Draft 101 – Part II: Player Groupings and Player Evaluation

Yesterday, we reviewed the Draft Basics and Order in Part I of this series.  Today, we are going to go into the players side of the draft with Player Groupings and Evaluation.

Player Groupings:

On the football field, there are 22 players on the field at once – 11 on offense and 11 on defense.  With the exception of specialists like the long snapper, kicker and punter (who only appear on the field during special teams plays), there will always be a variety of positions that will play a majority of the game.  Of course, not all players have the same strengths or weaknesses, and depending on position, there are traits a team is trying to identify in the player based on where the team feels a player will contribute the most.  So, the NFL breaks down the pool of talent into Player Groups based on general positions.  This way, the NFL teams and draft evaluators can watch players on tape or at the NFL Combine held in late February to compare players coming into the NFL on par with one another to decide who they want for their team.

There are 6 Player Groupings on Offense:  Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Offensive Tackles and Interior Linemen

Quarterbacks (QB) – This is the easiest position to identify on the field, as the player touching the ball every single snap.  Of course, QBs are the premium position in the sport, and as such, the position is scrutinized the most out of any other.  In this year’s draft, it is anticipated that at least 3 of the Top QBs will be taken in the first 6 picks of the draft.

Running Backs (RB) – Another premier position given the number of times the position touches the ball, running backs have traditionally been as highly coveted as QBs.  However, in recent years, as the rules have changed, the running back position has declined in its value relative to the other positions (like QB).

Wide Receivers (WR) – Wide receivers have gotten more important in recent years, as the league has become more of passing game.  In the 70s and 80s, it was not uncommon to have 1 or 2 WRs on the field at a time for over 75% of the game.  Now, with the variety of offensive changes and strategies, up to 4 WRs will be on the field at a time.  In fact, some teams have 3 WRs in the formation a majority of the offensive snaps.  So, the result has been an increase in the need for WRs in the player pool which changes their value in the Draft.

Tight Ends (TE) – Again, as the NFL has become primarily a passing league, the Tight End position has become revolutionized.  In the 70s and 80s, TEs were essentially extra blockers in an offensive line with limited receiving responsibility.  The “double tight” formation which was a staple in that era has given way to TEs being split wide like a WR or coming out of the back field to find mismatches in the defense.  In the Draft, the traits required for TE now are vastly different than before, and value for a good receiving TE are on par with WRs in some cases.

Offensive Tackles (OT) – If you haven’t seen the movie or read the book, The Blind Side, then watch it.  The opening of the movie makes the clear case why OTs, specifically, left OTs are as valuable as any other position on the field.  The reason is the left OT (for right handed QBs) is the main protection from that devastating hit on the teams QB.  So, the OT is like the body guard for the high priced QB.  Teams need to invest in this position for long term success and will pay both in draft position and salary to get it.  In recent years, the right OTs are almost as valuable, as some defensive schemes have employed lead rushers not on the blind side of the QB.  So, top flight teams will need two great OTs or “bookends” as they say.

Interior Lineman (C/G) – As draft value goes, the interior linemen fall at the bottom of the offensive value meter.  However, the offensive line is like a hand with 5 fingers.  If you have a strong unit that plays together, then the group can protect the QB and open holes for the RBs in the run game.  Those 5 fingers forming a fist are much stronger than just one good OT.  As such, quality interior lineman on offense will be drafted in great volume throughout the draft.  Centers and Guards in the NFL are often asked to play interchangeably.

There are 4 Player Groupings on Defense:  Edge Rushers, Defensive Backs, Interior Linemen, and Linebackers

Edge Rushers (DE/OLB) – Conversely, as the NFL game goes to the passing game more often on offense, the defenses must react by defending the pass.  The best way to disrupt a passing game is to put pressure on the QB.  So, the players who are on the outside of the line whether that be a Defensive End in one scheme or an Outside Linebacker standing up in another are essential for a defense to be successful.  The prototype player at this position in the 80s was Lawrence Taylor.  His prowess of hitting the QB was not only legendary, but teams had to take time in the week to prepare for just him.  In every NFL Draft, teams are looking for the next Lawrence Taylor or Denver’s Von Miller.  That is why this position is a premium.

Defensive Backs (CB/S) – The Defensive Backs or secondary as it is referred to have also had to adapt the modern NFL.  As the offenses have progressed, defenses have answered by asking players to be extremely versatile with players needing to play close to the line in tight coverage, away from the line in zone coverage and even blitzing the QB.  So, DBs who can do all of those things and get takeaways like interceptions are at the top of any team’s Draft list.

Interior Linemen (DL) – Football, despite the rule and strategy changes, will always be a battle of strength and power in the trenches.  Like their counterparts on the offensive line, the interior defensive players are essential for success.  Defensive tackles and inside defensive ends have changed over the years.  However, the NFL will always value men who are big, quick and strong.  So, even as the NFL changes, the value of quality interior defensive players has not waned much.

Linebackers (LB) – The position most hurt by the passing game is probably the Linebacker.  In the old footage, every good defense had that larger than life interior linebacker like Dick Butkus for the Bears, Jack Lambert for the Steelers, or Ray Nietsche for the Packers.  The LBs of that era stopped the run and imposed their physical will on their opponent.  Now, as the strategy and schemes change, the position requires much more versatility to cover TEs and RBs in pass coverage.  Plus, defenses often employ schemes with less than 3 or 4 LBs on the field and instead put more DBs to cover the 3 or 4 WR formations or 3 WRs and TE formations.  As a result, the pure linebacker is not a “3-down” player anymore, unless they can both stop the run and cover a player on pass plays.

So, with these 10 groupings, NFL teams will stack the players into these categories to see how they compare.  They need a way to evaluate the players.

Player Evaluation:

So, how do teams wade through all the players who want to enter the league?  NFL teams have scouts working year round to create draft profiles for every single player in the draft.  There is almost a science to the evaluation of players.  However, even with the science of metrics, watching tape, and interviewing the players, the NFL draft is a gamble made by any team.  I’ll break the process down into 3 Parts:  Testing, Scouting and Interviews

Testing:  Measurables, Metrics, Drills and Pro Days

Measurables:

The NFL more than any other league looks at a player’s physical traits more than any other sport.  At the NFL Combine, each player is measured on a ton of levels.  Depending on position group, some measurables are more important than others.  The measurements include:  Height, Weight, Arm Length and Hand Length.  The NFL values Height at the QB, WR, OT, and even DB position.  Weight is more a measure of proportion to their Height, however Weight is especially important for the DL, OT and C/G positions.  Undersized players at those positions will be discounted.  Arm length is especially important for OT, WR and TE, as the long arms assists in either keeping the QB safe or catching passes in a crowd.  Finally, Hand Length is looked at most with QBs given the amount of times they touch the football in all weather conditions, but important for WRs for catching the ball, DL and Edge Rushers as it is correlated with their ability to control blocks from opposing offensive lines.

Players are also given a medical evaluation by physicians to rule out any major issues or past injuries that may impede a player to participate in the combine’s physical rigors.  Players are also given a drug screening, which surprisingly, players fail occasionally.

Metrics –The NFL also has a variety of standard tests at the NFL Combine they put the players through.

40 yard Dash – The classic test is the 40 yard dash.  This measure of speed is most important for the WR, RB, Edge, LB and DB groups.  A slow 40 yard dash time can mean 10s of draft places or even a round.  The 40 yard dash measures straight ahead speed, so the NFL Combine has other tests to track lateral agility.

Agility Drills –  There is the 3 cone drill and short shuttle drill which both measure how a player changes direction and maintains speed.  RB, WR, Edge, LB and DTs groups really can enhance their draft stock with these tests in the acceptable range by position.

Explosive Metrics – The standing broad jump and the vertical jump are a measure of how explosive a player is.  A player who can jump far and high may not show the best speed, but the NFL game is a game of short explosive burst, and these tests are a way to drill down to see if someone has that ability.  Really, any position will benefit from good scores in these tests.

Bench Press –  The sole measure of strength at the NFL Combine is the bench press. The test is how many times a player can bench press 225 lbs.  In most cases, the bench press can really hurt you if you have a poor showing, especially in OT, DL and C/G groups.  Solid bench presses for other positions may be judged as more a measure of commitment to the weight room.

Skill Drills and Pro Days –The NFL Combine does run players through a battery of none to low contact drills based on the position.  QBs are asked to throw a variety of passes to WRs to gauge accuracy, timing and arm strength.  WRs are judged on how efficiently they are running required pass routes and if they are able to catch the ball easily or “cleanly.”  RBs and TEs are asked to do similar drills for the passing game, but they are also asked to do simple pass protection drills, too.  Offensive lineman (OT and C/G) are asked to do drills to show footwork and technique.  On the defensive side, DBs are run through coverage scenarios without WRs present at the combine.  Edge Rushers and DTs are put through both agility and drills with light contact to see if they have the techniques a team is looking for already.

Often players will host NFL teams at their university do to similar drills with players and coaches they are familiar with in what is called a Pro Day.  Pro Days maybe have several players evaluated at once on the individual campus, and depending on the draft prospect could have representatives of all 32 NFL teams in attendance.  Pro Days are a bit less stressful for players, and they give the players another crack at impressing the scouts.

Scouting:  Game Film and All Star Games

Game Film – NFL scouts and evaluators will watch hours of game film to only watch one player during the game.  During the season, scouts will attend games, but with the volume of players all over the country, film is the best way to see the impact a player makes on the field.  Now, a scout will take into effect the level of competition a player is player against.  For example, if a player is a Division II player, then a scout would expect that player to dominate the competition, in order to be considered an NFL prospect.  Also, a scout will look how a player competed head to head against other players in the Draft who are being considered to gauge competition.  Some of the aspects of film study you may hear during the draft are the following:

• Separation – the amount of space created by a player on offense during a passing play to get open a receive a pass
• Get Off – a term used for a defensive player who is rushing the passer that shows how quick the player enters the play once the ball is snapped
• Tight Windows – a term for QBs that indicates a player’s ability to throw the ball into a small area or in coverage and still complete a pass
• Push – a term that can be used for either offensive or defensive lineman as they engage the other player to gain an advantage into the opponents side of the field
• Leverage – this term is commonly used with several positions along the offensive and defensive line to see if they can use their body to get under their opponent or control their opponent physically with angles of attack
• Hand Play – a term used to talk about how a player uses their hands either in blocking for the offensive line, shedding a block on the defensive line or as WRs and DBs engage on plays in tight coverage on the pass plays outside
• Ball Skills – often referred to with a DB or LB who is in coverage and their ability to catch or make a play on the ball when the pass is thrown
• Pass Pro – RBs are often reviewed on how well they are able to block for their QBs in picking up an opponents blitz or assisting in blocking defensive lineman
• Hip Flexibility – a term for LBs and DBs in how efficiently they can turn and change directions in pass coverage
• Route Tree – the term means the variety of routes a WR can run on any given play, and is often referred to when a player can either run the entire Route Tree – meaning they can run every route or they have a limited Route Tree – meaning they do not effectively run all routes

There are many other terms, but I think learning some of the language is helpful in consuming the draft to understand what the coverage is saying about a player.

All Star Games – Now, there are 2 main All Star Games – the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl.  The Senior Bowl is the premier game with the best talent.  However, no underclassmen are invited to play in the game.  So, the All Star Game circuit is a bit limited to evaluate all players.  However, the value in the games is the week of practices leading up to the game.  Scouts will attend all practices to see how the players work, receive coaching and can incorporate the coaching in practice and on the field during the game itself.  Typically, the 2 teams that are selecting 1st and 2nd will be allowed to coach the Senior Bowl and bring their coaching staffs for the week to get hands on experience with the players.  So, the Senior Bowl, especially is a great way for seniors to showcase their abilities and value as a teammate.

Interviews:  

One of the under-rated parts of the evaluation process is the interviewing that takes place at the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine and Pro Day.  The NFL scouts for the teams have people at all these events and are able to meet for a few minutes to really see if some issues that have come out in either social media or past events with their teammates or law enforcement.  At the NFL Combine, each team gets a set amount of time with the player.  The team can basically ask anything, and recently, one team seemed to cross the line with comments regarding sexuality and other unprofessional topics.  The main goal of the team is to see if they can get the player to lose their cool under pressure.  NFL teams will gather all information from every corner of the internet to see if they can knock a player off their axis during this process.  It is unlike any other job interview in the world.

So, after all of the tests, drills, interviews, all star games and tape evaluation, it is up to the teams to stack rank the players in the Position Groups.  The result is typically a numerical grade for a player that can be used to evaluate players within a position and different positions against one another.

That was a long process for sure.  Tomorrow, we will hit our last topic in this Draft 101 3 part series – Team Needs and Draft Strategy

Until tomorrow.

Wegs