NFL GMs to re-evaluate pre-draft process

[Madwolf]

1 hour ago, theinstrumental said:

Easy to say once everybody's been put in a situation where they're working less. But I can't see every team permanently scaling back their draft prep, so eventually everybody's going to want to compete with that and we'll be back to normal. There are still ~350 draftable guys that everybody has to scout, and there's still an edge in having more info. That's a lot of work.

There's also the problem of having too much data.

Not just because of paralysis by analysis, but because people get caught up thinking the data says something it doesn't.

[45catfan]

I can see Pro Days going virtual, especially outside the Power 5 conferences.  Why send scouts all over the country to see one prospect at Fug Nutz State when the workout could live via virtual video.  

[LinvilleGorge]

1 minute ago, 45catfan said:

I can see Pro Days going virtual, especially outside the Power 5 conferences.  Why send scouts all over the country to see one prospect at Fug Nutz State when the workout could live via virtual video.  

I can honestly say that the speed of some of these guys just doesn't translate on film. Like yeah, you can see that they're fast. But damn, until you watch a guy like Smitty or CMC play live and watch them make other fast guys look slow in person, you just don't truly grasp how fast they really are.

[Wes21]

2 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I can honestly say that the speed of some of these guys just doesn't translate on film. Like yeah, you can see that they're fast. But damn, until you watch a guy like Smitty or CMC play live and watch them make other fast guys look slow in person, you just don't truly grasp how fast they really are.

Yeah, I would definitely say this applies to several categories.  You really need to be there in person to appreciate some things.  A few weeks ago I brought up how big Carlos Dunlap is.  We can look up the stats and we can watch him on film.  But when you see him in person standing next to the other players, he jumps off the field.

How a QB throws the ball is another one I've heard GMs say you really need to see in person to have a good observation perspective of it.

I don't mind scouts and personnel guys getting up close, real life views of these prospects.  Collect the info and add it to the hopper, and see how it meshes with the game film.  But I feel like there needs to be at least ONE person in the personnel department that ONLY gets to watch film.  No interviews, no live games, nothing.  Then they get to add their input and keep things in perspective.  Some guys are significantly more impressive in person than their film, and some good players are extremely unremarkable when you meet them in person.