Journal Entries
September 2021
Connecting with Jamie
9/14/21 (1 Hour)
While not officially starting the course till the second half of the Spring semester in 2022, I’m going to start working on some projects a bit early than that. With that being said, today is the one I would mark as the official starting point of collecting hours for my mentorship. After a couple of weeks of discussion between Dr. Tiell and Jamie, I was able to have the opportunity to talk with Mr. Moore via phone call. During the call, we were able to get to know a little bit about one another to start the mentorship. He asked me questions about my knowledge and experience around the game of football and if I would want to have a future working in or around the game. I was in turn able to ask a couple of brief questions about what his schedule looks like. As a great example of how busy the life of a scout can be, at the time of this call he was waiting for a flight out of Atlanta moving on to his next school.
As a huge fan of all aspects of the game of football, having this opportunity to work and communicate with a professional scout is one I’m very much looking forward to. Especially, when you factor in that it is with a highly regarding NFL organization in the Indianapolis Colts, who have a history of success in scouting with their current regime under the guidance of General Manager Chris Ballard. I’m very thankful for this opportunity and I’m really looking forward to everything I can learn from this opportunity with Jamie.
While not officially starting the course till the second half of the Spring semester in 2022, I’m going to start working on some projects a bit early than that. With that being said, today is the one I would mark as the official starting point of collecting hours for my mentorship. After a couple of weeks of discussion between Dr. Tiell and Jamie, I was able to have the opportunity to talk with Mr. Moore via phone call. During the call, we were able to get to know a little bit about one another to start the mentorship. He asked me questions about my knowledge and experience around the game of football and if I would want to have a future working in or around the game. I was in turn able to ask a couple of brief questions about what his schedule looks like. As a great example of how busy the life of a scout can be, at the time of this call he was waiting for a flight out of Atlanta moving on to his next school.
As a huge fan of all aspects of the game of football, having this opportunity to work and communicate with a professional scout is one I’m very much looking forward to. Especially, when you factor in that it is with a highly regarding NFL organization in the Indianapolis Colts, who have a history of success in scouting with their current regime under the guidance of General Manager Chris Ballard. I’m very thankful for this opportunity and I’m really looking forward to everything I can learn from this opportunity with Jamie.
Project #1 Discussion
9/15/21 (1 Hour)
After talking with Jamie yesterday, he sent me several emails containing my first assignment as being a project assistant with him. These emails include a document, each of which includes many articles that involve news around the schools he is responsible for scouting in his region. These articles are referred to as “Sports Scans.” A scouts’ job is not only to try to evaluate the on-flied skill of the players but also other off-field stories that are attached to that player. My task is to go through the articles and pick out information that I feel could be valuable to know in regards to the players on these teams. Some of the things Jamie told me to keep a lookout for were injuries, both positive and negative quotes about the players from their coaches, family backgrounds, and past incidents. These types of notes can help fill in some of the blanks in their backgrounds that the scouts might not be able to receive from the conversation that they can have with coaches, professors, and other staff members that are around these athletes on the day-to-day.
Something that I think will be a fun outcome of this project is the ability to learn about some of the players who will be making plays every Saturday through the fall. Being able to know more about them as players as well as some background things about them as people will give me a different outlook on this College Football season, then into the NFL Draft process for a number of them.
After talking with Jamie yesterday, he sent me several emails containing my first assignment as being a project assistant with him. These emails include a document, each of which includes many articles that involve news around the schools he is responsible for scouting in his region. These articles are referred to as “Sports Scans.” A scouts’ job is not only to try to evaluate the on-flied skill of the players but also other off-field stories that are attached to that player. My task is to go through the articles and pick out information that I feel could be valuable to know in regards to the players on these teams. Some of the things Jamie told me to keep a lookout for were injuries, both positive and negative quotes about the players from their coaches, family backgrounds, and past incidents. These types of notes can help fill in some of the blanks in their backgrounds that the scouts might not be able to receive from the conversation that they can have with coaches, professors, and other staff members that are around these athletes on the day-to-day.
Something that I think will be a fun outcome of this project is the ability to learn about some of the players who will be making plays every Saturday through the fall. Being able to know more about them as players as well as some background things about them as people will give me a different outlook on this College Football season, then into the NFL Draft process for a number of them.
Working on First Scan Set
9/16/21 (1 Hour)
Today, I began working on my first “Sports Scan” project by shifting through one day’s worth of articles. This first one took me a while to get through despite not being as large of a number as some of the other days that I have looked ahead to. I do believe that as I can get more comfortable, finding out what exactly is the information and collecting it only becomes easier and as a result possibly be less time-consuming.
At first glance of the articles provided in the scan, they can vary on how much information they provide that would be helpful to an NFL Scout. Some provide several newsworthy quotes and nuggets of information on the players, whereas some articles provide things that aren’t needed. Some examples of this unnecessary info include campuses’ pre-game activities, game-day viewing/streaming information, and updates on some of the school’s alumni who are now retired from football activities. These types of articles add to the bulk and are skippable in the process of going through everything. However, it is important to briefly skim through them to see if any notes collected could provide value to telling the story of a current player at one of these programs. I look forward to finding new trends that appear within these articles that are picked up through the scans.
Today, I began working on my first “Sports Scan” project by shifting through one day’s worth of articles. This first one took me a while to get through despite not being as large of a number as some of the other days that I have looked ahead to. I do believe that as I can get more comfortable, finding out what exactly is the information and collecting it only becomes easier and as a result possibly be less time-consuming.
At first glance of the articles provided in the scan, they can vary on how much information they provide that would be helpful to an NFL Scout. Some provide several newsworthy quotes and nuggets of information on the players, whereas some articles provide things that aren’t needed. Some examples of this unnecessary info include campuses’ pre-game activities, game-day viewing/streaming information, and updates on some of the school’s alumni who are now retired from football activities. These types of articles add to the bulk and are skippable in the process of going through everything. However, it is important to briefly skim through them to see if any notes collected could provide value to telling the story of a current player at one of these programs. I look forward to finding new trends that appear within these articles that are picked up through the scans.
Schools in Focus
9/21/21 (2 Hour)
Scouts that work for NFL Teams are generally assigned to different regions nationally to collect information and gather as much information as they can about the potential prospects who could be drafted into the NFL. In the case of Jamie, he is the southeast area scout for the Indianapolis Colts. He is responsible for scouting the following teams:
-Alabama
-Auburn
-South Alabama
-UAB
-Troy State
-Florida State
-Florida Atlantic
-Florida International
-Florida
-Miami (FL)
-South Florida
-UCF
-Georgia Southern
-Georgia State
-Georgia Tech
-Georgia
-Mississippi State
-Ole Miss
-Southern Mississippi
-Clemson
-Costal Carolina
-South Carolina
These teams are a number of the best football schools in the country. The NFL Draft’s first round has been filled with prospects from Alabama, Georgia, and Clemson alone over the past few season’s. Jamie has had a front row seat to scouting out some of these top tier prospects. I’m looking forward to learning more from him about what that process is like. Additionally I’m looking forward to getting a better knowledge about both some of the top prospects and potential under the radar ones that may be coming out in 2022 NFL Draft through the “sports scans.”
Scouts that work for NFL Teams are generally assigned to different regions nationally to collect information and gather as much information as they can about the potential prospects who could be drafted into the NFL. In the case of Jamie, he is the southeast area scout for the Indianapolis Colts. He is responsible for scouting the following teams:
-Alabama
-Auburn
-South Alabama
-UAB
-Troy State
-Florida State
-Florida Atlantic
-Florida International
-Florida
-Miami (FL)
-South Florida
-UCF
-Georgia Southern
-Georgia State
-Georgia Tech
-Georgia
-Mississippi State
-Ole Miss
-Southern Mississippi
-Clemson
-Costal Carolina
-South Carolina
These teams are a number of the best football schools in the country. The NFL Draft’s first round has been filled with prospects from Alabama, Georgia, and Clemson alone over the past few season’s. Jamie has had a front row seat to scouting out some of these top tier prospects. I’m looking forward to learning more from him about what that process is like. Additionally I’m looking forward to getting a better knowledge about both some of the top prospects and potential under the radar ones that may be coming out in 2022 NFL Draft through the “sports scans.”
Georgia vs Clemson - A Different Perspective
9/22/21 (2 Hour)
I expect this to continue to happen throughout this sports scan project, but being able to know a lot more about the players on two teams that are playing each other adds a new perspective to an individual game. The first instance of this is a very unique matchup as it featured two top-tier programs, who are not in the same conference, going head to head early with #5 Georgia taking on #3 Clemson in one of the marquee match-ups of the whole College Football season. While I did this scan review later than when the game occurred, I was able to watch a replay of it. In watching it I noticed a lot of the names I had seen in the articles. I could see the players whose names were continuing to show up the most having a huge impact on the outcome of the game. I had more background information on the players' stories and how they had been playing, which was a new way for me to watch a college game. Generally, I'm aware of the bigger named players on both sides but this provided some insight into guys who already weren't top tier NFL prospects. It was really exciting to be able to watch a college game with more knowledge of more players. It will be a cool process to continue to gain knowledge on these players as we keep working towards the NFL Draft through that whole process.
I expect this to continue to happen throughout this sports scan project, but being able to know a lot more about the players on two teams that are playing each other adds a new perspective to an individual game. The first instance of this is a very unique matchup as it featured two top-tier programs, who are not in the same conference, going head to head early with #5 Georgia taking on #3 Clemson in one of the marquee match-ups of the whole College Football season. While I did this scan review later than when the game occurred, I was able to watch a replay of it. In watching it I noticed a lot of the names I had seen in the articles. I could see the players whose names were continuing to show up the most having a huge impact on the outcome of the game. I had more background information on the players' stories and how they had been playing, which was a new way for me to watch a college game. Generally, I'm aware of the bigger named players on both sides but this provided some insight into guys who already weren't top tier NFL prospects. It was really exciting to be able to watch a college game with more knowledge of more players. It will be a cool process to continue to gain knowledge on these players as we keep working towards the NFL Draft through that whole process.
What the Articles to skip look like?
9/23/21 (1 Hour)
When sorting through the articles, to not get slowed down I have been able to skim through articles a little faster but reading for certain things in the titles of the articles helps in that regard. The easiest ones to skip are shot ones titled "Date, Time, Where to Watch, Team X vs Team Y." These are short and do not provide any information that is worthwhile for this project. Other ones I choose to skip include interviews with media representatives. While it can be good to hear from those media pundits when it comes to scouting getting the opinions of those who are closest to the players are the ones that should carry the most weight. For example, an opinion on a game from a local news analyst, while it could be spot on, does not carry the same weight as some said by the players’ position coach, who is with them every day of the week. While I feel they may hold some value, those are not the types of notes I will be adding to the documentation on the prospects.
When sorting through the articles, to not get slowed down I have been able to skim through articles a little faster but reading for certain things in the titles of the articles helps in that regard. The easiest ones to skip are shot ones titled "Date, Time, Where to Watch, Team X vs Team Y." These are short and do not provide any information that is worthwhile for this project. Other ones I choose to skip include interviews with media representatives. While it can be good to hear from those media pundits when it comes to scouting getting the opinions of those who are closest to the players are the ones that should carry the most weight. For example, an opinion on a game from a local news analyst, while it could be spot on, does not carry the same weight as some said by the players’ position coach, who is with them every day of the week. While I feel they may hold some value, those are not the types of notes I will be adding to the documentation on the prospects.
Scouting Schools of All Sizes
9/28/21 (2 Hour)
Early in this project you can see where there are some teams who will certainly have more players logged and information collected than others. Some programs garner more attention than other. This is not only because of the amount of coverage but also the sheer amount of talent football players they have on their rosters who could translate to the pro game. Some of the schools you can think of already have a big sample size. These are the likes of Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia, three of the marquee programs in the nation. Other schools like Southern Mississippi and Troy don’t have nearly as many (in the case of Southern Miss any so far) articles available in the scan making it less likely to find out about some of their projected prospects. This shows the importance of NFL teams having a good scouting staff. They are able to find good players from smaller schools that are able to make big impacts on their teams. The the lack of articles and player coverage of these smaller schools is a microcosm of that scouting difficulty. No stone should be left unturned when scouting out players.
Jamie is connected to one of the biggest examples of this on the Colts’ roster today. Darius Leonard is an All-Pro Linebacker who did not come from an Alabama or Clemson, but from South Carolina State. Jamie was able to do a great job of studying Leonard and had a feel that he was the type of player who could be an impact guy. After being selected in the 2nd round in 2018 to some skepticism Leonard has proven Jamie and Colts staff right in there evaluations of him. Leonard shows the impact scouting lesser-known schools can have on an organization as he has become a leader on and off the field for the franchise.
Early in this project you can see where there are some teams who will certainly have more players logged and information collected than others. Some programs garner more attention than other. This is not only because of the amount of coverage but also the sheer amount of talent football players they have on their rosters who could translate to the pro game. Some of the schools you can think of already have a big sample size. These are the likes of Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia, three of the marquee programs in the nation. Other schools like Southern Mississippi and Troy don’t have nearly as many (in the case of Southern Miss any so far) articles available in the scan making it less likely to find out about some of their projected prospects. This shows the importance of NFL teams having a good scouting staff. They are able to find good players from smaller schools that are able to make big impacts on their teams. The the lack of articles and player coverage of these smaller schools is a microcosm of that scouting difficulty. No stone should be left unturned when scouting out players.
Jamie is connected to one of the biggest examples of this on the Colts’ roster today. Darius Leonard is an All-Pro Linebacker who did not come from an Alabama or Clemson, but from South Carolina State. Jamie was able to do a great job of studying Leonard and had a feel that he was the type of player who could be an impact guy. After being selected in the 2nd round in 2018 to some skepticism Leonard has proven Jamie and Colts staff right in there evaluations of him. Leonard shows the impact scouting lesser-known schools can have on an organization as he has become a leader on and off the field for the franchise.
Takeaways from Early Season Articles
9/29/21 (1 Hour)
Something I’m looking forward to seeing is how the nature of these articles, and the teams themselves, shift over the course of the college football season. An early-season concept I have gotten from this project is that you can gather a lot about the different teams and their narratives are. By picking up different quotes and notes about individual players you gain the ability to piece them together and come up with an idea of what is going on with the program. For example, the Miami Hurricanes early-season story has revolved a lot around injuries. They’ve had a number of impact players go out with some sort of injury. This requires me to copy the information about the injured player into my notes. Once those begin to pile up you can see that their struggles early on could be the result of those injuries. This has helped me know more about not only the athletes but the overall vibes around each of the programs Jamie is responsible for. It will be interesting to see how noticeable some of the narratives of these teams can be changed over the course of the season. |
October 2021
Monday + Tuesday Article Trends
10/3/21 (2 Hour)
As I’ve gotten to go through a few weeks' worths of sports scan articles now, I’ve begun to pick up some trends for what the articles generally focus on based on the day of the week. For this entry I wanted to focus on what I’ve noticed occurs on both Mondays and Tuesdays. With teams for the most part playing their games on Saturday, this means that Mondays and/or Tuesdays are generally the days players are back on the practice fields. The articles collected from these days tend to reflect that. They include some more reflective quotes and in-depth takeaways from their previous game. This is because on Sunday the coaching staff can dig deep into their film study and gain more insight into how the team played and where they are at with the development of their players. This provides good information to scouts to note about the process of how players are either developing or regressing.
Another important piece of information to gather at this time of the week is related to injuries. While not all players' status is known, coaches can report on some players and the injuries that are hampering them. If it is a season-ending injury that will likely be known by one of these days. If it is something that we make a game-time decision the next week, those results will need to be followed throughout the week to see if they’ll be able to give it a go.
As I’ve gotten to go through a few weeks' worths of sports scan articles now, I’ve begun to pick up some trends for what the articles generally focus on based on the day of the week. For this entry I wanted to focus on what I’ve noticed occurs on both Mondays and Tuesdays. With teams for the most part playing their games on Saturday, this means that Mondays and/or Tuesdays are generally the days players are back on the practice fields. The articles collected from these days tend to reflect that. They include some more reflective quotes and in-depth takeaways from their previous game. This is because on Sunday the coaching staff can dig deep into their film study and gain more insight into how the team played and where they are at with the development of their players. This provides good information to scouts to note about the process of how players are either developing or regressing.
Another important piece of information to gather at this time of the week is related to injuries. While not all players' status is known, coaches can report on some players and the injuries that are hampering them. If it is a season-ending injury that will likely be known by one of these days. If it is something that we make a game-time decision the next week, those results will need to be followed throughout the week to see if they’ll be able to give it a go.
Wednesday + Thursday Article Trends
10/6/21 (2 Hour)
The next of the more dense days for information gathering from the articles during both the Wednesday and Thursday scan collections. These days can reflect what took place on all of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (depending on when they are posted) which are generally the heavier practice days for teams as coaching staffs begin implementing their gameplans for the weekend’s upcoming matchup with on-field work. The articles reflect this. Coaches, as they are going over different expectations for both themselves and players, are speaking more on where they see their players at in both their preparation and results.
Like the articles from the two days prior, these ones continue to reveal more details on players’ health. As we continue to advance towards the game, a player’s status can become more clear. If they can return to practice during these days in even a limited fashion, it bodes well for their availability on the upcoming game day. However, if they sit out these days they are trending more towards being out of maybe a game-time decision. These are valuable things to note for a scout as if someone has a reoccurring injury that continues to keep them out of action it is a concern that could hurt their chances of competing at the next level.
The next of the more dense days for information gathering from the articles during both the Wednesday and Thursday scan collections. These days can reflect what took place on all of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (depending on when they are posted) which are generally the heavier practice days for teams as coaching staffs begin implementing their gameplans for the weekend’s upcoming matchup with on-field work. The articles reflect this. Coaches, as they are going over different expectations for both themselves and players, are speaking more on where they see their players at in both their preparation and results.
Like the articles from the two days prior, these ones continue to reveal more details on players’ health. As we continue to advance towards the game, a player’s status can become more clear. If they can return to practice during these days in even a limited fashion, it bodes well for their availability on the upcoming game day. However, if they sit out these days they are trending more towards being out of maybe a game-time decision. These are valuable things to note for a scout as if someone has a reoccurring injury that continues to keep them out of action it is a concern that could hurt their chances of competing at the next level.
Friday Article Trends
10/13/21 (1 Hour)
While taking a look at the Friday article scans, they to this point, are a wrap-up of the week’s worth of practice and notes as teams getting ready for their respective games on Saturdays. Coaches don’t seem to be giving away too much information to interviewers by this time of the week. This is because their focuses have completed shifted to the game ahead of them. They are not there to reflect on the prior week anymore. You may be lucky to pull out some bits of information on how certain players looked in practice but that seems to be about it. Another thing I’ve noticed as you get closer to the weekend is coaches tend to be talking more about opposing coaches and players, in a positive way most times.
On the injury front, the Friday scans provide a more concrete status. Many of the Friday practices are walkthroughs so a player who was a limited participant is likely trending towards a game-time decisions label for the players. If they aren't out there taking reps it is more likely than not that it would be a stretch for them to play in the game. A number of players may even be ruled out on Friday’s so collecting that information from the articles is important for Jamie and other scouts.
While taking a look at the Friday article scans, they to this point, are a wrap-up of the week’s worth of practice and notes as teams getting ready for their respective games on Saturdays. Coaches don’t seem to be giving away too much information to interviewers by this time of the week. This is because their focuses have completed shifted to the game ahead of them. They are not there to reflect on the prior week anymore. You may be lucky to pull out some bits of information on how certain players looked in practice but that seems to be about it. Another thing I’ve noticed as you get closer to the weekend is coaches tend to be talking more about opposing coaches and players, in a positive way most times.
On the injury front, the Friday scans provide a more concrete status. Many of the Friday practices are walkthroughs so a player who was a limited participant is likely trending towards a game-time decisions label for the players. If they aren't out there taking reps it is more likely than not that it would be a stretch for them to play in the game. A number of players may even be ruled out on Friday’s so collecting that information from the articles is important for Jamie and other scouts.
Saturday Article Trends
10/14/21 (1 Hour)
From what it seems, Saturdays tend to be the lightest days for articles. This came as a surprise to me at first but I started to understand it more it made a lot of sense. The reason is that many of the games are taking place so those articles do not get posted the day of. This is not always true as some of the schools have early enough games that their articles make it onto the Saturday scans. The rest get pushed back until the next day. A number of the articles that appear to get grabbed on Saturday include analyst game picks, stadium information, fanfare information, and even quotes and takeaways from ESPN’s College GameDay shows.
The majority of articles that have some collectible information are quick posts that are taken from halftime reports. What I’ve been able to gather from those is if a player went down with a first-half injury it would be on there. However, there generally isn’t enough information on the injury to determine what happened and how severe it is. They are usually listed as “questionable to return.” The main takeaway is that Saturdays tend to not be as valuable as a day for information gather from articles, but is a very important day for in-person scouting work in gathering concrete information from watching the players in game or interacting with people around the programs on game days.
From what it seems, Saturdays tend to be the lightest days for articles. This came as a surprise to me at first but I started to understand it more it made a lot of sense. The reason is that many of the games are taking place so those articles do not get posted the day of. This is not always true as some of the schools have early enough games that their articles make it onto the Saturday scans. The rest get pushed back until the next day. A number of the articles that appear to get grabbed on Saturday include analyst game picks, stadium information, fanfare information, and even quotes and takeaways from ESPN’s College GameDay shows.
The majority of articles that have some collectible information are quick posts that are taken from halftime reports. What I’ve been able to gather from those is if a player went down with a first-half injury it would be on there. However, there generally isn’t enough information on the injury to determine what happened and how severe it is. They are usually listed as “questionable to return.” The main takeaway is that Saturdays tend to not be as valuable as a day for information gather from articles, but is a very important day for in-person scouting work in gathering concrete information from watching the players in game or interacting with people around the programs on game days.
Sunday Article Trends
10/16/21 (2 Hour)
Sunday’s are pretty heavy article days. As discussed in yesterday's journal posting, the majority of the game recaps come in on the Sunday scans. These include breakdowns of what is in the game and a number of quotes about specific situations. While these add context to the overall game unless they provide a certain breakdown of one of their players they are not super important to collect for this project. With that being said there are a lot of quotes on players and their performances. Coaches usually try to keep their criticisms of individual players to themselves so coming across a quote that comes off in that way can be telling of how disappointed they were in the overall performance.
Many of the articles include immediate reactions from local or national pundits who are giving their reflections on the team’s performance. This makes a number of them skippable because it only includes numbers that could just be found in the weekly box scores. Scouting requires going beyond the numbers in many aspects of its process. However, with so much content in there it becomes important to read through in order to pick out information that could be missed by just a quick skim over of the articles.
Sunday’s are pretty heavy article days. As discussed in yesterday's journal posting, the majority of the game recaps come in on the Sunday scans. These include breakdowns of what is in the game and a number of quotes about specific situations. While these add context to the overall game unless they provide a certain breakdown of one of their players they are not super important to collect for this project. With that being said there are a lot of quotes on players and their performances. Coaches usually try to keep their criticisms of individual players to themselves so coming across a quote that comes off in that way can be telling of how disappointed they were in the overall performance.
Many of the articles include immediate reactions from local or national pundits who are giving their reflections on the team’s performance. This makes a number of them skippable because it only includes numbers that could just be found in the weekly box scores. Scouting requires going beyond the numbers in many aspects of its process. However, with so much content in there it becomes important to read through in order to pick out information that could be missed by just a quick skim over of the articles.
December 2021
Re-Connecting & New Sports Scans
12/29/21 (1 Hour)
After some time off from working on the “sports scans” and other aspects of mentorship, I was able to catch back up with Jamie and have a discussion. He had been busy digging into tape study portion of the scouting process. This involves reviewing game films of prospects through the heart of fall (late October, November, and early December). This is also the heart of football season, during which programs have all but likely started up their in-conference schedules. As stakes become higher and you can get a better idea of which prospects are starting to stand out. When they stack up against opponents who are more likely to know their tendencies it can provide a scout with an idea of how these players can prepare and make adjustments.
From the discussion with Jamie, I was told he was going to be sending over another set of “sports scans.” These would be covering a good deal of the time from between the last set I was sent, which is a good chunk of the season. I’m looking forward to seeing where some players are at now in terms of their development from the start of the season and how their coaches feel they are playing this season. Despite being a football fan, I do not closely follow a lot of teams Jamie is responsible for in the south, so going through these articles will provide some context to their seasons. The main ones being two of the best programs in the country in Georgia and Alabama. Digging into and learning more about their players ahead of their College Football Playoff games is something I'm looking forward to.
After some time off from working on the “sports scans” and other aspects of mentorship, I was able to catch back up with Jamie and have a discussion. He had been busy digging into tape study portion of the scouting process. This involves reviewing game films of prospects through the heart of fall (late October, November, and early December). This is also the heart of football season, during which programs have all but likely started up their in-conference schedules. As stakes become higher and you can get a better idea of which prospects are starting to stand out. When they stack up against opponents who are more likely to know their tendencies it can provide a scout with an idea of how these players can prepare and make adjustments.
From the discussion with Jamie, I was told he was going to be sending over another set of “sports scans.” These would be covering a good deal of the time from between the last set I was sent, which is a good chunk of the season. I’m looking forward to seeing where some players are at now in terms of their development from the start of the season and how their coaches feel they are playing this season. Despite being a football fan, I do not closely follow a lot of teams Jamie is responsible for in the south, so going through these articles will provide some context to their seasons. The main ones being two of the best programs in the country in Georgia and Alabama. Digging into and learning more about their players ahead of their College Football Playoff games is something I'm looking forward to.
Project #2 Discussion
12/30/21 (2 Hour)
Jamie and I have begun discussing the idea of an additional project to go along with the daily sports scans and what it would look like. Jamie proposed to me the idea of a research project to review the effects that social media, college football playoff games, and the correlation that could have on their draft status. How are quarterbacks affected by this noise? Is it positive or negative? Are they given this draft status or have they gone out on the field and earned it? These are some of the main ideas he had proposed.
I like the idea of digging into more draft information through this process. Jamie suggests that I start with the 2014 NFL Draft Class of QB’s and go up to the current day. This would give a fair sample size of quarterbacks throughout the last near-decade of prospects. While he presented these ideas, he said the idea is over open-ended and could be taken many different ways, so this project could change over time after I begin digging into it to find valuable information. As someone who has followed the draft, specifically at QB due to being a Browns fan, it will be fun to look back at how some of these prospects were perceived at the time and what their draft spot looks like in retrospect, if that's the direction this project takes.
Jamie and I have begun discussing the idea of an additional project to go along with the daily sports scans and what it would look like. Jamie proposed to me the idea of a research project to review the effects that social media, college football playoff games, and the correlation that could have on their draft status. How are quarterbacks affected by this noise? Is it positive or negative? Are they given this draft status or have they gone out on the field and earned it? These are some of the main ideas he had proposed.
I like the idea of digging into more draft information through this process. Jamie suggests that I start with the 2014 NFL Draft Class of QB’s and go up to the current day. This would give a fair sample size of quarterbacks throughout the last near-decade of prospects. While he presented these ideas, he said the idea is over open-ended and could be taken many different ways, so this project could change over time after I begin digging into it to find valuable information. As someone who has followed the draft, specifically at QB due to being a Browns fan, it will be fun to look back at how some of these prospects were perceived at the time and what their draft spot looks like in retrospect, if that's the direction this project takes.
January 2022
Importance of Scouting QB's. How much can be predicted?
1/4/22 (3 Hours)
Quarterback evaluations in particular can be a very tricky process for NFL organizations. It is something that can make or break a franchise so it must be handled with supreme care. There should be no stone that is left unturned. That's where scouts come in. They have to keep an extra eye out on that position due to the fact it is the pressure point of a whole team. If they falter in any sort of way it holds a franchise back. As we've seen in the past it can mean the difference between Super Bowl contention and a top draft selection. A lot of times however this isn't up to the scouts. They can only do so much with their evaluations, then the player has to step up.
A very good recent example to look at is between two QBs in the same division, the AFC East. In the 2018 NFL, both the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills traded up to selected a signal-caller. USC's Sam Darnold went third to New York and Wyoming's Josh Allen seventh to Buffalo. Moving up especially heightens the pressure on these selections. With Darnold's struggles eventually leading him to be shipped away prior to the 2021 season after three at the bottom of NFL standings and Allen thriving in his, leading the Bills to multiple playoff appearances, we can see the difference a QB can make to a franchise. Many considered Darnold the safer prospect with Allen having more upside, showing that these preconceptions are anything but locked in to occur.
Quarterback evaluations in particular can be a very tricky process for NFL organizations. It is something that can make or break a franchise so it must be handled with supreme care. There should be no stone that is left unturned. That's where scouts come in. They have to keep an extra eye out on that position due to the fact it is the pressure point of a whole team. If they falter in any sort of way it holds a franchise back. As we've seen in the past it can mean the difference between Super Bowl contention and a top draft selection. A lot of times however this isn't up to the scouts. They can only do so much with their evaluations, then the player has to step up.
A very good recent example to look at is between two QBs in the same division, the AFC East. In the 2018 NFL, both the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills traded up to selected a signal-caller. USC's Sam Darnold went third to New York and Wyoming's Josh Allen seventh to Buffalo. Moving up especially heightens the pressure on these selections. With Darnold's struggles eventually leading him to be shipped away prior to the 2021 season after three at the bottom of NFL standings and Allen thriving in his, leading the Bills to multiple playoff appearances, we can see the difference a QB can make to a franchise. Many considered Darnold the safer prospect with Allen having more upside, showing that these preconceptions are anything but locked in to occur.
Alabama - Georgia National Championship
1/5/22 (2 Hours)
The college football season concluded Monday night with a match-up of two SEC powerhouses in the national championship game. The game was a rematch of the conferences’ title game between Alabama and Georgia, with Georgia coming out as the winner this time around. This game had a lot going for it that relates to my current mentorships. First, these are two teams in Jamie’s region so I had some knowledge on a lot of the players in this match-up. Add in the fact that many of the players are both sides are top-tier prospects. Secondly, the game took place in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium providing a “home game” of sorts for Jamie. It also allowed other talent evaluators from within the Colts’ organization to be in attendance to get a better look at the talent that Jamie has been keeping tabs on all year long. Several draft-eligible players from the game could hear their names called during the first round in the spring. Alabama’s OT Evan Neal leads the way. He is a prospect who is in the mix to go number one overall. Crimson Tide wide receiver Jameson Williams should go late first round despite an injury suffered during the game. On Georgia’s side, linebacker Nakobe Dean, defensive lineman Jordan Davis and Devonate Wyatt will be in line to get drafted in round one after playing a huge role in the Dawg’s dominant defensive season. I look forward to seeing how these top-of-the-line prospects perform through the draft process. |
The Jameson Williams Injury
1/6/22 (2 Hours)
In a huge draft fallout from the national championship game, Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams suffered a major injury. After making a big play in the first half Williams fell to the turf after his knee buckled on him. Early in the third quarter, he was officially ruled out. The Crimson Tide feared the worst which was true, Williams tore the ALC in his left knee. He was a first-round lock with many projecting him to be the first receiver to come off the board due to both his speed and productivity this past season. However, that likely won’t be the now. The big questions, which can be linked together, are how long will Williams be out of action? and how far will he fall down the draft boards? Early indications are not that all that far. Many are still expecting him to go round one despite the injury. From the perspective of the NFL’s talent evaluators and decision-makers, this type of scenario can complicate matters. It adds another wrinkle to the whole evaluation process. They then have to weigh an injured player’s value versus that of a healthy player who can contribute right away. This likely varies team-to-team as to how they would handle this. Teams with fewer needs may be more likely to take that type of risk whereas teams more in need may look elsewhere for more immediate productions without the questions despite the talent discrepancy. How each team is run is one of the most interesting aspects of NFL roster construction in my mind.
In a huge draft fallout from the national championship game, Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams suffered a major injury. After making a big play in the first half Williams fell to the turf after his knee buckled on him. Early in the third quarter, he was officially ruled out. The Crimson Tide feared the worst which was true, Williams tore the ALC in his left knee. He was a first-round lock with many projecting him to be the first receiver to come off the board due to both his speed and productivity this past season. However, that likely won’t be the now. The big questions, which can be linked together, are how long will Williams be out of action? and how far will he fall down the draft boards? Early indications are not that all that far. Many are still expecting him to go round one despite the injury. From the perspective of the NFL’s talent evaluators and decision-makers, this type of scenario can complicate matters. It adds another wrinkle to the whole evaluation process. They then have to weigh an injured player’s value versus that of a healthy player who can contribute right away. This likely varies team-to-team as to how they would handle this. Teams with fewer needs may be more likely to take that type of risk whereas teams more in need may look elsewhere for more immediate productions without the questions despite the talent discrepancy. How each team is run is one of the most interesting aspects of NFL roster construction in my mind.
Starting to Collect QB Information
1/7/22 (4 Hours)
Today I began to take my first step into collecting data for the other large project. To do so I created an excel document that I broke into different years dating from the 2014 NFL Draft through last years 2021 NFL Draft. For each year I will begin to look-up every class and go through them looking specifically at the Quarterback position. The information that I will collect on each QB in the excel spreadsheet will be draft class year, college attended, the NFL team that drafted them, what round they were taken in, and what overall pick they were. This allows me to be able to easily compare each prospect in a way that can be easily defined.
In this first day of work I was able to get a couple years' drafts done, while also working on a couple sports scans, as well. As I continue to go through this data collection process I will look to see if there are any draft trends that come up. This could be things like number of QBs selected, what schools produce the most QB prospects, and which teams have invested in the most draft capital in the position. These are trends that can help tell the story of the teams and the process of scouting and drafting in the NFL. I look forward to doing more of this and seeing where this project takes me going forward.
Today I began to take my first step into collecting data for the other large project. To do so I created an excel document that I broke into different years dating from the 2014 NFL Draft through last years 2021 NFL Draft. For each year I will begin to look-up every class and go through them looking specifically at the Quarterback position. The information that I will collect on each QB in the excel spreadsheet will be draft class year, college attended, the NFL team that drafted them, what round they were taken in, and what overall pick they were. This allows me to be able to easily compare each prospect in a way that can be easily defined.
In this first day of work I was able to get a couple years' drafts done, while also working on a couple sports scans, as well. As I continue to go through this data collection process I will look to see if there are any draft trends that come up. This could be things like number of QBs selected, what schools produce the most QB prospects, and which teams have invested in the most draft capital in the position. These are trends that can help tell the story of the teams and the process of scouting and drafting in the NFL. I look forward to doing more of this and seeing where this project takes me going forward.
Early QB Data Collection Observations - Position Dominates the Top of the Draft
1/11/22 (3 Hours)
The Quarterback position is the most important position in football. It also may very well be the most important position in sports. This can be reflected by looking at the draft selections since 2014. The last four drafts have seen a QB picked at number one overall. Of all the draft classes I've started looking at, only two haven't had one selected number one with the third pick being the latest the first prospect taken. This is proof that shows how important getting that position right is. While as we see, taking one that high doesn't guarantee they are successful, it gives a franchise the best odds to be so.
Even if a QB isn’t selected number one, they are so important that the positions that affect them the most are. Many around the sport say the most imperative thing to do is to protect the quarterback or get after the quarterback. With that, a left tackle to protect a passer’s blindside or a pass rusher is taken number one if a quarterback isn’t. Looking at the draft classes in question that was the case in both instances that a quarterback didn’t go number one (Jadeveon Clowney in 2014 and Myles Garrett in 2017). Clearly, the most important position influences the top of just about every NFL draft, even if the talent isn’t necessarily there.
The Quarterback position is the most important position in football. It also may very well be the most important position in sports. This can be reflected by looking at the draft selections since 2014. The last four drafts have seen a QB picked at number one overall. Of all the draft classes I've started looking at, only two haven't had one selected number one with the third pick being the latest the first prospect taken. This is proof that shows how important getting that position right is. While as we see, taking one that high doesn't guarantee they are successful, it gives a franchise the best odds to be so.
Even if a QB isn’t selected number one, they are so important that the positions that affect them the most are. Many around the sport say the most imperative thing to do is to protect the quarterback or get after the quarterback. With that, a left tackle to protect a passer’s blindside or a pass rusher is taken number one if a quarterback isn’t. Looking at the draft classes in question that was the case in both instances that a quarterback didn’t go number one (Jadeveon Clowney in 2014 and Myles Garrett in 2017). Clearly, the most important position influences the top of just about every NFL draft, even if the talent isn’t necessarily there.
Early QB Data Collection Observations - CFP Effects
1/13/22 (3 Hours)
While in the beginning stages of gathering draft data on quarterback prospects, there are some trends that I’m going to try to follow. One of them is tracking where the quarterbacks get drafted who played for a team that made the College Football Playoffs (CFP). The CFP is made up of the final four teams in the sport who are voted in by a committee to be competing for a national championship every season. The inaugural CFP took place in 2014, the same season that I’ve begun noting the quarterbacks selected. In going through the draft results I’m hoping to notice if the participating team’s quarterbacks are experiencing any kind of boost in their draft spot over what their expected value was before the CFP. This could do the extra coverage of playing in such a big game elevate their draft stock? Was it their performance in those big nationally viewed games that caused them to shoot up the draft boards?
While QB is the most important position on the field. Just off of prior knowledge not many of the most talented ones in each draft lead their team to the playoffs. Did these prospects get their value knocked down because they were not seen on the grander stages of college football? I think we see every year the draft media cycle can play a big part in affecting the location of prospects. Groupthink is certainly something that can infiltrate a draft process. The best teams are able to trust in their scouting departments and make decisions based on the evidence they have. However, with quarterbacks that is never an exact science.
While in the beginning stages of gathering draft data on quarterback prospects, there are some trends that I’m going to try to follow. One of them is tracking where the quarterbacks get drafted who played for a team that made the College Football Playoffs (CFP). The CFP is made up of the final four teams in the sport who are voted in by a committee to be competing for a national championship every season. The inaugural CFP took place in 2014, the same season that I’ve begun noting the quarterbacks selected. In going through the draft results I’m hoping to notice if the participating team’s quarterbacks are experiencing any kind of boost in their draft spot over what their expected value was before the CFP. This could do the extra coverage of playing in such a big game elevate their draft stock? Was it their performance in those big nationally viewed games that caused them to shoot up the draft boards?
While QB is the most important position on the field. Just off of prior knowledge not many of the most talented ones in each draft lead their team to the playoffs. Did these prospects get their value knocked down because they were not seen on the grander stages of college football? I think we see every year the draft media cycle can play a big part in affecting the location of prospects. Groupthink is certainly something that can infiltrate a draft process. The best teams are able to trust in their scouting departments and make decisions based on the evidence they have. However, with quarterbacks that is never an exact science.
Early QB Data Collection Observations - Heisman Trophy Winners
1/14/22 (4 Hours)
Like the College Football Playoffs (CFP), the Heisman Trophy is something, it seems, that can have a big-time impact on a quarterbacks’ draft stock. The award that is given to the most outstanding player in college football every season has become primarily a quarterback award. In the eight years since the start of the CFP, a QB has won the honor six times. Of those six signal-callers, three went number one overall in their class, with Marcus Mariota going number two behind a previous Heisman winner in Jameis Winston. Clearly to win this award you have to be a highly talented player who went on to the field and performed. Many of these players likely could’ve gone that high without the trophy attached to their name. However, I believe it can act as a sort of a tiebreaker in some situations. The media attention and notoriety that comes with being a winner of the prestigious trophy likely adds to draft processes’ “hype machine” which can influence a prospect’s draft stock. We have seen some of these Heisman winners have varying success in the NFL. While the jury is still out on someone like Baker Mayfield, many believe his draft classmate Josh Allen is a player on a Hall of Fame trajectory. I think in a scenario like that it is fair to wonder if Mayfield winning the Heisman played a factor in the thinking of some draft evaluators when he selected number one overall over Allen out of Wyoming. More proof to the fact that getting the QB position right is such a difficult task for evaluators. |
Saban's words on Young speak loudly
1/18/22 (3 Hours)
It’s hard to deny that Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is a prospect who is going to be a huge name in next year’s draft process, likely at or near the top of it. He already has a Heisman Trophy on his shelf from his sophomore season in 2021 and will likely be in the mix to join Ohio State running back Archie Griffin as the only other player to capture a second trophy when he returns to the Crimson Tide for the upcoming 2022 season. While this doesn’t always equate to draft stock, he is regarded as a top-tier QB prospect, though it is early in that whole process.
From doing the scans, it isn’t hard to tell why he is going to be a quarterback who could be a game-changer at the next level. The reason for this is the weekly praise heaped on him by his legendary head coach Nick Saban. Saban has generally been considered a stern critic who doesn't have too much to say. Even if they are elite prospects he isn’t always quick to comment. But when it comes to Young he has been glowing in his words. He has complemented Young on everything from the intangibles like leadership ability to his physical traits like mobility and arm strength throughout Alabama’s run to an SEC championship. Saban has coached a lot of superstar players and what he is saying about Young should not be taken lightly. Thought a lot can change in year.
It’s hard to deny that Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is a prospect who is going to be a huge name in next year’s draft process, likely at or near the top of it. He already has a Heisman Trophy on his shelf from his sophomore season in 2021 and will likely be in the mix to join Ohio State running back Archie Griffin as the only other player to capture a second trophy when he returns to the Crimson Tide for the upcoming 2022 season. While this doesn’t always equate to draft stock, he is regarded as a top-tier QB prospect, though it is early in that whole process.
From doing the scans, it isn’t hard to tell why he is going to be a quarterback who could be a game-changer at the next level. The reason for this is the weekly praise heaped on him by his legendary head coach Nick Saban. Saban has generally been considered a stern critic who doesn't have too much to say. Even if they are elite prospects he isn’t always quick to comment. But when it comes to Young he has been glowing in his words. He has complemented Young on everything from the intangibles like leadership ability to his physical traits like mobility and arm strength throughout Alabama’s run to an SEC championship. Saban has coached a lot of superstar players and what he is saying about Young should not be taken lightly. Thought a lot can change in year.
Tyler Van Dyke is a name to watch
1/19/22 (2 Hours)
Miami (FL) had yet another disappointing season. Having battled injuries at almost every position, including losing their starting QB D’Eriq King early in the season, the Hurricanes finished the season 7-5. If there was ever a positive from injuries it would be that young players get more reps to develop and prove that they can have a bigger role going forward. One player who managed to do that was freshman QB Tyler Van Dyke. Van Dyke came in and performed very well. So well that he took home the ACC Rookie of Year award. His coach from this past season Manny Diaz said his development has been nothing short of phenomenal. He threw for 25 touchdown passes to only 6 interceptions this year. At 6’4” 225 pounds, Van Dyke has what many consider to be prototypical quarterback size. This is something that is valuable to NFL talent evaluators. In addition to the on-field production and quality physical attributes, he seems to have some intangibles that would make him an impressive quarterback prospect. A quote in the sports scans from Diaz stands out in that regard. After a win, the coach said, “The biggest thing is that the football team believes that Tyler Van Dyke can lead us. I think that has been true from day one. I think that is why our guys play like that.” All of these factors combined help make Van Dyke not only a name to watch for the 2022 college football season, but also whichever draft class he may end up declaring for.
Miami (FL) had yet another disappointing season. Having battled injuries at almost every position, including losing their starting QB D’Eriq King early in the season, the Hurricanes finished the season 7-5. If there was ever a positive from injuries it would be that young players get more reps to develop and prove that they can have a bigger role going forward. One player who managed to do that was freshman QB Tyler Van Dyke. Van Dyke came in and performed very well. So well that he took home the ACC Rookie of Year award. His coach from this past season Manny Diaz said his development has been nothing short of phenomenal. He threw for 25 touchdown passes to only 6 interceptions this year. At 6’4” 225 pounds, Van Dyke has what many consider to be prototypical quarterback size. This is something that is valuable to NFL talent evaluators. In addition to the on-field production and quality physical attributes, he seems to have some intangibles that would make him an impressive quarterback prospect. A quote in the sports scans from Diaz stands out in that regard. After a win, the coach said, “The biggest thing is that the football team believes that Tyler Van Dyke can lead us. I think that has been true from day one. I think that is why our guys play like that.” All of these factors combined help make Van Dyke not only a name to watch for the 2022 college football season, but also whichever draft class he may end up declaring for.
Sports scans can Reflect the Grind of Scouting Day-to-Day
1/20/22 (3 Hours)
In continuing to push through the sports scans, it has become more difficult from time to time. While the new things you learn about players, and as a result teams, is pretty exciting as we move from the College Football season to draft season and the whole process from the Senior Bowl to Pro Days. However, this process can be repetitive and that makes it difficult on some days to consistently work on. This I believe is could be looked at as a microscopic view of scouting as a whole. While it can be very fun and fulfilling it also takes a good deal of perseverance. Being on the road for so long going in and out of schools around a specific region can be a grind. In the end, it is worth the grind to do something you are passionate about and that is the case in scouting for many.
For the scans, I have continued to push through them and while grinding they have become progressively easier to work through. It has become easier to sort out the right information. It is the type of project that once you are able get on a roll doing them and you are able to knock them out in short order. I look forward to seeing how they evolve as the season wraps up. Will they include more news on the current teams and the ever moving transfer portal or will in focus more on their players declaring for the draft? Or it could provide a little bit of both which would be the most valuable.
In continuing to push through the sports scans, it has become more difficult from time to time. While the new things you learn about players, and as a result teams, is pretty exciting as we move from the College Football season to draft season and the whole process from the Senior Bowl to Pro Days. However, this process can be repetitive and that makes it difficult on some days to consistently work on. This I believe is could be looked at as a microscopic view of scouting as a whole. While it can be very fun and fulfilling it also takes a good deal of perseverance. Being on the road for so long going in and out of schools around a specific region can be a grind. In the end, it is worth the grind to do something you are passionate about and that is the case in scouting for many.
For the scans, I have continued to push through them and while grinding they have become progressively easier to work through. It has become easier to sort out the right information. It is the type of project that once you are able get on a roll doing them and you are able to knock them out in short order. I look forward to seeing how they evolve as the season wraps up. Will they include more news on the current teams and the ever moving transfer portal or will in focus more on their players declaring for the draft? Or it could provide a little bit of both which would be the most valuable.
Coaching Changes Effects on Players
1/21/22 (2 Hours)
Through the sports scans, I’ve been able to see follow some of the coaching changes around the southeast region. A number of high-profile jobs saw a change in leadership following the season. Among those schools are Miami (FL) and Florida. Especially at these larger schools. changing coaches have such a huge effect. Since staffs recruit young athletes to play for them, when they leave their position it results in a number of different things that could affect their development as a player. This could be stunted by a change of scheme that isn’t a fit for their skills and/or a loss of playing time due to various different reasons. This becomes an important factor to consider when scouting a player. An evaluator needs to dig around be it through communication or tape study, to consider how these played into a player potentially underachieving under a new staff. At that point, the evaluator must decide if they think there is something in that player that their teams’ staff might be able to get more out of.
One example of this I have seen before is the effect a defensive scheme can have on a pass rusher from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 one. In a 4-3, the edge rusher has their hand in the ground and comes after the quarterback from a three-point stance. In a 3-4 scheme, the pass rusher comes out of standing up position, meaning they have to be able to drop into coverage. Some players are not able to play both these roles to same level of success. These different schemes can affect a player’s production and are the type of things that change when new a coaching staff takes over.
Through the sports scans, I’ve been able to see follow some of the coaching changes around the southeast region. A number of high-profile jobs saw a change in leadership following the season. Among those schools are Miami (FL) and Florida. Especially at these larger schools. changing coaches have such a huge effect. Since staffs recruit young athletes to play for them, when they leave their position it results in a number of different things that could affect their development as a player. This could be stunted by a change of scheme that isn’t a fit for their skills and/or a loss of playing time due to various different reasons. This becomes an important factor to consider when scouting a player. An evaluator needs to dig around be it through communication or tape study, to consider how these played into a player potentially underachieving under a new staff. At that point, the evaluator must decide if they think there is something in that player that their teams’ staff might be able to get more out of.
One example of this I have seen before is the effect a defensive scheme can have on a pass rusher from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 one. In a 4-3, the edge rusher has their hand in the ground and comes after the quarterback from a three-point stance. In a 3-4 scheme, the pass rusher comes out of standing up position, meaning they have to be able to drop into coverage. Some players are not able to play both these roles to same level of success. These different schemes can affect a player’s production and are the type of things that change when new a coaching staff takes over.
Roger McCreary's Great Season Sets him up for Draft Season
1/24/22 (2 Hours)
A lesser-known name to some, Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary had a very strong season for the Tigers. It was highlighted by being named an AP first-team All-American. While the Tigers' season was a disappointment McCreary was a standout. He was so good that he got a very high compliment from one of the most well-known voices in the NFL Draft community ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. The pundit had the cornerback as a first-round selection in his October Mock Draft. Within that Kiper said of McCreary, “he [McCreary] is “as ‘safe’ a pick as it gets this far out from the draft.” While this could be hyperbole, that is a rave review for a young prospect in a draft filled with players who are considered to be strong NFL draft prospects.
He also has gotten high praise from his head coach Bryan Harsin, who has complimented his development and his ability to continually play with a high level of confidence. Mockery has been invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl which should give him an added chance to boost his draft stock. Between that event, the NFL Scouting Combine, and his Pro Day at Auburn, he should be able to solidify himself as a first-round lock come this April’s NFL Draft.
A lesser-known name to some, Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary had a very strong season for the Tigers. It was highlighted by being named an AP first-team All-American. While the Tigers' season was a disappointment McCreary was a standout. He was so good that he got a very high compliment from one of the most well-known voices in the NFL Draft community ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. The pundit had the cornerback as a first-round selection in his October Mock Draft. Within that Kiper said of McCreary, “he [McCreary] is “as ‘safe’ a pick as it gets this far out from the draft.” While this could be hyperbole, that is a rave review for a young prospect in a draft filled with players who are considered to be strong NFL draft prospects.
He also has gotten high praise from his head coach Bryan Harsin, who has complimented his development and his ability to continually play with a high level of confidence. Mockery has been invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl which should give him an added chance to boost his draft stock. Between that event, the NFL Scouting Combine, and his Pro Day at Auburn, he should be able to solidify himself as a first-round lock come this April’s NFL Draft.
The Importance of Draft All-Star Games
1/25/22 (2 Hours)
Draft All-Star games provide valuable opportunities to a number of those on both sides who are involved in the draft process. First off, from the players’ standpoint, it provides several of the lesser-known prospects from smaller schools the chance to not only play and practice in front of scouts an extra time but also allows them the chance for more face-to-face meetings. These meetings are also useful for the scouts as they can try to get to know more about the prospects outside of the structure of their college programs. This can add a valuable piece to the total puzzles that are player evaluations.
While the stats and MVP awards of these are not overly important, seeing them compete can be. There are many different all-star games. The main one is the Senior Bowl. The game is the biggest gathering of NFL personnel outside of the combine. It allows for the team’s front offices to meet with prospects and agents. This game is also coached by two NFL coaching staff which allows scouts and evaluators the chance to see how players practice in a more pro-style practice session. Like these all-star games, you don’t get the whole experience from the practice but it certainly can help evaluations. Other games like the East-West Shrine Game, Hula Bowl, and NFLPA Bowl, give additional platforms for prospects to make a name for themselves.
Draft All-Star games provide valuable opportunities to a number of those on both sides who are involved in the draft process. First off, from the players’ standpoint, it provides several of the lesser-known prospects from smaller schools the chance to not only play and practice in front of scouts an extra time but also allows them the chance for more face-to-face meetings. These meetings are also useful for the scouts as they can try to get to know more about the prospects outside of the structure of their college programs. This can add a valuable piece to the total puzzles that are player evaluations.
While the stats and MVP awards of these are not overly important, seeing them compete can be. There are many different all-star games. The main one is the Senior Bowl. The game is the biggest gathering of NFL personnel outside of the combine. It allows for the team’s front offices to meet with prospects and agents. This game is also coached by two NFL coaching staff which allows scouts and evaluators the chance to see how players practice in a more pro-style practice session. Like these all-star games, you don’t get the whole experience from the practice but it certainly can help evaluations. Other games like the East-West Shrine Game, Hula Bowl, and NFLPA Bowl, give additional platforms for prospects to make a name for themselves.
Underrated Players to Follow During Draft Process
1/26/22 (3 Hours)
From the scans, two players from smaller schools have stood out to me that could be drafted earlier than some would expect. These two pass catchers are Wide Receiver Jalen Tolbert from South Alabama and Tight End Isaiah Likely from Coastal Carolina. Both guys are experienced players who had very productive 2021 seasons. One of the reasons I became attached to these players is every week scanning through the articles it was evident that these players continued to have production on the field. While doing so, they also were heaped with a lot of praise from coaches and media week in and week out. The two players received numerous weekly and yearly awards that have resulted in both of them being invited to take part in the Reese's Senior Bowl, a major event in the draft cycle. Tolbert is currently projected to be a mid-round pick at 6'3" which is a good size for a Wide Receiver prospect. A quote that stood out to me about his potential was from his head coach. He said, “Jalen is learning the game of football on such a deep level right now, and he is applying that to his ability to go execute just like he had 11 catches for 174 yards. His best football is ahead of him, but I’m excited to watch him grow in his college career and certainly as he moves on to the next level.” This was important an important note to me because it shows he has more room to grow on top of his current production which netted him Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year. As for Likely, he was a finalist for the John Mackey Award given to the best Tight End in the whole country. By all accounts is seen as a playmaker at a position that is wide open in this draft class so to see where he could land will be interesting to follow as he's already shown strong production. In terms of where this goes from here, if I'm given more scans these two players will be ones to look forward towards. If not I'm going to be keeping an eye on how they perform at both Senior Bowl and Combine. If they perform well it will continue to increase their draft stock which I can follow through Mock Drafts put out by draft insiders who have a feel of how the boards will play out come late April. |
Opting out of Bowl Games
1/28/22 (3 Hours)
Players opting out of their teams’ bowl games is something that has become more common around college football. As players look towards their future, they have to make difficult choices. They can choose to preserve their potential draft stock or go out and represent their school and program one last time. As we’ve seen more and more recently players are choosing to sit out, especially in games that have no barring on where they will go come April. Many around the sport are saying that it is showing that the players are more about themselves than their program. As someone who looks at things with more of an NFL eye, I support players sitting out games that do not matter as much. With that being said, I do respect the players who go out there and want to represent their schools one last time.
The biggest discussion around this topic right now comes from the decision made by Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral. Coral is in the mix to be a first-round quarterback so he’s has a lot to potentially lose. Being this is one of the schools in Jamie’s region, I’ve been able to get to know a little bit about him as a prospect. He battled an ankle injury all season but played through it. As a great leader of the team, he did decide to play in the Rebels’ bowl game. While it was one of the bigger bowls, it still didn’t mean much to his future. During this game, he appeared to re-injury that ankle and it kept him out for the remainder of the game. Thankfully, it likely won’t hurt his draft stock much but it was a scary reminder why many players will continue to choose their futures over a relatively unimportant bowl game.
Players opting out of their teams’ bowl games is something that has become more common around college football. As players look towards their future, they have to make difficult choices. They can choose to preserve their potential draft stock or go out and represent their school and program one last time. As we’ve seen more and more recently players are choosing to sit out, especially in games that have no barring on where they will go come April. Many around the sport are saying that it is showing that the players are more about themselves than their program. As someone who looks at things with more of an NFL eye, I support players sitting out games that do not matter as much. With that being said, I do respect the players who go out there and want to represent their schools one last time.
The biggest discussion around this topic right now comes from the decision made by Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral. Coral is in the mix to be a first-round quarterback so he’s has a lot to potentially lose. Being this is one of the schools in Jamie’s region, I’ve been able to get to know a little bit about him as a prospect. He battled an ankle injury all season but played through it. As a great leader of the team, he did decide to play in the Rebels’ bowl game. While it was one of the bigger bowls, it still didn’t mean much to his future. During this game, he appeared to re-injury that ankle and it kept him out for the remainder of the game. Thankfully, it likely won’t hurt his draft stock much but it was a scary reminder why many players will continue to choose their futures over a relatively unimportant bowl game.
February 2022
Transfer Portals Effect on Scouting - Leaving the Region
2/2/22 (3 Hours)
The transfer portal has had a massive effect on the entire college sports landscape. With the players now being able to change from school to school, coupled with the introduction of the name, image, and likeness rules (NIL) it has made player movement more similar to that of professional sports leagues. With that in mind, it has also affected on what scouting looks like from the different professional teams. With NFL teams, in mind their area scouts who are assigned to cover teams in a specific region may have been scouting a player who is now leaving their region and headed to one that is the focus of a different scout.
For example, Jamie is the Colts’ southeast area scout focusing on players in that region of the country. A player he has likely covered and done some work on is Auburn Quarterback Bo Nix. After the Tigers’ season, Nix entered the transfer portal. This eventually lead to the signal-caller landing with the Oregon Ducks. Oregon is out west, which is covered by another area scout Chris McGaha. This would mean that the player would likely shift from Jamie to McGaha. With how often this is happening around college programs, you have to imagine area scouts are sharing information more than they already did. This can also occur in reverse where players have begun transferring to schools that Jamie covers.
Some questions I have for him based on this are, do you share your current notes that you have with the other scouts on these transfer players? what information exactly do you seek out from your colleagues on the players your are now responsible for? and did this occur before the explosion of the transfer portal and if so what has changed?
The transfer portal has had a massive effect on the entire college sports landscape. With the players now being able to change from school to school, coupled with the introduction of the name, image, and likeness rules (NIL) it has made player movement more similar to that of professional sports leagues. With that in mind, it has also affected on what scouting looks like from the different professional teams. With NFL teams, in mind their area scouts who are assigned to cover teams in a specific region may have been scouting a player who is now leaving their region and headed to one that is the focus of a different scout.
For example, Jamie is the Colts’ southeast area scout focusing on players in that region of the country. A player he has likely covered and done some work on is Auburn Quarterback Bo Nix. After the Tigers’ season, Nix entered the transfer portal. This eventually lead to the signal-caller landing with the Oregon Ducks. Oregon is out west, which is covered by another area scout Chris McGaha. This would mean that the player would likely shift from Jamie to McGaha. With how often this is happening around college programs, you have to imagine area scouts are sharing information more than they already did. This can also occur in reverse where players have begun transferring to schools that Jamie covers.
Some questions I have for him based on this are, do you share your current notes that you have with the other scouts on these transfer players? what information exactly do you seek out from your colleagues on the players your are now responsible for? and did this occur before the explosion of the transfer portal and if so what has changed?
Transfer Portals Effect on Scouting - QB Spencer Rattler to South Carolina
2/5/22 (3 Hours)
After talking about the effect transfers and the portal have on area scouts and scouting, a big example of that has now occurred with a big-name college quarterback coming to school that Jamie is responsible for. The now-former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler is headed to the University of South Carolina for the upcoming 2022 season. Rattler went into last year as a Heisman front-runner. He had a very disappointing season that included being benched at one point. That was the beginning of the end for the relationship between the two sides.
The move now puts the former star on a team Jamie has been scouting. Rattler brings a lot to the table as an athlete. He is very skilled but struggled at times on the field under QB guru Lincoln Riley last year. He also comes with some potential red flags. There are some reports that he wasn’t always the best teammate at Oklahoma. He also starred in a Netflix series called QB1, where he was suspended in high school for violating their code of conduct, though the specific reason was never stated. These off-field reports at Oklahoma are some that South Carolina officials may not be able to report to Jamie. This is where him being able to communicate with the area scout that was previously responsible for scouting Rattler will be helpful. That scout will be able to share what he was able to gather on Rattler with Jamie, helping start Jamie begin the process of knowing what Rattler is all about before digging into the information himself.
After talking about the effect transfers and the portal have on area scouts and scouting, a big example of that has now occurred with a big-name college quarterback coming to school that Jamie is responsible for. The now-former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler is headed to the University of South Carolina for the upcoming 2022 season. Rattler went into last year as a Heisman front-runner. He had a very disappointing season that included being benched at one point. That was the beginning of the end for the relationship between the two sides.
The move now puts the former star on a team Jamie has been scouting. Rattler brings a lot to the table as an athlete. He is very skilled but struggled at times on the field under QB guru Lincoln Riley last year. He also comes with some potential red flags. There are some reports that he wasn’t always the best teammate at Oklahoma. He also starred in a Netflix series called QB1, where he was suspended in high school for violating their code of conduct, though the specific reason was never stated. These off-field reports at Oklahoma are some that South Carolina officials may not be able to report to Jamie. This is where him being able to communicate with the area scout that was previously responsible for scouting Rattler will be helpful. That scout will be able to share what he was able to gather on Rattler with Jamie, helping start Jamie begin the process of knowing what Rattler is all about before digging into the information himself.
Sports Scans Trends - On Campus Players
2/14/22 (3 Hours)
Another day of going through sports scans. As the scans get more removed from the season you can see it is going two different directions. The first of which is focusing on players who are on still on their schools campus. Many of the players noted throughout the running sports scan collection are moving on, but it is important to continue noting those who are still working to build up their draft stock for future NFL Draft classes. These may be updates on player rehabbing for injuries or coaches talking about early expectations for guys who are coming back in the spring. I'm hoping these notes I've been able to keep recorded can help Jamie get a few updates on the players who are preparing for another college while his focus turns to the players who are preparing for the NFL Draft process.
Another day of going through sports scans. As the scans get more removed from the season you can see it is going two different directions. The first of which is focusing on players who are on still on their schools campus. Many of the players noted throughout the running sports scan collection are moving on, but it is important to continue noting those who are still working to build up their draft stock for future NFL Draft classes. These may be updates on player rehabbing for injuries or coaches talking about early expectations for guys who are coming back in the spring. I'm hoping these notes I've been able to keep recorded can help Jamie get a few updates on the players who are preparing for another college while his focus turns to the players who are preparing for the NFL Draft process.
Sport Scans Trends - Draft Process Players
2/19/22 (3 Hours)
The other side of the direction the sports scans is taking is the information for players who have declared for the 2022 NFL Draft and have shifted their focus to that. I had to double check with Jamie to see if that was the way he wanted to go with the scans. In my mind, I thought it would maybe make sense to make a new document to only focus on players still in college and have it named "Spring Sports Scan." However, Jamie wanted to keep adding it to the original document. By the end of the mentorship, I suspect that the document will act as a way to follow the stories of each individual player to see their progression over the past season and spring camp or NFL Draft Process.
With the NFL Scouting Combine coming up, there will be a number of notes that come out of these articles on the players I've been learning more about over the past few months. Things to note will be physical measurements (ex. height, weight, ect.), testing data (ex. 40 yard dash, vertical jump, ect.) and the character notes from interviews the players will conduct with media members and team officials. The Scouting Combine marks a huge moment in the NFL Draft cycle and I believe the sports scans will reflect that.
The other side of the direction the sports scans is taking is the information for players who have declared for the 2022 NFL Draft and have shifted their focus to that. I had to double check with Jamie to see if that was the way he wanted to go with the scans. In my mind, I thought it would maybe make sense to make a new document to only focus on players still in college and have it named "Spring Sports Scan." However, Jamie wanted to keep adding it to the original document. By the end of the mentorship, I suspect that the document will act as a way to follow the stories of each individual player to see their progression over the past season and spring camp or NFL Draft Process.
With the NFL Scouting Combine coming up, there will be a number of notes that come out of these articles on the players I've been learning more about over the past few months. Things to note will be physical measurements (ex. height, weight, ect.), testing data (ex. 40 yard dash, vertical jump, ect.) and the character notes from interviews the players will conduct with media members and team officials. The Scouting Combine marks a huge moment in the NFL Draft cycle and I believe the sports scans will reflect that.
March 2022
Talking with Jamie
3/8/22 (4 Hours)
Today, Jamie and I were able to have a full phone call conversation for the first time in a little while. Jamie has been busy with the NFL Scouting Combine back in Indianapolis, which took place this past week. Between watching the prospects perform their on-field drills as well as having many staff meetings the combine is big part of his scouting calendar, so he was busy with all that. He is now headed back down south to start attending the pro day circuit that beginnings this week. The draft is inching closer as free agency beings next week.
As for our discussion, we talked for roughly forty minutes about the second project and setting up the best way to go about pursuing it. I had been a little stuck on where to go with it next so being able to talk it out and what the expectations should be going forward was helpful to me. Over the next few days I’m looking to dive into a lot of the research of the project and try to find an angle to take it next. Jamie and I discussed several different ways I could attack it. In doing so I was able to get a better understanding of how he attacks his projects and and different scouting assignments. It is important to have answer to the questions in the scouting community and be able to provide your reasoning. That is exactly what I hope to do with this project on how quarterbacks are evaluated and what factors go into that whole process.
Today, Jamie and I were able to have a full phone call conversation for the first time in a little while. Jamie has been busy with the NFL Scouting Combine back in Indianapolis, which took place this past week. Between watching the prospects perform their on-field drills as well as having many staff meetings the combine is big part of his scouting calendar, so he was busy with all that. He is now headed back down south to start attending the pro day circuit that beginnings this week. The draft is inching closer as free agency beings next week.
As for our discussion, we talked for roughly forty minutes about the second project and setting up the best way to go about pursuing it. I had been a little stuck on where to go with it next so being able to talk it out and what the expectations should be going forward was helpful to me. Over the next few days I’m looking to dive into a lot of the research of the project and try to find an angle to take it next. Jamie and I discussed several different ways I could attack it. In doing so I was able to get a better understanding of how he attacks his projects and and different scouting assignments. It is important to have answer to the questions in the scouting community and be able to provide your reasoning. That is exactly what I hope to do with this project on how quarterbacks are evaluated and what factors go into that whole process.
Groupthink & the NFL Draft
3/9/22 (4 Hours)
Groupthink can be a common problem in several different aspects of the world. The NFL Draft industry is no exception to that. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon in which people strive for consensus within a group. In many cases, people will set aside their personal beliefs or adopt the opinion of the rest of the group (Cherry, 2020). When thinking about the NFL Draft process we have to consider how much of a factor that it plays. When evaluating prospects, it may be hard to avoid having an overall groupthink. For example, as a scout, you might have one opinion on a player that the overall draft community does not. This could be a higher or lower opinion on a prospect. In scouting you have to have a strong conviction and trust in what you believe in a player. This can be the difference in finding an undervalued prospect who could end up having a huge impact on a franchise. Some players end up going higher then your evaluations because the overall draft communities opinion is high. This idea will be something I hope to dive into to try and confirm throughout my second project with Jamie.
References
Cherry, K. (2020). The Psychology Behind Why We Strive for Consensus. Verywell Mind. Retrieved 20 March 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-groupthink-2795213.
Groupthink can be a common problem in several different aspects of the world. The NFL Draft industry is no exception to that. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon in which people strive for consensus within a group. In many cases, people will set aside their personal beliefs or adopt the opinion of the rest of the group (Cherry, 2020). When thinking about the NFL Draft process we have to consider how much of a factor that it plays. When evaluating prospects, it may be hard to avoid having an overall groupthink. For example, as a scout, you might have one opinion on a player that the overall draft community does not. This could be a higher or lower opinion on a prospect. In scouting you have to have a strong conviction and trust in what you believe in a player. This can be the difference in finding an undervalued prospect who could end up having a huge impact on a franchise. Some players end up going higher then your evaluations because the overall draft communities opinion is high. This idea will be something I hope to dive into to try and confirm throughout my second project with Jamie.
References
Cherry, K. (2020). The Psychology Behind Why We Strive for Consensus. Verywell Mind. Retrieved 20 March 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-groupthink-2795213.
Media Members who influence Draft Thinking
3/13/22 (3 Hours)
This week I have begun the process of gathering articles from over the years that I think will be valuable to read through to try and understand what types of factors go into the draft stock of NFL prospects, specifically quarterbacks. The articles collected thus far span roughly the last ten years' worth. I find it is important to collect as many examples as possible from several different angles of the NFL draft and its prospects' value. In addition to that, I have begun compiling a list of the individuals working in the media whose opinions are highly valued. These are individuals who could likely have the biggest impact on the opinions of prospects are, as a result of where their draft stock ends up being. Some of these media members are ESPN Insiders Adam Schefter and Chris Mortenson, ESPN Draft Analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, NFL Networks Insiders Ian Rappaport, Tom Pelissaro, NFL Networks Draft Analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks, and Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer, just to name a handful. These NFL media personalities' opinions can carry some weight that could affect a prospect. Seeing just how much is something I'm hoping to find out when reading through the articles I've collected so far as well as others I will continue to find.
This week I have begun the process of gathering articles from over the years that I think will be valuable to read through to try and understand what types of factors go into the draft stock of NFL prospects, specifically quarterbacks. The articles collected thus far span roughly the last ten years' worth. I find it is important to collect as many examples as possible from several different angles of the NFL draft and its prospects' value. In addition to that, I have begun compiling a list of the individuals working in the media whose opinions are highly valued. These are individuals who could likely have the biggest impact on the opinions of prospects are, as a result of where their draft stock ends up being. Some of these media members are ESPN Insiders Adam Schefter and Chris Mortenson, ESPN Draft Analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, NFL Networks Insiders Ian Rappaport, Tom Pelissaro, NFL Networks Draft Analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks, and Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer, just to name a handful. These NFL media personalities' opinions can carry some weight that could affect a prospect. Seeing just how much is something I'm hoping to find out when reading through the articles I've collected so far as well as others I will continue to find.
Perception versus Reality
3/15/22 (5 Hours)
One of the specific things Jamie wants me to get to the bottom of is why a prospect is valued a certain way the media and then so differently by scouts? One example he presented to me was Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm. Fromm going into to his junior year had made two appearances in the SEC championship game and one appearance in the SEC championship game. In researching I found early 2020 Mock Drafts from 2019 had Fromm going as a first round pick. Matt Miller, a draft analyst for B/R at that time, had Fromm as a top 5 draft pick citing his' smarts and accuracy as to why he'd go that high. Jamie told me he did not see that upside in his game when scouting Fromm. He didn't see anything that would warrant this draft pedigree. When the 2020 Draft came around, Fromm ended up being selected in the 5th round. So why this discrepancy? One of the reasons articles and my research have pointed to is simply that he had a down year and that hurt his draft stock, though he didn't have too much of a difference from a production stand point. My takeaway from looking through this case is that the media has their own factors that lead to placing Fromm that high. These could include his notoriety being from a marquee program in Georgia as well as being a winning player. These put him more in the public view potentially making an article including him more likely to get clicks and views. While I don't think this is always the case with media scouting, I think it would be unwise to not consider it as a factor.
One of the specific things Jamie wants me to get to the bottom of is why a prospect is valued a certain way the media and then so differently by scouts? One example he presented to me was Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm. Fromm going into to his junior year had made two appearances in the SEC championship game and one appearance in the SEC championship game. In researching I found early 2020 Mock Drafts from 2019 had Fromm going as a first round pick. Matt Miller, a draft analyst for B/R at that time, had Fromm as a top 5 draft pick citing his' smarts and accuracy as to why he'd go that high. Jamie told me he did not see that upside in his game when scouting Fromm. He didn't see anything that would warrant this draft pedigree. When the 2020 Draft came around, Fromm ended up being selected in the 5th round. So why this discrepancy? One of the reasons articles and my research have pointed to is simply that he had a down year and that hurt his draft stock, though he didn't have too much of a difference from a production stand point. My takeaway from looking through this case is that the media has their own factors that lead to placing Fromm that high. These could include his notoriety being from a marquee program in Georgia as well as being a winning player. These put him more in the public view potentially making an article including him more likely to get clicks and views. While I don't think this is always the case with media scouting, I think it would be unwise to not consider it as a factor.
Project #2 - Formatting & Beginning to Write the Paper
3/19/22 (4 Hours)
Today, I began to piece some of my research together into both formatting and the writing of my paper to present to Jamie. In talking to Jamie he felt good about the direction I'm heading in and believes the topics I choose to cover will help me find the answers to questions he proposed to me. The main ideas, I want to breakdown and cover are the draft process, media coverage, media personalities, GroupThink, and the history/different individual cases. My research has put me in a present some of the things I have found and in a that I can make my point. As I continue to work thought this I will continue to research in hopes of building up more depth to my opinion on why prospects get valued the way that they do. This is a very interesting concept to me and I look forward to reporting my findings to Jamie to see where he stands on the idea.
Today, I began to piece some of my research together into both formatting and the writing of my paper to present to Jamie. In talking to Jamie he felt good about the direction I'm heading in and believes the topics I choose to cover will help me find the answers to questions he proposed to me. The main ideas, I want to breakdown and cover are the draft process, media coverage, media personalities, GroupThink, and the history/different individual cases. My research has put me in a present some of the things I have found and in a that I can make my point. As I continue to work thought this I will continue to research in hopes of building up more depth to my opinion on why prospects get valued the way that they do. This is a very interesting concept to me and I look forward to reporting my findings to Jamie to see where he stands on the idea.
How Technology has changed scouting
3/20/22 (4 Hours)
One of the things I've been able to learn more about in my research is the effect that technology has had on the whole scouting process. An important aspect of this is increased exposure, which is something I'm highlighting in my writing. With applications like Hudl, a online video tool that allows players and coaches to share and review game tape, high school prospects are able to put their highlights out so much easier than in the past. This exposure allows for them to potential become a household name from a far younger age than many of prospects from years ago. This early exposure/stardom is a factor that helps play a part in a perception that will follow them throughout their whole football playing careers. In my discussions with Jamie he has mentioned that the ability to have easier access to players tape from the younger level has played an impact in scouting. While it is not the biggest piece of the scouting puzzle, it certainly adds more information to take it, which is always important when coming up with player evaluations.
One of the things I've been able to learn more about in my research is the effect that technology has had on the whole scouting process. An important aspect of this is increased exposure, which is something I'm highlighting in my writing. With applications like Hudl, a online video tool that allows players and coaches to share and review game tape, high school prospects are able to put their highlights out so much easier than in the past. This exposure allows for them to potential become a household name from a far younger age than many of prospects from years ago. This early exposure/stardom is a factor that helps play a part in a perception that will follow them throughout their whole football playing careers. In my discussions with Jamie he has mentioned that the ability to have easier access to players tape from the younger level has played an impact in scouting. While it is not the biggest piece of the scouting puzzle, it certainly adds more information to take it, which is always important when coming up with player evaluations.
Project #2 - Johnny Manziel is a Prime Example of Scout/Media Disconnect
3/21/22 (7 Hours)
In conducting researching and forming opinions based on that it has become more apparent that scouts evaluations of players do not always match-up with those that we see shown to us in the NFL Draft's media coverage. One example, I have kept coming back to and learning more about has been Johnny Manziel. Manziel was an electrifying college QB, who was a media darling due to his style of play. This lead to many Mock Drafts placing him in the top 5 picks of the 2014. While he "slipped" a little from that (Pick 22) many in the scouting community did not view him nearly as highly. One even stated in 2013 that he had the look of a QB who was destined for Canada based on his tape. Others stated his like of size and maturity would eventually catch-up with him at the next level. This turned out to be true as he was out of the league in 2015. In this instance the media overhyped a prospect beyond what many scouts actually saw. This is a valuable example in trying to find a stance to take in the question Jamie wants to know more about in regards to the media.
In conducting researching and forming opinions based on that it has become more apparent that scouts evaluations of players do not always match-up with those that we see shown to us in the NFL Draft's media coverage. One example, I have kept coming back to and learning more about has been Johnny Manziel. Manziel was an electrifying college QB, who was a media darling due to his style of play. This lead to many Mock Drafts placing him in the top 5 picks of the 2014. While he "slipped" a little from that (Pick 22) many in the scouting community did not view him nearly as highly. One even stated in 2013 that he had the look of a QB who was destined for Canada based on his tape. Others stated his like of size and maturity would eventually catch-up with him at the next level. This turned out to be true as he was out of the league in 2015. In this instance the media overhyped a prospect beyond what many scouts actually saw. This is a valuable example in trying to find a stance to take in the question Jamie wants to know more about in regards to the media.
Project #2 - Important to Note how Teams can use Media
3/22/22 (6 Hours)
Something that I've noticed through continued research of past drafts and the putting my thoughts into my paper, is that it is clear that there are teams who use their relationships within media to try and drive narratives to try and get the draft to form to a teams benefit. It can come in different forms. One we see every year is when it comes to draft trade talk. For example, a team leaks out that they are open to trading the pick in order to try and get offers. They may then leak that they are getting significant interest, even if there is not, because in hearing this Team A is hoping that Team B gets worried and offer up a big deal. That is one way to try and use the media.
The second way this could be used, could unfortunately hurt a prospect as a team tries to get a desired result. For example, a team may leak out that Player A is not a "hard worker" and maybe shouldn't go as high as they are projected. The media may be getting this news from a team that picks lower than where Player A is going in hopes that teams hear this report and pass on him. This allows him to fall to the team that leaked the report who put the story out so they could get a chance at the player. This seems likes a bit of the nastier side of the business as putting out negative things that could hurt a players potential earnings or image is questionable ethically. However, that has not stopped teams from doing it in the past, even though it is not always a success as other teams with interest in Player A has done their own due diligence in their scouting process.
Something that I've noticed through continued research of past drafts and the putting my thoughts into my paper, is that it is clear that there are teams who use their relationships within media to try and drive narratives to try and get the draft to form to a teams benefit. It can come in different forms. One we see every year is when it comes to draft trade talk. For example, a team leaks out that they are open to trading the pick in order to try and get offers. They may then leak that they are getting significant interest, even if there is not, because in hearing this Team A is hoping that Team B gets worried and offer up a big deal. That is one way to try and use the media.
The second way this could be used, could unfortunately hurt a prospect as a team tries to get a desired result. For example, a team may leak out that Player A is not a "hard worker" and maybe shouldn't go as high as they are projected. The media may be getting this news from a team that picks lower than where Player A is going in hopes that teams hear this report and pass on him. This allows him to fall to the team that leaked the report who put the story out so they could get a chance at the player. This seems likes a bit of the nastier side of the business as putting out negative things that could hurt a players potential earnings or image is questionable ethically. However, that has not stopped teams from doing it in the past, even though it is not always a success as other teams with interest in Player A has done their own due diligence in their scouting process.
Project #2 - Wrap-up and Submission
3/23/22 (7 Hours)
Today I was able to continue working on and even finish up writing my paper for my second project. Going into this project I was not given set expectations from Jamie, other than to do the research and present my findings on the idea on if quarterback prospects are drafted based on things other than their traits and projections. I was told to present it in whatever way I saw fit. Originally, I thought I could present my findings in a five to six pages of writing. However, the more I was able to dig into the research it took more than that to present exactly what I wanted to Jamie. The paper ended up extending to around ten-to-eleven pages. The reason for this is because the number of different things, with evidence, I was able to find on the idea. As Jamie sort of predicted the project did go a slightly different direction than I anticipated even when I started researching. In the end, this project gave me a lot more insight in to what exactly a scouts opinion means in the whole draft much, and how that is viewed and/or effected by others in the industry.
Today I was able to continue working on and even finish up writing my paper for my second project. Going into this project I was not given set expectations from Jamie, other than to do the research and present my findings on the idea on if quarterback prospects are drafted based on things other than their traits and projections. I was told to present it in whatever way I saw fit. Originally, I thought I could present my findings in a five to six pages of writing. However, the more I was able to dig into the research it took more than that to present exactly what I wanted to Jamie. The paper ended up extending to around ten-to-eleven pages. The reason for this is because the number of different things, with evidence, I was able to find on the idea. As Jamie sort of predicted the project did go a slightly different direction than I anticipated even when I started researching. In the end, this project gave me a lot more insight in to what exactly a scouts opinion means in the whole draft much, and how that is viewed and/or effected by others in the industry.
Project #2 Feedback + "With the First Pick"
3/31/22 (2 Hour)
Jamie was able to read through my paper on the ideas he challenged me to review for Project #2. He told me I hit a good tone and was able to present it in a well written fashion. He also was fan a the conclusion on the topic I was able to come to. With that, he asked if I would have any issue with him sharing the paper with some of his colleagues and peers. This was a good feeling knowing I was able to craft a strong research paper with minimal guidelines to direct me. I have a better understanding on the perspectives that scouts have as a result of the project and hope I'm also able to get feed back from others on it down the road.
He then told me he would get back to me on what the next project would look like. Shortly after our conversation, the Colts social accounts released the first episode of their offseason web series, "With the Next Pick," which gives a behind the scenes look to fans at GM Chris Ballard and the scouting staff as they prepare for April's draft. Jamie and some other members of the Colts' scouting department make an appearance in the show. This was an interesting watch (especially getting to know Jamie and more about the scouting process in general), that prompted me to read-up on some of the other of the Colts' Scouts to learn more about their specific roles and how they got to where they are now.
Jamie was able to read through my paper on the ideas he challenged me to review for Project #2. He told me I hit a good tone and was able to present it in a well written fashion. He also was fan a the conclusion on the topic I was able to come to. With that, he asked if I would have any issue with him sharing the paper with some of his colleagues and peers. This was a good feeling knowing I was able to craft a strong research paper with minimal guidelines to direct me. I have a better understanding on the perspectives that scouts have as a result of the project and hope I'm also able to get feed back from others on it down the road.
He then told me he would get back to me on what the next project would look like. Shortly after our conversation, the Colts social accounts released the first episode of their offseason web series, "With the Next Pick," which gives a behind the scenes look to fans at GM Chris Ballard and the scouting staff as they prepare for April's draft. Jamie and some other members of the Colts' scouting department make an appearance in the show. This was an interesting watch (especially getting to know Jamie and more about the scouting process in general), that prompted me to read-up on some of the other of the Colts' Scouts to learn more about their specific roles and how they got to where they are now.
April 2022
Project #3 Introduction
4/4/22 (8 Hours)
Today I was able to hear from Jamie about what he had in mind for the next project as well as dive head first into it. For my third project Jamie wants me to go back through the list of prospects draft in the First through Fourth Rounds of 2012-2021 and note the players who were taken in those rounds who did not run a 40-yard dash during the draft process (either at the NFL Scouting Combine or their schools' Pro Days). I've been asked to include their playing position and their header draft pick number as part of the header. Then I need to include answers to the following questions :
- Why did they not run a 40-yard dash?
- What have they done to this point in their NFL Career?
- What role do they project to have in the NFL for 2022 season?
Other things to be included are potential accolades or notable statistics that they player has had during their career. Along with this project, I was sent another collection of Sports Scans to work through that date back to late February as their starting point. After talking to Jamie in the morning I was able to get a great start on this project today working through a couple years of draft classes.
Today I was able to hear from Jamie about what he had in mind for the next project as well as dive head first into it. For my third project Jamie wants me to go back through the list of prospects draft in the First through Fourth Rounds of 2012-2021 and note the players who were taken in those rounds who did not run a 40-yard dash during the draft process (either at the NFL Scouting Combine or their schools' Pro Days). I've been asked to include their playing position and their header draft pick number as part of the header. Then I need to include answers to the following questions :
- Why did they not run a 40-yard dash?
- What have they done to this point in their NFL Career?
- What role do they project to have in the NFL for 2022 season?
Other things to be included are potential accolades or notable statistics that they player has had during their career. Along with this project, I was sent another collection of Sports Scans to work through that date back to late February as their starting point. After talking to Jamie in the morning I was able to get a great start on this project today working through a couple years of draft classes.
Project #3 - Injury Trends
4/5/22 (8 Hours)
I was able to get some good work done into some of both new things presented to me. For starters, I began working on some of the new sports scans Jamie sent me. I just wanted to knock a couple of those out before transition to the project. When I switched focus towards more work on the project I started to try and look for trends and different patters I could see when comparing prospects from different draft classes. One thing that I noticed was that a number of the players who were unable to run their 40's during the draft process due to injuries have struggled to stay healthy in their career. While this isn't something that is even near a 100% certainly, there were a lot of names who have seen this occur. One was a Colts' draft selection in Ohio State Safety Malik Hooker. Hooker was selected by the Colts in the first round of 2017. Hooker was unable to partake in the pre-draft process as he was recovering from surgery to repair a torn hip labrum and a sports hernia. A good amount of his rookie year was missed when he tore is ACL and MCL. Then in 2020, Hooker suffered a torn Achilles that ended that season. He was not the only player as guys like Corey Davis, Dante Pettis, and Tua Tagovailoa (to an extent) have all struggled with injuries so far in the NFL. I'm looking forward to seeing what other trends I noticed from researching this information.
I was able to get some good work done into some of both new things presented to me. For starters, I began working on some of the new sports scans Jamie sent me. I just wanted to knock a couple of those out before transition to the project. When I switched focus towards more work on the project I started to try and look for trends and different patters I could see when comparing prospects from different draft classes. One thing that I noticed was that a number of the players who were unable to run their 40's during the draft process due to injuries have struggled to stay healthy in their career. While this isn't something that is even near a 100% certainly, there were a lot of names who have seen this occur. One was a Colts' draft selection in Ohio State Safety Malik Hooker. Hooker was selected by the Colts in the first round of 2017. Hooker was unable to partake in the pre-draft process as he was recovering from surgery to repair a torn hip labrum and a sports hernia. A good amount of his rookie year was missed when he tore is ACL and MCL. Then in 2020, Hooker suffered a torn Achilles that ended that season. He was not the only player as guys like Corey Davis, Dante Pettis, and Tua Tagovailoa (to an extent) have all struggled with injuries so far in the NFL. I'm looking forward to seeing what other trends I noticed from researching this information.
Project #3 Work, Sports Scans, & 2023 Draft Conversation with Jamie
4/6/22 (7 Hours)
Like yesterday, I was able to work on both the new sports scans and my new project on 40 yard dashes. In addition to that I got to talk to Jamie a bit a bout what is starting to develop for next years draft. This conversation was jumped started by the trade that the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles earlier in the week. Important for this point is it netted the Eagles a second first round pick in next year's 2023 NFL Draft. As he noted, in something he read from SI Insider Albert Breer, five teams (Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles) now hold two first-round picks. He agrees with Breer that this is likely these teams preparing themselves to make a run a potential quarterbacks. This is because Ohio State's CJ Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young are considered to be top tier prospects. As has been highlighted in my projects so far, prospects at that position are just so important to teams and because of that, control so much of the media discourse in the draft process. This is already occurring for next years draft when this years is still weeks away. To hear something that I think about as a fan from someone who is in the industry is something that I found very cool and an overall interesting topic to discuss what ripple effects come from those type of moves around the NFL.
Like yesterday, I was able to work on both the new sports scans and my new project on 40 yard dashes. In addition to that I got to talk to Jamie a bit a bout what is starting to develop for next years draft. This conversation was jumped started by the trade that the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles earlier in the week. Important for this point is it netted the Eagles a second first round pick in next year's 2023 NFL Draft. As he noted, in something he read from SI Insider Albert Breer, five teams (Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles) now hold two first-round picks. He agrees with Breer that this is likely these teams preparing themselves to make a run a potential quarterbacks. This is because Ohio State's CJ Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young are considered to be top tier prospects. As has been highlighted in my projects so far, prospects at that position are just so important to teams and because of that, control so much of the media discourse in the draft process. This is already occurring for next years draft when this years is still weeks away. To hear something that I think about as a fan from someone who is in the industry is something that I found very cool and an overall interesting topic to discuss what ripple effects come from those type of moves around the NFL.
Getting Back Into Sports Scans
4/7/22 (6 Hours)
My focus of work today was on sports scans. Jamie is waiting to hear back on a list of players who haven't ran their 40-yard dash but he has had trouble getting a response. When that arrives we will work on cross comparing that list based on what I've been able to gather on prospects (Round 1 - Round 4 in 2017 - 2021) His hope is that will come tomorrow as he will be in the office as the pro day circuit begins to wrap up around the country as teams begin to finalize their draft board ahead of the end of the month.
While digging back into the scans, they take on a slightly different form in the spring, so much so I had to check if Jamie would like them on a different document. He preferred that the document I've already started continue, so with that there have been different types of additions to the document. One of them is the addition of news and notes from prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine. When comparing them versus old comments gathered I'm able to use the new quotes and stores against the old ones to how much that player has had changed and where they are at now versus where they were in the middle of the fall. This could be their draft stock, injury status, and overall development just to name a few things.
My focus of work today was on sports scans. Jamie is waiting to hear back on a list of players who haven't ran their 40-yard dash but he has had trouble getting a response. When that arrives we will work on cross comparing that list based on what I've been able to gather on prospects (Round 1 - Round 4 in 2017 - 2021) His hope is that will come tomorrow as he will be in the office as the pro day circuit begins to wrap up around the country as teams begin to finalize their draft board ahead of the end of the month.
While digging back into the scans, they take on a slightly different form in the spring, so much so I had to check if Jamie would like them on a different document. He preferred that the document I've already started continue, so with that there have been different types of additions to the document. One of them is the addition of news and notes from prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine. When comparing them versus old comments gathered I'm able to use the new quotes and stores against the old ones to how much that player has had changed and where they are at now versus where they were in the middle of the fall. This could be their draft stock, injury status, and overall development just to name a few things.
Project #3 Trends - Lack of Forty = Lack of Success?
4/8/22 (6 Hours)
In continuing to work my way through the players who did not record a forty-yard dash time over the past ten years, I've noticed a number of the players who did not run, did not have too long/successful careers. As I touched on a couple days ago some of those may have been due to injury shortened careers. The more I have got to digging through the past on these players, I've noticed more than I would have expect just didn't pan out on the field even if injury wasn't much of factor in that. While some short careers come from players who many aren't expecting a lot out of (late 3rd or 4th round picks), more than I would've suspected were out of the league in a few years even if they were selected with a more premium draft pick. This came as a surprise as teams are more likely to stick with those players, even if the struggle, due to the higher draft capital that was used to add them to the roster due to the obvious talent. While running a 40 yard dash doesn't not increase the overall skill levels of players, it is very confusing as to why we see the increased lack of success in players who do not record a time.
In continuing to work my way through the players who did not record a forty-yard dash time over the past ten years, I've noticed a number of the players who did not run, did not have too long/successful careers. As I touched on a couple days ago some of those may have been due to injury shortened careers. The more I have got to digging through the past on these players, I've noticed more than I would have expect just didn't pan out on the field even if injury wasn't much of factor in that. While some short careers come from players who many aren't expecting a lot out of (late 3rd or 4th round picks), more than I would've suspected were out of the league in a few years even if they were selected with a more premium draft pick. This came as a surprise as teams are more likely to stick with those players, even if the struggle, due to the higher draft capital that was used to add them to the roster due to the obvious talent. While running a 40 yard dash doesn't not increase the overall skill levels of players, it is very confusing as to why we see the increased lack of success in players who do not record a time.
Sports Scans - Spring Ball Trends
4/9/22 (5 Hours)
Over the past few days of working on the third project, I've been trying to mixing in some of sports scans that I've had sent by Jamie as well. Doing this has helped me in getting through it all because of the occasionally tedious nature of both assignments. Being able break it up and keep it fresh has allowed me to be more productive when jumping back into the one I took a step away from. I'm hoping to keep this process up for the remainder of the mentorship.
When it comes to the scans specifically, it has been a whole process where I've tired to pick out as many trends as I could find. Where I am at now in the college football calendar teams are beginning to ramp up for their annual spring games with a number of practices. Many of these teams have new head coaches in charge which makes for an interesting read through in order to see some new takes on teams. This could be something like how they view some returning players on the rosters that they did not recruit into their new program. While the sheer number of articles in each scan is less, I feel that the important information in them has risen. This includes more in-depth coverage of depth chart breakdowns, how players are performing/developing, and how players are progressing from injuries. While the season is still seven months away, the development of college athletes is a year round process that is important to note for talent evaluators around the country.
Over the past few days of working on the third project, I've been trying to mixing in some of sports scans that I've had sent by Jamie as well. Doing this has helped me in getting through it all because of the occasionally tedious nature of both assignments. Being able break it up and keep it fresh has allowed me to be more productive when jumping back into the one I took a step away from. I'm hoping to keep this process up for the remainder of the mentorship.
When it comes to the scans specifically, it has been a whole process where I've tired to pick out as many trends as I could find. Where I am at now in the college football calendar teams are beginning to ramp up for their annual spring games with a number of practices. Many of these teams have new head coaches in charge which makes for an interesting read through in order to see some new takes on teams. This could be something like how they view some returning players on the rosters that they did not recruit into their new program. While the sheer number of articles in each scan is less, I feel that the important information in them has risen. This includes more in-depth coverage of depth chart breakdowns, how players are performing/developing, and how players are progressing from injuries. While the season is still seven months away, the development of college athletes is a year round process that is important to note for talent evaluators around the country.
Project # 3 Trends - Why is not running more common in recent years?
4/10/22 (6 Hours)
In going through the research, it has shown a trend that more and more prospects have not been running a 40 yard dash in recent years. As touched on in my previous entry, players who didn't run a 40 time in the early years of this project have not had very long or productive careers. However, that trends changes in the latter years of the project. This is because more and more high quality prospects are just choosing not to run 40 yard dashes as their high draft stock is already cemented, so they don't feel the need to run. In most cases this hasn't change their positioning so I would expect that we continue to see prospects doing that into the future.
Though some prospects who didn't run may have wanted to but were actually unable to due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID wiped out many teams pro day workouts in 2019 effecting that class from having the opportunity to run (this includes some players rehabbing from injuries that may have been planning to during their schools showcase). As for the 2020 class, the NFL Scouting Combine did not have on field drills due to the global pandemic, preventing players from that option (though pro days were still available for them to do). While, based on last year and what we've seen so far this year, it looks like some top tier prospects will continue to skip their 40 time sprint, it will be something worth tracking over the next couple drafts to see what becomes of the most popular drill of the NFL draft cycle.
In going through the research, it has shown a trend that more and more prospects have not been running a 40 yard dash in recent years. As touched on in my previous entry, players who didn't run a 40 time in the early years of this project have not had very long or productive careers. However, that trends changes in the latter years of the project. This is because more and more high quality prospects are just choosing not to run 40 yard dashes as their high draft stock is already cemented, so they don't feel the need to run. In most cases this hasn't change their positioning so I would expect that we continue to see prospects doing that into the future.
Though some prospects who didn't run may have wanted to but were actually unable to due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID wiped out many teams pro day workouts in 2019 effecting that class from having the opportunity to run (this includes some players rehabbing from injuries that may have been planning to during their schools showcase). As for the 2020 class, the NFL Scouting Combine did not have on field drills due to the global pandemic, preventing players from that option (though pro days were still available for them to do). While, based on last year and what we've seen so far this year, it looks like some top tier prospects will continue to skip their 40 time sprint, it will be something worth tracking over the next couple drafts to see what becomes of the most popular drill of the NFL draft cycle.
Wrapping up Project #3 + Sports Scans
4/11/22 (5 Hours)
Today, I was able to finish-up both the third project and the current sports scans sent to me. On Saturday morning, Jamie was able to provide me with the spreadsheet of the players who did not have a recorded forty-time. Using this list I was able to cross check the names I had gotten through research against what he was able to get on file from one of his contacts. In cross checking, many of the names matched. However, 2012 was not easy to find through the various sites and sources I used so I was able to fill out that draft classes list and finish-up the lists of some of the other years. Included on the document were player name, position, height, weight, speed (an estimated 40 time; ex. 4.40E), draft round, draft pick, and school. These had been a number of the items I had been collecting in my research so it was reassuring to know I was hitting all the points that Jamie would have been looking for. Additionally the getting the sports scans up to date was a good feeling, though I would expect more are on the way. They specifically wrapped up a week of spring practice among the teams he covers. If I'm sent more scans to work on they will likely included schools annual spring games which will be starting over next the coming weeks, as the practices covered in the recent scans are preparations for those games that are more highly covered.
Today, I was able to finish-up both the third project and the current sports scans sent to me. On Saturday morning, Jamie was able to provide me with the spreadsheet of the players who did not have a recorded forty-time. Using this list I was able to cross check the names I had gotten through research against what he was able to get on file from one of his contacts. In cross checking, many of the names matched. However, 2012 was not easy to find through the various sites and sources I used so I was able to fill out that draft classes list and finish-up the lists of some of the other years. Included on the document were player name, position, height, weight, speed (an estimated 40 time; ex. 4.40E), draft round, draft pick, and school. These had been a number of the items I had been collecting in my research so it was reassuring to know I was hitting all the points that Jamie would have been looking for. Additionally the getting the sports scans up to date was a good feeling, though I would expect more are on the way. They specifically wrapped up a week of spring practice among the teams he covers. If I'm sent more scans to work on they will likely included schools annual spring games which will be starting over next the coming weeks, as the practices covered in the recent scans are preparations for those games that are more highly covered.
Continuation of Project #3
4/13/22 (5 Hours)
In hearing back from Jamie, he likes the information I was able to gather and wants to continue to add on to it. We talked about what my takeaways were from the initial piece of the project and how we can look at them as a projection doing forward into future draft classes. Some of those things were the trends that I touched on in a few of the previous journal entires. With that Jamie wants the next project to be a continuation of the information I gathered and collected in project #3. What that entails is to go through all the players without a registered forty-time and and collected the information games they've started as a percentage of how many they have appeared in. This information he believes can be helpful to the organization in getting an idea of what players careers look like if they don't run a forty-time.
After our conversation for the day I got to work in making up a spreadsheet to help calculate this new information. The site I have been using the most to help me in this project so far, and will continue to use into this second part of it, is Pro Football Reference. Pro Football Reference shows the statistics of almost any football player you can think of and presents it in a way that is very easy to disguised, as it can be a lot to look at. It also has past Draft results, which has been the main feature on the site I've been using to help sort through each class. In starting to go through this the results of the research will be easy to present on a spreadsheet, but what exactly that will look like will be determined as I get closer to calculating the results.
In hearing back from Jamie, he likes the information I was able to gather and wants to continue to add on to it. We talked about what my takeaways were from the initial piece of the project and how we can look at them as a projection doing forward into future draft classes. Some of those things were the trends that I touched on in a few of the previous journal entires. With that Jamie wants the next project to be a continuation of the information I gathered and collected in project #3. What that entails is to go through all the players without a registered forty-time and and collected the information games they've started as a percentage of how many they have appeared in. This information he believes can be helpful to the organization in getting an idea of what players careers look like if they don't run a forty-time.
After our conversation for the day I got to work in making up a spreadsheet to help calculate this new information. The site I have been using the most to help me in this project so far, and will continue to use into this second part of it, is Pro Football Reference. Pro Football Reference shows the statistics of almost any football player you can think of and presents it in a way that is very easy to disguised, as it can be a lot to look at. It also has past Draft results, which has been the main feature on the site I've been using to help sort through each class. In starting to go through this the results of the research will be easy to present on a spreadsheet, but what exactly that will look like will be determined as I get closer to calculating the results.
Beginning of the End. Were Expectations Met?
4/15/22 (5 Hours)
As we continue to progress towards the end of the semester, and the mentorship, I'm still working to plug away at some of the projects presented to me. Something Jamie has preached is that some parts of the scouting process can be tedious and time consuming. These projects have certainly been that at time but as a whole I have enjoyed doing them, as following the NFL has always been a passion of mine. In terms of my expectations going in they have not entirely been met. That has not at all been a bad thing. Going in I wondered if I'd be doing any sort of film study or learning tips and tricks as to what Jamie looks for in prospects when actually scouting them. While that would have been very exciting, the things I have done are parts the the job of being an NFL scout that I did not consider. Things like looking for trends, reaching topics, and studying the news, are things that did not come to mind but after doing them can see there importance to the position. Doing this can help make the scouting process easier, as there are so many factors that go into drafting players than just their on-field skills and performance. Taking every avenue to find out as much as possible is something that can separate the best-of-the-best from the rest-of-the-rest of the NFL.
As we continue to progress towards the end of the semester, and the mentorship, I'm still working to plug away at some of the projects presented to me. Something Jamie has preached is that some parts of the scouting process can be tedious and time consuming. These projects have certainly been that at time but as a whole I have enjoyed doing them, as following the NFL has always been a passion of mine. In terms of my expectations going in they have not entirely been met. That has not at all been a bad thing. Going in I wondered if I'd be doing any sort of film study or learning tips and tricks as to what Jamie looks for in prospects when actually scouting them. While that would have been very exciting, the things I have done are parts the the job of being an NFL scout that I did not consider. Things like looking for trends, reaching topics, and studying the news, are things that did not come to mind but after doing them can see there importance to the position. Doing this can help make the scouting process easier, as there are so many factors that go into drafting players than just their on-field skills and performance. Taking every avenue to find out as much as possible is something that can separate the best-of-the-best from the rest-of-the-rest of the NFL.
Project #3.5 - The Median of Starts
4/16/22 (7 Hours)
Jamie and I today discussed today what the best way to approach this information and present it in a fashion that will help provide both him and others in the Colts organization with more context as to what the lack of 40 time means when compared to whole list of players drafted. To do so he provided me with a chart that he had found when reading through an article. The chart (pictured left) shows the median of each round in the drafted players dating back to 2010 who have started a maximum of 80 games. Starting eighty games in the NFL can be looked at as a very solid career. As one could expect the number is at it's highest in the 1st round. It drops off significantly as it goes from round one to round two, but it was interesting to see that there is actually a higher median percentage of players who started 80% of games in the 3rd round than that of 2nd round. As I continued to enter in information it will be interesting to see what the numbers look like for the non-forty yard guys specifically versus the overall number. It will also be interesting to compare both of the medians against each other. So far I have only been able to get through some of the averages, but many of what I've gone through is above the fourth round median.
Jamie and I today discussed today what the best way to approach this information and present it in a fashion that will help provide both him and others in the Colts organization with more context as to what the lack of 40 time means when compared to whole list of players drafted. To do so he provided me with a chart that he had found when reading through an article. The chart (pictured left) shows the median of each round in the drafted players dating back to 2010 who have started a maximum of 80 games. Starting eighty games in the NFL can be looked at as a very solid career. As one could expect the number is at it's highest in the 1st round. It drops off significantly as it goes from round one to round two, but it was interesting to see that there is actually a higher median percentage of players who started 80% of games in the 3rd round than that of 2nd round. As I continued to enter in information it will be interesting to see what the numbers look like for the non-forty yard guys specifically versus the overall number. It will also be interesting to compare both of the medians against each other. So far I have only been able to get through some of the averages, but many of what I've gone through is above the fourth round median.
The Impact I hope to have had on the Organization
4/17/22 (5 Hours)
Over the course of the mentorship, when working through the at time boring sports scans (Jamie called them that himself) and various other projects there were points where I questioned if I was making an impact on the Colts' organization. Going in I wasn't sure due to the individualized and virtual nature of this type of mentorship, if I would be working on the types of things that would connect me in anyway to others in the scouting department/front office. However, as I've continued to get feed back from Jamie it has become clear to me that other members of the Colts organization, besides just Jamie, were going to have use of the information I have been gathering. In regards to the players with a lack of 40-yard dash, Jamie said that it's been a question they've been discussing a bit in their pre-draft meetings. He also shared to me that once I'm done gathering all the information and sending it over he will bring it to the table and share those results with his peers and bosses. Hearing this made me pretty excited to know that my work could at least provide any kind of help to the decision-makers in the Colts organization.
Over the course of the mentorship, when working through the at time boring sports scans (Jamie called them that himself) and various other projects there were points where I questioned if I was making an impact on the Colts' organization. Going in I wasn't sure due to the individualized and virtual nature of this type of mentorship, if I would be working on the types of things that would connect me in anyway to others in the scouting department/front office. However, as I've continued to get feed back from Jamie it has become clear to me that other members of the Colts organization, besides just Jamie, were going to have use of the information I have been gathering. In regards to the players with a lack of 40-yard dash, Jamie said that it's been a question they've been discussing a bit in their pre-draft meetings. He also shared to me that once I'm done gathering all the information and sending it over he will bring it to the table and share those results with his peers and bosses. Hearing this made me pretty excited to know that my work could at least provide any kind of help to the decision-makers in the Colts organization.
Project #3.5 - Findings
4/18/22 (4 Hours)
In going through all of the players who did not run a 40 yard dash, I was able to determine that for the most part the median percentage of games started (out of appearances) by those players was higher than the median of all players drafted. Round One, Round Two, and Round Four, all produced a higher median than the whole draft list. The Third Round was the only one that was lower, and it was very close (34.2% versus 36.3%). This is very interesting information that can be looked at from several angles. One that came to mind is the specifics of the percentage. For example, a player may only get the chance to play in 8 games, but was a starter in 7 of them would bump up the overall percentage of the whole group, even though they may have had to retired due to either injury or performance after those limited games. This higher percentage should also be considered when discussing players in 2020 and 2021 Draft Classes. Since those players' percentages may be higher because their careers have been shorter (which means less chance of injury) it could skew the data. I mentioned the idea of looking at the data including the number of potential games played, which he didn't think would be as helpful for what he and his peers may be looking for. This was because players careers vary in so many different ways it would be tough to quantify that with numbers. Evaluating their situations is likely more easily done by reviewing the first part of this project in each individual players' write-up rather than from a simply numerical stand point.
In going through all of the players who did not run a 40 yard dash, I was able to determine that for the most part the median percentage of games started (out of appearances) by those players was higher than the median of all players drafted. Round One, Round Two, and Round Four, all produced a higher median than the whole draft list. The Third Round was the only one that was lower, and it was very close (34.2% versus 36.3%). This is very interesting information that can be looked at from several angles. One that came to mind is the specifics of the percentage. For example, a player may only get the chance to play in 8 games, but was a starter in 7 of them would bump up the overall percentage of the whole group, even though they may have had to retired due to either injury or performance after those limited games. This higher percentage should also be considered when discussing players in 2020 and 2021 Draft Classes. Since those players' percentages may be higher because their careers have been shorter (which means less chance of injury) it could skew the data. I mentioned the idea of looking at the data including the number of potential games played, which he didn't think would be as helpful for what he and his peers may be looking for. This was because players careers vary in so many different ways it would be tough to quantify that with numbers. Evaluating their situations is likely more easily done by reviewing the first part of this project in each individual players' write-up rather than from a simply numerical stand point.
End of Mentorship Course Reflections
4/20/22 (3 Hours)
Over the past few months I have had the opportunity to work on projects and learn various things about the NFL scouting world from Jamie Moore. It has been a honor to learn from him. He continued to take time out of his busy schedule to learn by letting me work on helping with projects that could benefit his work and just maybe the overall Indianapolis Colts play evaluation process. Being entirely virtual with a unique job this mentorship was probably different from many of peers. As part of that, the communication wasn't always fluid. Jamie has a busy schedule where he is traveling around from school to school in the southeast in the fall/early spring, to Indianapolis for the scouting combine and team meetings in the winter. This made it difficult at times he's schedule was packed but in points where it would lighten up communication was great and he was always there to provide me with help if I was stuck on a certain issues in my work.
Speaking of my assignments as a project assistant, it would not have gone nearly as smooth without my previous classwork. The specific examples that come to mind are the research driven projects that Dr. Tiell would assign us. Over the course of the MBA program I could feel those research projects improving my ability to search through information to get the most quality out of it. This really translated to this mentorship in being able to find high quality information and present it in a professional manner. This hit home when Jamie was excited about the work I was able to present for my paper on factors that effect the draft, so much so he wanted to share it with a number of his peers. That was a rewarding feeling and would not have been possible with out the experience I got from research projects assigned throughout the program.
As for others, I would recommend Jamie as a mentor, though it might not be for everyone. If structured the same way it can at times feel more like another course, but the topics were of more interest to me. Also his busier schedule at time can make it more complicated, which isn't easy for someone who isn't as flexible as I was able to be throughout the past few months. Overall, I really enjoyed working working with a great NFL scout and learning more about what he has to do in such an exciting position. It is certainly my hope to remain in contact with Jamie and potentially continue to assist him with some projects here in the near future if needed!
Over the past few months I have had the opportunity to work on projects and learn various things about the NFL scouting world from Jamie Moore. It has been a honor to learn from him. He continued to take time out of his busy schedule to learn by letting me work on helping with projects that could benefit his work and just maybe the overall Indianapolis Colts play evaluation process. Being entirely virtual with a unique job this mentorship was probably different from many of peers. As part of that, the communication wasn't always fluid. Jamie has a busy schedule where he is traveling around from school to school in the southeast in the fall/early spring, to Indianapolis for the scouting combine and team meetings in the winter. This made it difficult at times he's schedule was packed but in points where it would lighten up communication was great and he was always there to provide me with help if I was stuck on a certain issues in my work.
Speaking of my assignments as a project assistant, it would not have gone nearly as smooth without my previous classwork. The specific examples that come to mind are the research driven projects that Dr. Tiell would assign us. Over the course of the MBA program I could feel those research projects improving my ability to search through information to get the most quality out of it. This really translated to this mentorship in being able to find high quality information and present it in a professional manner. This hit home when Jamie was excited about the work I was able to present for my paper on factors that effect the draft, so much so he wanted to share it with a number of his peers. That was a rewarding feeling and would not have been possible with out the experience I got from research projects assigned throughout the program.
As for others, I would recommend Jamie as a mentor, though it might not be for everyone. If structured the same way it can at times feel more like another course, but the topics were of more interest to me. Also his busier schedule at time can make it more complicated, which isn't easy for someone who isn't as flexible as I was able to be throughout the past few months. Overall, I really enjoyed working working with a great NFL scout and learning more about what he has to do in such an exciting position. It is certainly my hope to remain in contact with Jamie and potentially continue to assist him with some projects here in the near future if needed!