Category Archives: Scouts

A Few Notes from a Busy Fall 2024

31 Thursday Oct 2024

Posted by 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. 

Five Qualities Owners Want in GM Hires

18 Friday Oct 2024

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We’re getting toward midseason and the good teams are starting to sort themselves out from the bad ones. Maybe that’s one of the reasons the topic of new GMs came up in this week’s edition of the Scouting the League podcast. It’s something I hadn’t really given much thought until this week, but there are definite “traits” — as Rodrik described them.  

In the old days, you were looking for a guy with decades of experience, probably from within your own organization, to come in and “fix” the franchise – hire a head coach, draft all the players, sign all the free agents, and create a culture (Bill Polian, Jim Finks, Ernie Accorsi, Ron Wolf, Bobby Beathard.) Today, it’s very different. Here are things that I’ve observed owners to prefer in a GM candidate.

It’s important to come from a successful program: Most teams used to have a line of succession in-house, but more recently, owners look outside the franchise to a team that’s a proven winner. For the past 10 years, we’ve seen owners pick off the Patriots tree (Bob Quinn in Detroit, Nick Caserio in Houston, Jon Robinson in Tennessee, Monti Ossenfort in Arizona, Dave Ziegler in Las Vegas, Eliot Wolf in New England and Jason Licht in Tampa). More recently, we’re seeing them pick from the 49ers tree (Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in Minnesota, Martin Mayhew and then Adam Peters in Washington, Ran Carthon in Tennessee and Trent Baalke in Jacksonville). 

Having a background on the road is not enough: In the past, you were looking for a pure evaluator to run the draft for you. However, more recently, we’ve seen owners bring in cap guys to be part of the GM structure (Carolina) and we’ve seen more analytics-minded hires (Minnesota), especially with teams owned by “new guard” owners who are more from the business world than the football world. We’re seeing more and more scouts/executives come to us for CBA/cap work than we did five years ago. 

Youth and appearance: I think we’re in an era where it’s important to “win the press conference,” and it’s easier to do that with a hot new name, especially if that person is on the young side. George Paton in Denver, Jerry Jones in Dallas, Tom Telesco in Las Vegas, Chris Grier in Miami and Mickey Loomis in New Orleans are among the few over 50. You also want someone who looks sharp and professional. You don’t see any GMs who are overweight, and I think that’s because they are part of the face of the franchise. That may be unfair, and it probably is, but it’s still true. 

Good representation: Scouts always tell me they are lightly regarded within their own staffs but when they get accolades outside the team, that’s when owners/executives take notice. This is why it’s been cool to start the BART List to give the unsung scouts out there some recognition. Media can help with that, too, and media attention usually comes from the agencies, especially the bigger ones. This probably isn’t necessary until a scout gets to the director level; if you’re a scouting assistant, hold your horses and prove yourself first.

An impressive alma mater: You might not think that where you went to school matters when it comes to football acumen, but you may not think like the modern NFL owner. They are used to working with upper-level professionals with strong pedigrees, and they see their general managers as just such people. So if not Ivy League, a GM today needs a degree from Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt, or other comparable schools, at least in most cases.

We’ll discuss this topic and more in the Friday Wrap, our free weekly newsletter that goes out to members of the football industry. Register for it here.

There Are Many Roads to NFL Scouting Jobs

11 Friday Oct 2024

Posted by in Getting started, Scouts

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Next week, we’ll start our team-by-team breakdowns of the front offices of all 32 teams. It’s our Know Your Scouts series, and it takes place each fall. The goal is to really drill into the scouting backgrounds of evaluators on all 32 teams with an eye toward providing tips that might help in getting a job.

Here are a few things people that reviewed last year’s Know Your Scouts series might have learned before “scout hiring season” (roughly March through July).

  • Most aspiring scouts spend all their time poring over film and rating players on social media, but learning other skills might get you a leg up. Consider that 15 current members of NFL front offices have video production skills and worked on that side either in the NFL, the college level, or the media. They include Jay Mandolesi and Dan Zbojovsky (Jets); Robert Haines (Panthers); Greg Reuveni (Raiders); Brian Hill (Rams); Casey Weidl (Steelers); Blaise Taggart (Texans); Mike Sholiton (Vikings); Bryan Chesin (Broncos); Minh Luu (Dolphins); Jeremy Gray and Matt Holland (Eagles); Sal Conti and Ben Martinez (Falcons); and Justin Markus (Giants). 
  • Being handy with the media doesn’t hurt, either. Alex Valles (Cardinals) once worked with broadcasters for the Red Sox. Marquis Pendleton (Giants) started out as a media services intern with the team. Same for Rob Hanrahan (Panthers), Ryan Monnens (Vikings) and Dave Bratten (Broncos). Ryan Doyal (Falcons) worked for NFL Films before making his way to Atlanta. Brad Obee (Eagles) worked for NFL Matchup on ESPN. Cassidy Kaminski (Chiefs) wrote for Ourlad’s from 2015-18.
  • There’s also equipment. Sam DeLuca and Blaine Gramer (Vikings); Dan Zegers (Browns); Zach Smith (Bucs); Alfonza Knight (Cardinals); Ethan Brodsky and Chris Hobbs (Chargers); Todd Vasvari and Andrew Hoyle (Colts); Chase Leshin (Dolphins); Casey Belongia (Patriots); Chris Nolan (Jets); Patrick Mularkey and Dakota Duncan (Lions); Josh Graff (Seahawks); Bailee Brown (Texans); and Martinez (Falcons).
  • Even a job in the marketing department can lead to a scouting career, as it did for Chris McGaha (Colts), John McKay (Rams), Justin Matthews (Saints) and Ryan Gold (Cardinals). 
  • John Mancini (Cardinals) even started out in tickets. He’s believed to be the only scout with such a beginning.

There are other alternate paths. Richard Sanders (Falcons) spent 10 years in the Coast Guard before pursuing football. Kathleen Wood (Browns) spent a decade-plus as a private investigator. 

The point is, get inside the building, then figure out a way to the scouting department. How do you do that? You can start by being prepared for that time of year; usually, hiring and interviewing takes place in March and April, though it’s better to get an early start on sending out your resume than a late one. Join us at Inside the League as we start breaking down the various paths scouts pursued on their way to their pro dreams with our Know Your Scouts series. I also recommend signing up for our free newsletter, the Friday Wrap. You won’t be sorry. 

Offseason 2024: Takeaways on NFL Scouting Hires

28 Friday Jun 2024

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Ever since the draft, we’ve been focused on how NFL teams have built and shaped their respective front offices. It’s a critical part of May and June, especially for teams that have new GMs. 

Here are a few observations based on what we’ve seen this year, especially as it relates to how NFL teams are making hires these days.

  • Four teams named new NFS scouts – the Bears, Bucs, Browns and Cardinals. The Bills and Steelers named new BLESTO scouts. The same number of combine scouts (six) were named last year. 
  • The Bears and Browns were the best about promoting scouting assistants, associates or interns. Each team elevated four into various roles. The Jaguars elevated three scouting assistants to college scout.
  • How does this offseason shape up as compared to the last few? Last season, despite a handful of GM changes, saw 200 front office moves. That’s a sharp drop from the previous two offseasons, when 280-290 moves were made. This offseason, we’re at 252 moves, which is more in line with the two years previous to last offseason. 
  • This year, 14 new scouting hires were plucked directly from colleges. That’s less than last year, when 17 came up from the college ranks. 
  • This year, the only school with multiple scouting hires was Nebraska; the Huskers produced three. Last year, Northwestern (4), South Carolina (2) and LSU (2) each sent multiple people into NFL front offices. 
  • The only school to send people “up” to the NFL this year and last year was Wake Forest (one last year, one this year).

We’ll talk a great deal more about how evaluation hires are being made this offseason and last in today’s Friday Wrap; register for it here. We’ve also discussed the topic in each of our Wraps since the end of April. Access them here: May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24 and May 31. For this month, June 7, June 14 and June 21.

Want even more? Track all every move that’s been made in NFL front offices this offseason here (sorry, pay link). 

Scout Hiring Season 2024 Is Over — Here’s Advice for ’25

20 Thursday Jun 2024

Posted by in Getting started, Scouts

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If you follow us on Twitter, read our Friday Wrap or keep up with our Rep Rumblings, you know that most NFL teams have pretty much filled their vacancies at scouting assistant. Meanwhile, the ones that haven’t are pretty far down the road with the candidates they like.

Bottom line, there are a lot of people in the college personnel community who are taking stock and trying to decide if they’ll continue to fight to achieve their dreams. If this is you, I have advice on what to do between now and this time next year.

  • Go to the Personnel Symposium in Nashville in August. You can register here. However — and this is important — if you go, aggressively build your network. Meet people. I would even go so far as to avoid the people from your own school. If you want to grow and improve your chances of advancing, you must grow your figurative rolodex.
  • IF you work for a school’s personnel department, think of something you can provide, information-wise, to a scout that gives him an edge that no one else has. For example, I once heard of a recruiting/personnel specialist who sent a weekly email to the scouts he knows updating them on injury issues with draftable prospects. Or, maybe, you could give tips on which players are entering the draft, or might enter the portal, etc. Of course, you have to decide how much info you want to give out (some teams may not look on this favorably), and you don’t want to look like a butt-kisser, but you have to do something to make yourself stand out. Don’t like that idea? No problem, but remember that information is your currency.
  • If you DO NOT work for a school’s personnel department, you need to contact one of the top five all-star games (Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl, Hula Bowl, CGS and Tropical Bowl) and strongly make your case for volunteering. Do it ASAP. BTW, if you want to be part of the CGS Scout School, which I assist in running, reach out to CGS co-founder Jose Jefferson (here’s his Twitter). His DMs are open. You MUST get face time with NFL scouts to get a job in the NFL. For now, at least, scouts still attend all-star games.
  • IF you have scouting contacts, think of ways to stay front of mind without being too aggressive. The scout’s team just beat its big rival? Send him a text. His alma mater just got a big win? Send a text. It’s Christmas? Great time to offer season’s greetings. Just something quick. Don’t belabor it, but be regular with it.
  • When it comes to applying for jobs in 2025, early beats late. Every year, people reach out to me in April to ask if it’s too early to start reaching out to teams. Actually, it’s too late. You have to get the ball rolling before the season is over. If it’s too early, a scouting staffer will tell you. If it’s not, maybe you get in before others do. You don’t want to get left behind. Be tactful but aggressive.
  • Do your best to go to the NFL Combine. If you do, try to go mid-week. You will be there (a) before scouts are spending all their days in the stadium or in meetings, and (b) before everyone else trying to get a job in scouting is there (most arrive on the weekend). Also, be aware that NFL scouts mainly stay at the JW Marriott.
  • Work hard and continue to develop your work ethic. If you do get your shot, you don’t want to squander it. Really, the only thing a team looks for in its interns or scouting assistant hires is a bulletproof work ethic. You must be tireless and intense about it. Once you’ve shown you have that, they’ll teach you what you need to know about scouting.

I hope this helps, and I hope it’s inspirational. Just because you didn’t get the job this year doesn’t mean you won’t get it next year. Keep fighting and keep up with what we are doing at ITL. We’re here to help.

 

 

 

I Married Football: A New Book with a Different Perspective

14 Friday Jun 2024

Posted by in Coaches, Scouts

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As I’ve discussed in this space previously, my mentor in football is a man named John Paul Young, who coached with several NFL teams as well as practically every reputable college football team in the Southwest proper in the 70s, 80s and 90s. While I’ve never discussed his wife, Dolores, she’s as much a part of John Paul’s story as anyone in football, and he’d tell you as much.

However, no one’s ever told Dolores’ story before, so she took it upon herself to do just that, sort of. In her new book, I Married Football (for details on ordering it, click here), she recounts her days in the game, but also provides key advice and tips for young women who are in her situation and just getting started in the game.

Though I haven’t had the pleasure of reading it yet, I asked her several questions about her experiences. I’ve included them here, along with her responses.

  • JPY coached at all four levels (HS, college, indoor and NFL). Which one was easiest for you, as his wife? Which one was most enjoyable? “John coached at the junior high in Jacksonville for two periods before he went to the high school. He loved those junior high kids. In those days, they had to cross Hwy 79 to get to the Tomato Bowl (where Jacksonville High School’s football team plays) where they had football or P.E. One boy pulled another boy’s shorts down as they were crossing the highway, so John paddled him. They marched like soldiers after that. John loved coaching football. When asked if he misses football, he answers, ‘every day.’ He really coached for love of the game and the boys or men. . . My favorite game of football is Arena Football, and John had two teams: the Dallas Texans and the Houston Terror. I really liked the Texans because the field was so close we could see everything happening. There was loud music, and you could hear the players bouncing off the walls like hockey players. The fans were in the game. It was just fun and exciting.” 
  • Getting fired is part of football. Did it ever get easy? Are there “stages of grief,” almost like a death in the family? “Getting fired was very difficult for us all, whether it was the whole staff or just John. Just like a divorce or a death. I disliked for other coaches to be fired as well as John. I did not like leaving our home, friends, and church. Sometimes John would get a job right away and leave us to sell the house and move. . . The boys usually were very excited to go to a new team. I was thankful we had boys. The new place is easier for boys than girls . . .  boys are ready for new boys. It is harder for girls, since the girls are not as happy for girls . . . .”
  • Moving is part of life as a coach’s wife. What was the hardest place to leave? What was the toughest move to make? “It was hard leaving Texas A&M since we had lived there eight years, the longest we lived anywhere. I loved our church, house, and friends. The boys had only gone to school in Bryan and had lots of friends. But since we were going to the Oilers, the boys were excited. We had to move without John since he ran off to training camp in San Angelo. I had moving experience (some) but not without a husband.”
  • Let’s say you just met a football wife. What is the thing you two will most likely talk about immediately? “We would talk about children, schools, where to buy a house, where to shop, getting to know the other wives on the staff.” 
  • JPY has thousands of friends in the business, but some are closer than others. Which coaches’ wives did you get closest to, and why? “The first coach’s wife I met was Helen Phillips (wife of Bum), when I was 20, at UTEP. She helped me a lot getting to adjust to being a coach’s wife. Nell Almond’s husband, Kenneth, was a coach, too. We are still in touch now 62 years later. Also Marion Slayton and Jean Harper. Betty Sheffield (wife of Jacksonville head coach Dick Sheffield) was in Jacksonville. She took me under her wing with our seven-week-old baby boy, John Paul, Jr. Euleta Fry at SMU (wife of head coach Hayden Fry) introduced me to Mary Kay makeup. At Texas A&M, Ruthie Stallings (wife of head coach Gene Stallings) was wonderful bringing me all kinds of things. Jeannette Van Zandt (wife of longtime NFL assistant coach Lance Van Zandt) was (also) a good friend.”

Dolores’ book is full of great stories about the business as well as full-color pictures of coaches, players and people from around the game, most of them from the Youngs’ personal collection. If you love stories about the game and a unique perspective on the game, make sure to pick up her book. You won’t be sorry.

Are You On Track to Achieve Your Scouting Goals? Ask Yourself These Questions

31 Friday May 2024

Posted by in Getting started, Scouts

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This time of year, I’m overwhelmed with people looking for (mostly free) advice on how to break into scouting. However, there’s another segment of the personnel community I hear from that is in a completely different mindset, and I had one of those conversations today.

I won’t bore you with the details, but I spoke to a very talented, highly qualified evaluation professional from the college ranks who is at wit’s end on what to do next. He’s in his early 30s and has done his job well for years, but just wonders if he’s making the progress he should be making.

It’s very hard to diagnose someone’s situation and offer them effective advice on what path he should pursue, but since these themes have become common ones (especially these days, with the fury of the spring portal in the rear-view mirror and burnout prevalent), I thought I’d address the questions you should be asking yourself if you fall into this category.

  • How old are you?: I’ve written this before in this space, and I’ve said it before many times, but I feel that 30 is a good milestone for progress. If you are where you want to be, or seriously feel you’re near it, at 30, proceed. If not, it’s probably time to start another path while you still have the time and energy to excel at it. There IS life after football.
  • How much money do you have socked away?: I know many of you are volunteers, or are working for money far below your value, but it’s smart to put money away if you can. As my father once told me, money equals independence. If you don’t have something in savings, for example, there are great football jobs you simply won’t be able to take because they don’t pay well enough. 
  • Do you have legitimate NFL contacts? Or are you just sending emails wildly, hoping to get traction?: If you listen to my podcast, or you read this blog regularly, or you subscribe to my newsletter or my website, you know that I value network over everything else as you climb the scouting ladder. You better have a mentor who believes in you, and you better have some well-placed friends. If you’re relying on a certificate from a third-party service to get you a job, or you’re hoping years of scouting reports and tweets will get you into the league, it gives me no pleasure in telling you this, but you’re wrong. 
  • Can you live without a senior college personnel position/NFL scouting post?: This is probably the toughest question of them all, because so many people I come across have their entire identity invested in football. With that said, I’m not sure I could answer “yes” to this question (though I very nearly had to a couple decades ago). 
  • Are you entrepreneurial?: I was 32 when I decided I’d try an Internet-based information service for people who worked in football and who were willing to pay a monthly subscription fee online. For a lot of reasons, that was a terrible idea, because I didn’t really have a lot of connections and didn’t know quite what I’d write about, but I was willing to give it a shot. Twenty-plus years later, I’m far from a household name, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. This is what I was born to do. It’s a special feeling to know God had this in store for me.

God has something in store for you, too. Maybe by asking yourself these questions, you can figure out if that thing is football. Good luck and Godspeed on your path. 

 

How Do You Evaluate the Best-Drafting Teams?

23 Thursday May 2024

Posted by 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. 

A Few Thoughts About Scout Season So Far

03 Friday May 2024

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The period from after the draft until training camp is when teams rework their front offices. That’s among the busiest times of year for me, because it’s the period after the  GMs and executives have been hired and fired, and the fallout begins at the lower levels.

Here’s a look at the trends so far and a few thoughts on what’s happened and what’s ahead.

  • I’ve had a few people say something along the lines of, boy, it sure has been a slow season for scouting changes so far, and I have no idea what they mean. The Panthers wiped out almost their entire pro scouting department today. The Bears parted ways with two scouts, one of whom has won multiple awards (and who is widely respected in the community). The Cardinals are down two evaluators, one of whom was their college director. The Bucs said goodbye to two more staffers, one of whom won a Super Bowl (with the Colts) and went to the division championship game (with the Jaguars). Oh, by the way, we’re still not a week past the last day of the draft. It’s been an incredibly busy — and surprising — “scout season” so far.
  • So why is this happening? I’ve addressed this on Twitter, but in case you missed it, last summer was a very busy one for hiring and firing in analytics departments. Yes, NFL teams are always looking to get younger and cheaper at the national scout/area scout level, but there’s got to be a reason why so much experience has been thrown overboard so far this year. The only thing I can come up with is that teams are planning to reinvest that money in number-crunchers. 
  • I’ve been asked if colleges will start hiring these experienced scouts, and my guess is, not yet. One reason I think that is because I’ve tried (hard) to get a lot of ex-scouts jobs with schools with no luck. The other reason is that schools don’t need evaluators as much for the transfer portal — they’ve got a coaching staff and dozens of volunteers to help plow through film. But the real reason is that the portal is less like the draft and more like free agency. Actually, there’s a third reason — teams would rather pay coaches than evaluators, and there’s only so much money to go around.
  • So with so many vacancies, where will the new hires come from? My guess is that most come from within. We’ll see scouting assistants and scouting coordinators get promoted into the lion’s share of these jobs. Many of these seasoned, competent evaluators will stay on the street, unfortunately. I know a few scouts will resurface, but historically, those scouts aren’t rehired. I hope I’m wrong.

If you aspire to be an NFL scout and want to hear what’s next on front office openings, try out ITL. You might even be eligible for our Next Wave rate ($75 through the end of November instead of $29.95/mo.). For more information, DM me at @insidetheleague or email ITL here.

 

Former NFL Scouts Weigh in on Four Draft Prop Bets

25 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by 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!

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