2015 NFL Draft: How To Evaluate Prospects
The 2015 NFL Draft is almost here and New York Giants fans can’t get enough draft coverage from a Big Blue perspective. You want to know everything you can about the 2015 NFL Draft prospects.
I’m always glad to give you the quality draft coverage you have come to expect from GMENHQ. It is what I love to do. Today I want to share with you how I do it. I want to show you how you can evaluate and rank each prospect.
You know you want to impress your friends on draft day. I am here to help you do that. I’m not saying that I am going to turn you into a Mel Kiper Jr. or a Mike Mayock overnight. Those guys get to digest hours and hours of game tape to make their evaluations.
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What I am promising to you is that as a casual fan, you can get in on the analysis. You can be a knowledgeable fan during the NFL Draft. Here is how I do what I do.
The most important part of my success covering the draft is watching a lot of college football. We’re talking about spending noon to the middle of the night every Saturday flipping between every game I can. We’re talking about watching the Thursday and Friday night games on ESPN 2 that most people even forget are on.
Because I have a really practiced football memory, I can keep tabs on many draft prospects throughout the college football season. Watching the games is the best way to know about the players who have played in them.
Though it is impossible for me to watch every game. That’s why I have to do my homework on many draft prospects. I guarantee you, I never saw a live Hobart game in my life; I still have to know everything about Ali Marpet.
There is so much information that is readily available to you as a football fan. With just a quick Google search, you should be able to obtain a prospect’s physical measurements, his combine results, his statistics and accolades and most importantly video of the prospect on the football field.
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Next, you must have a basic knowledge of what each position does. You should also know what the average player looks like at each position. The first question you should ask yourself is what role can this prospect take on in the NFL? Does he look the part, and does he remind you of any active NFL player?
The second part of the evaluation process is evaluating the production or in some cases the impact the prospect showed on the college football field. After you evaluate a player in terms of what he will do in the NFL you need to analyze what the player did on the field. Does the production match your expectations based on the player’s size and skill set?
The third and final part of the evaluation process is the eye test. If you didn’t watch much college football, you can still get a glimpse at the prospect on the field. Through scavenging the internet you can find clips of each prospect on the field.
YouTube is a phenomenal source for us football nerds. You want to stay away from highlight reels if you can. Search the player’s name and watch videos that shows plays from a specific game. It isn’t exactly coaches film, but it will do.
Sep 25, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; A New York Giants player
Evaluating the player with the eye test is the most quintessential part of the evaluation process. This is how you develop your opinion on the player. Reading statistics only say so much, you have to see it for your own eyes.
The only reason I know about football is because I absorb it every way imaginable. I watch more football than you, it’s a pretty safe bet.
Between NFL and college football each week of the season I watch 30-40 hours of football. When I’m not watching football, chances are that I’m thinking about it. I am diligent to make sure that I am constantly paying attention to anything football.
It isn’t exactly rocket science, with a little effort you can evaluate and draft prospect. It takes some work, and an understanding of football but it isn’t a hard thing to do. If you’re like me, a true football nerd it is pretty fun work to do.