: “The ACC gets forgotten about with the SEC and Big Ten flexing this offseason. Will Drake Maye and Jared Verse find three more conference allies to get this one to the over? Give me the over.”
Gabriel: “Not sure.”
Gorscak: “Under. Can’t see more than four: North Carolina QB (Maye), Duke OL (Barton), FSU edge (Verse) and Clemson DB (Wiggins). ACC is a weak Power-5.”
O/U Oregon QB Bo Nix draft position 32.5
Beddingfield: “Nix will be taken in the first round, so under 32.5.”
David: “Did Bo Nix do enough at Oregon to lock up a first-round grade? Or is there enough “Auburn Bo Nix” out there to slide him to Day 2? I’ll take the over.”
Gabriel: “Under. Same as above. It’s a QB league. Six might end up going in first.”
Gorscak: “Over. Solid second. (Giants QB) Drew Lock 2.0 perhaps, but better version.”
O/U Georgia TE Brock Bowers draft position 12.5
Beddingfield: “Bowers is a top-five player in the draft, but with multiple QBs in the top 10, it will push him down. But I don’t see him getting past the Broncos at 12. (Under).”
David: “What was once a surefire top-10 pick, even flirting with the top five, is now in question in the top 15. Does the first round fall in a way to slide Brock Bower to the teens? Give me the under.”
Gabriel: “Under. Looks like Jets (at 10) or a team trading up to get in front of Jets.”
Gorscak: “Under.”

Now that you know their thoughts, place your bets!

Enjoy the draft. We certainly will. We’ll have all the breakdowns and interesting angles on Day 1 in our weekly newsletter Friday. Register for it here.

Two Chances to Learn the Finer Points of Day 3

11 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by itlneil in Agents, NFL draft, Scouts

≈ Leave a comment

As of today, we are exactly two weeks away from the 2024 NFL Draft. That means it’s white-knuckle time for the hundreds of draft prospects hoping to hear their names called over the three days of the draft. 

If you’re one of those players, or you represent one of them, you’re probably foraging for all the information you can find that might be helpful the last weekend in April. If so, I’ve got something for you. 

Tonight, former Panthers GM and Seahawks executive Scott Fitterer will join dozens of members of the ITL family for an hour, answering my questions and, maybe, even a few from the attendees. Here are the questions I’ll pose him tonight. 

  • Let’s talk about the month of April for an NFL team. Take us through, week-by-week, on what you’re doing as you finalize things for the draft.
  • If you could choose only one characteristic, would you choose traits, total playing experience, or most recent season’s production as the main reason you drafted or signed a player? 
  • About how many players each year get “draftable” grades? About how many wind up on your board as UDFAs? About how many does the staff “write,” typically?
  • What is your philosophy on Day 3? Are these picks normally players that had exceptional pro days? Are they players that “slipped” that you had rated much higher? Are you looking to fill out special teams in these rounds? 
  • Take us through your process for removing a player from your draft board, either for character or medicals. Was he really “removed,” or was he just moved to a much lower position?
  • What does Day 3 look like for you? How did you usually determine who got drafted and who got left for the UDFA chase?
  • What did your post-draft UDFA process look like? How did you integrate RMC/tryout invitations? 
  • Do you prefer rookie mini-camp the weekend after the draft or the second weekend, and why? How often did you take players who had been in a camp on Wkd 1, if you camped Wkd 2?
  • Can you ever recall “discovering” a player, or even getting information that led to you drafting/signing a player, from an agent-generated, mass email? 
  • For a player drafted in 2023/2024, when was the first time one of your scouts started evaluating him? 

If you’re an ITL client, you’re invited to join us at 9 p.m. ET for an hour-long session. Just contact us and we’ll send you the Zoom link. If you’re not part of the ITL family, it’s not too late to sign up. 

Now, let’s say you’re limited, budget-wise, but still need to get coached up on what scouts do (and agents should do as a result) related to Day 3 and the UDFA process. We got you covered. Wednesday’s edition of the Scouting the League podcast had me asking my podcast co-host, Rodrik David, several questions that are similar in nature to what I’ll be asking Scott tonight. Here’s what Rodrik, former area scout for the Falcons, handled in our podcast, which you can check out here: 

  • What is April like for an area scout? Is all the hay in the barn, pretty much?
  • Did you feel like you had a pretty good handle on all the players the team rated as draftable? Or did you mostly feel comfortable with guys from your region?
  • What were Top 30 visits like? What could players do/not do?
  • Do you ever remember a Top 30 visit that took a player off your board?
  • How much say did you have in moving players up/down during April?
  • When was your board totally “set?”
  • What was your role on local pro days? What about during the UDFA process?
  • How much power did you have during the UDFA process to really stand on a table for a guy?
  • When did you start looking to the following year’s draft class?

Either way, if you’re interested in professional development, you’ll benefit from one or both of these options. Need even more help? Make sure you’re signed up for our weekly newsletter. Do that here.

                    Here’s Why Getting Drafted is Harder Than You Might Expect

                    22 Friday Mar 2024

                    Posted by itlneil in Agents, NFL draft

                    ≈ Leave a comment

                    I think there’s a perception that there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of possible draftees in each draft class. I think the copious NFL Draft coverage and the NFL’s encouragement of the media hype surrounding the draft just feed this perception. It’s one reason why so many players feel like they have an NFL shot despite not being regular starters, even at the sub-FBS level, in college. That puts a real strain on a lot of well-meaning contract advisors.

                    This week, I wanted to test my theory by getting a better sense of how many players are seriously considered by NFL teams. To do this, I asked several friends in the industry this question: Typically, my impression is that the typical team puts “draftable” grades on 100-120 players each draft. How many of those usually made it to the UDFA process? My goal was to illustrate how many of the players teams rated as good enough to help a team nonetheless got pushed down the board all the way into the UDFA process.

                    The answers I got were mostly on par with what I expected. Some teams cast a wider net, or perhaps had a lower bar for being considered “draftable,” than others, but most boiled the board down to a limited number. For example, one scout said his team had “about 20-30 (undrafted prospects) every year” — I think he signed off on my 100-120 number — and those slid due to “a medical issue” or it “could be an off-the-field issue.” Another team was very comparable to the first team. “Maybe five” didn’t get drafted among the 140 the team valued as worthy of being selected. Those five had Day 3 grades.

                    Another friend’s team clearly cast a much wider net. He said each area (I’m presuming  areas would be West Coast, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Midlands) had about 300 total reports, with around 40 percent of each area going undrafted. I felt that was a lot of players who made that team’s radar, which translated to a lot of players leaking into the undrafted pile. He also said “a good chunk would have their final grade dropped to a UDFA grade” prior to the draft. I got the sense those players were downgraded at some point in the weeks leading up to the draft.

                    A third friend said his team set up a “hot list” of around 100 players, depending on the team’s number and quality of picks. The team held strictly to that list and only 4-6 would slip through to the UDFA crop. I got the sense that this team made it a priority to sign that small list of undrafted-but-legitimate prospects (“we’d recruit the (crap) out of UDFAs, starting a week or more before the draft”). 

                    Every year, about 1,500-2,000 players sign with agents. Though I want to be encouraging to the players hoping to be drafted, the truth is that though 250+ players get drafted each year, even that number is probably on the high side of which ones are really prospects. Remember that when your favorite draft pundit runs down the “best values” in the waning minutes of the broadcast.

                    More Updates, Tidbits on the NCAA Transfer Portal

                    15 Friday Mar 2024

                    Posted by itlneil in NFL draft, NIL

                    ≈ Leave a comment

                    At Inside the League, we’ve been focusing a lot of our attention on the college football transfer portal. We had a widely attended symposium at the NFL Combine and we discussed it in the Scouting the League podcast with guest Oscar Monnier (former portal boss at five P5 schools) last month. It’s one of the hottest topics in the player representation industry, but it’s still mostly a mystery, at least among the bigger agencies.

                    It’s got me thinking about the fundamentals of the transfer portal, starting with how, exactly, it all works. As near as I can tell, there’s a process.

                    • Player enters the portal.
                    • A director or member of the personnel staff, knowing which position(s) the school is targeting, does a preliminary evaluation of the player.
                    • The personnel staffer submits his evaluation and any game film he can round up to the relevant position coach, who then makes a determination on whether to pursue him. This normally takes less than 24 hours.
                    • The team decides if the player is worthy of an offer. If the offer is made, a visit is scheduled. 
                    • At some point, the coaches huddle with the collective (if the school has one) to determine how much money, if any, can be offered.
                    • Once the player accepts an invitation to visit and shows up on campus, his height and weight are recorded. At the end of the visit, a formal offer is made, often by the head coach, personally. 
                    • The player is not official with the school until he is enrolled and attends class, by my understanding. 

                    This led me to more questions. For example, we’ve got a portal window opening in April. It’s a shorter one (only two weeks), but will still be a popular one, I’m sure. How will it work, given that there will only be a few short weeks of school left and no chance for transfers to actually enroll? 

                    I posed the question to an expert on the process, and his response was: “Spring transfers take summer classes 99% of the time, so that triggers it being finalized. It’s also the worst possible time to transfer, which is a big deterrent on its own, not to mention there’s no portal window for undergrads at that time.”

                    After a week of speaking to portal specialists at schools big and small, here are a couple more notes and takeaways:

                    • More progressive schools are using flashy graphics — yes, similar to the ones splashed all over social media when a player gets an offer — to recruit portal players. The only difference is, the schools pass these along via text rather than social media. Like it or not, communicating in this manner is the way to attract today’s top prospects.
                    • One school has 16 volunteers committed to doing nothing but evaluating players once they hit the portal or preparing their board with players they anticipate entering the portal.
                    • Some schools with big war chests but limited personnel departments simply wait until players get multiple offers, then make their own. 
                    • We had several other interesting tidbits in Tuesday’s Rep Rumblings report, including the ratio of dollars spent on retention vs. acquisition for one school, the going rate for a middling QB prospect, how schools of varying size prepare for the portal and more. 

                    As always, we’ll be chopping it up on the portal and other football business matters in today’s Friday Wrap, which comes out at 7:30 p.m. ET. Register for it here.

                     

                     

                    Why It’s So Hard to Measure Scouts’ Performance

                    08 Friday Mar 2024

                    Posted by itlneil in NFL draft, Scouts

                    ≈ Leave a comment

                    Last week, it was my pleasure to hand plaques to 27 NFL scouts who were voted by their peers last fall to the 2023 BART List, our honors system for the best evaluators working in the league these days. It’s the only way I know to recognize the best people in the scouting industry.

                    Some, however, may wish there was a more objective measure. I’m one of those people. I’ve even seen that some teams, apparently, do just that for their own scouts. I really like that teams are working to identify the best members of their staffs. 

                    I’ve often thought of how to measure the effectiveness of scouts across the league. People who believe in analytics feel you can put a number on anything, right? But I keep bumping up to the following reasons that evaluating the evaluators is next to impossible.

                    Each team scouts for its team, not the league: We would have to have complete records of the grades given by each scout to players drafted and signed, every year, to even get a baseline of his effectiveness. Even at that, we could only hope to determine the best scout for each team, not for the league. Until every team runs the same defense and same offense, this is impossible.

                    A player’s success is not solely based on where/when he was drafted: To some degree, a draftee is a lump of clay. That lump gets shaped by the team’s coaching staff once he’s drafted. Some teams develop players better than others, and some teams have more “rope” to develop them for various reasons (usually, prior success). Therefore, just because a player worked out doesn’t necessarily mean the scout did his job.

                    Hungry players play better: If Tom Brady gets drafted in the second round instead of the sixth round, does he still wind up the same player? Maybe. Still, it seems to me unmistakable that players selected lower than they expected tend to play harder, while sometimes, players drafted earlier take the game less seriously. Obviously, this is hard to measure, but seems evident, nonetheless. Either way, it has an effect on a player’s grade. 

                    Obviously, there are other factors. Teams that have great depth at a position might mean a good player never gets a chance to really prove himself. Players drafted higher than expected may nonetheless get multiple chances in the league due to their draft pedigree. I could go on. The point is, the NFL draft is hopelessly subjective. I guess that’s one reason it’s so fun.

                    Do you disagree? Feel like it’s easier than I’m making it look? Give me some ideas on Twitter/X at @insidetheleague. Make sure you’re also reading our newsletter to get more insights on scouting and how teams evaluate players. 

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