Which position is the toughest to evaluate?

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, Raskle said:

True, but then I couldn't get away with being a smart ass there without any ruffled feathers 

In all seriousness, I'd say it's all a crap shoot. Guy looks dominant in college, goes to the NFL, parties too hard/gets into trouble with the local law/isn't as good as he was showing in college because he didn't face the challenge of other elite players, etc., then will go on to disappear in three years or less on one hand. Whereas, the blue-collar hard working guy UDFA can also succeed, because he wants it much, much more a la Norwell. There's no such thing as a "safe pick" in the draft for any sport. There's less a probability of failure, such as a most LB spots, RBs, and OGs. But to say that there's remarkable difference between one spot or another is a fallacy, because as I said, it all boils down to that it's a crap shoot for any player picked.

If I had to say the easiest, it's LB.. the toughest would most likely be safety to me. You don't know if it's the system making him look good, with coverage help down the sides form really good CBs. You also don't know if it's the system and zero assistance making a guy look bad too. For me, at least, I think Safety is the toughest to evaluate, since there are so many moving parts to a backfield, and you can't really pin errors on just one guy.

There is just no way to predict how a 21-22 year old kid is gonna react when you deposit a million dollars in their bank account.

[Basbear]

16 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

The kids I coach are a little younger than high school and only in a church league, but I have found a few who were capable of understanding deeper ideas.

Others, it takes about ten minutes for them to get the concept of "run five steps and turn left"  

Then you understand. With replacements and different packages, it can make you go mad if you let. I will say kids today are MUCH smarter than kids of 20 years ago. Also, you have to deal with other distractions today, ie social media, fewer kids playing football and "gentle" handling with today's kids. 

He could watch college or pro ball and call out the play before it happened with very accurate details. The year he had state championship, told me he had the better team but they were scared of the other team. Did all he could to change that leading up and ended up losing. He's still in High School sports, but retired and just consults local teams. 

[Khyber53]

I think DB is one of the toughest to evaluate in the jump from college to the pro level. Think of how many corners and safeties just cannot hold up in the pros. Heck, just look at how many went bust here.

Corners in college can look really good because of the up and down quality of opposing QBs and WRs. They may have also been rotated in and out more often meaning they aren't up to the conditioning level required in the pros. A pro-CB covers more ground each game than anyone short of a referee. 

Once they get to the NFL, they are matched up against the best of the best of the best and have a rule set to work with that greatly favors their opponent. Every guy they face can work the entire route tree and each QB can probably hit any spot on the field. And tackling, oh that's a whole 'nother ball game when you move up to take on a 6'2 210 lb guy who can run a 4.4 40 and has the benefit of three or four years of professional weight training. It's just not the same as bringing down some redshirt freshman that can't shave more than twice a week.

 

[Raskle]

1 minute ago, Mr. Scot said:

There is just no way to predict how a 21-22 year old kid is gonna react when you deposit a million dollars in their bank account.

exactly

[SmokinwithWilly]

I think the hardest to predict, and sometimes the easiest, is OL. Guys can have all the skills to play against college defensive linemen, but just the transition in speed from college to the NFL is ridiculous. Some of these guys just can't catch up. The one thing that does stand out to me watching college linemen is watching their footwork. Guys with sloppy feet and a poor base never seem to transition to the NFL well. 

[pantherclaw]

4 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

I'd agree, though I don't necessarily think all of that is good. And yeah, there are some concepts that translate but there are also plenty that don't.

The bottom line though is that while patience may be a virtue everywhere else, it's not in the NFL.

Here, it's win now or get sh-tcanned. So rather than, say, teach a young receiver how to run pro-level routes, teams choose instead to just simplify the routes to what these guys are used to and do the best they can from there.

I probably sound like an old man when I say that the NFL isn't all that it used to be, but it really isn't.

That because it isn't the same at all.

Salary cap.

Different CBA.

No patience. 

College players not as prepares. 

Players (divas) coming out for hang nails. 

 

I'm shocked they still play with a leather ball. 

[Cpt slay a ho]

Ot and cb, some of the biggest bust rates, followed by de