Learning the NFL Draft
My best practices for enjoying and studying the NFL Draft
Jan 28, 2019, 7:00 am
Learning the NFL Draft
"Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,
Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:
Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,
Not utter'd by base sale of chapmen's tongues:
I am less proud to hear you tell my worth
Than you much willing to be counted wise
In spending your wit in the praise of mine.
But now to task the tasker: good Boyet,"
We've often heard the phrase, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Truer words could not be spoken in regards to the NFL Draft. Many eyes will peer through hours of tapes of talented NFL prospects but the opinions on what they see will differ.
If this is your first year watching the NFL Draft and the months of coverage leading up to it or if you've been following along for years, I believe this article will help you further understand the coverage and varying opinions.
I started following the NFL Draft in 2003. By 2004, I was fully ingrained in reading, studying and spending all of my time understanding how the best evaluators watched film and came away with differing opinions. What made the great evaluators, great?
By 2009, I was ready to take a bigger step in my evaluation process and my learning of how to evaluate more effectively. I took a "scouting" course that year that was delivered weekly by former NFL front offices personnel and scouts. After completion of the course I was more determined than ever to cut out my path as a top-tier evaluator.
Since 2009, I've worked every year to improve my evaluations from the year before. In this article, I'll let you know of some of the land mines that will trip you up if you're looking for coverage, entertainment or even possibly starting your pursuit as an evaluator.
I can't speak for everyone else, but for me, there are positions I excel at when studying prospects on film and there are some that my margin of error is greater.
For me, my biggest misses come at the quarterback, inside linebacker and safety positions.
Quarterbacks - I'm still not certain if my huge misses on quarterbacks in the past are mostly based on a blind spot I have for the position or if it's more to do with the extensive variables that surround the position.
Quarterback's success depends on the head coach of the team that selects them, the playmakers he has to get the ball to, the offensive line protection, his maturity and if he can lead men, etc.
Oddly enough, my offensive line evaluations are easily my biggest strength. I routinely hit on unheralded guys while warning on more highly coveted prospects. After offensive line, I would lean on my cornerback evaluations, followed by running back.
While safeties are listed on my weaknesses, I can usually find a diamond in the rough like John Johnson. Receivers are hit and miss. I warned against guys like Kelvin Benjamin and Corey Coleman but missed on guys like Michael Thomas and Stefon Diggs.
Whether you're looking to just follow along during the draft process or learn to evaluate, yourself, steer clear of group think. A common misconception is that "group think" during the draft process is only for those on twitter or in the media. It's been a huge flaw for many NFL teams.
When evaluators all start discussing what they see as opposed to other evaluators, some will get persuaded by a different evaluation because they wonder why the other individuals in the room all agree and they are just sitting on a lonely island with their opinion.
Several years ago, I was destroyed on twitter for not having Jake Matthews and Greg Robinson in my top three offensive line prospects. Robinson went number two overall to the Rams that year. I warned that if the Rams made that selection he would be Jason Smith 2.0.
I was ridiculed for having:
All higher than Matthews and Robinson. As an evaluator the general public will typically remember your misses and not your hits. If you don't fall victim to group think, they'll remember your misses even more as you were on the island instead of with the masses.
To help you better understand the NFL Draft coverage of the next couple of months, you'll need to understand manipulations that happen with information during the next couple of months.
I hope this article helps you enjoy the next few months of the NFL offseason, leading up to the 2019 NFL Draft.
Starting next week I'll be posting my positional rankings. First group up for 2019?.....you guessed it, offensive tackles.
Look for "Jayson Braddock's 2019 Offensive Tackle Rankings" next week, only at SportsMap. One of these prospects could be protecting Deshaun Watson's blind side come week one.
To say the Houston Texans have been busy this week would be a colossal understatement. The team agreed to a massive contract extension with All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr, restructured lineman Tytus Howard's contract, and signed free agent left tackle Cam Robinson to a one-year deal.
The #Texans and Danielle Hunter have agreed to a one-year, $35.6 million contract extension that makes him the NFL’s second-highest paid defensive end, per sources.
Hunter will make $32M this season — a $12.5M raise — and $55.1M ($54.1M fully guaranteed) over the next two… pic.twitter.com/SR0UbySLse
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 19, 2025
Texans GM Nick Caserio is definitely earning his paycheck this week, as there is now another extension to discuss. According to multiple reports, pass rusher Danielle Hunter has agreed to a one-year, $35.6 million extension.
Tom Pelissero is reporting in the post above that “Hunter will make $32M this season — a $12.5M raise — and $55.1M ($54.1M fully guaranteed) over the next two seasons.”
Good work if you can get it.
The Texans are making a strong push to equip QB C.J. Stroud with top talent over the next two years. This is the ideal window to invest before they face a hefty commitment to his second contract.
With fewer pressing needs, Houston can now approach the draft with flexibility, prioritizing the best players available.