The NFL incorporates a multi-layered approach to scouting new talent. Players are selected to play in the NFL at the annual draft, which occurs in late April of each season. Prior to a player's selection, an athlete's play is studied, his athletic ability is tested and due diligence is done on his character and personal issues.
On-Field Play
The process of scouting future players begins when players start their college football careers. Each team has a scouting department that features individual scouts located in various areas of the country. These scouts are looking for top prospects based on size, strength, athletic talent and ability. They create detailed reports on any player they see who may be worthy of drafting at some point. They apprise their teams of a player's strengths, weaknesses and accomplishments. After the team's chief of scouting has read the initial report, he will have other scouts cross-check the original report to make sure the first scout's report is accurate. After the player is verified, he will be on a team's watch list and all his on-field play will be graded and judged.
Testing
After a player's college career is over and he is viewed as a candidate for professional football, he will go through a physical testing process. Players are brought to the Pro Scouting Combine to have their athletic ability judged. While each player has played college football two, three or four years and teams have extensive video footage of their on-field accomplishments, teams want specific figures on speed, strength and agility. Players are tested in the 40-yard dash, bench press and three-cone drill to find out where they stand compared with other athletes.
Interview and Background Check
Teams will not just draft players based solely on their accomplishments and athletic talent. Drafted players are highly valuable and visible assets to the organization that drafts them. Prior to being selected, players will be interviewed by potential employers, and may be given intelligence tests. Each player's background is also checked, and players may be asked to explain previous questionable behavior. Some teams may reject a player if they view his character as questionable, while other teams may end up drafting a player with a questionable background if they believe the player can turn his behavior around.
Independent Scouting
While NFL teams do their own scouting and are responsible for their selections, independent talent evaluators have made the draft one of the biggest events of the year for pro football fans. Every year, sports writers, talk show hosts and other media members will spend hours discussing their team's on-field needs and the best players available. "Pro Football Weekly's" annual draft preview is one of the most respected guides available, and is used by NFL teams in addition to fans and media members. Top online resources include the Sports Xchange's NFL DraftScout and Ourlad's NFL draft guide.
References
- "Inside the Helmet"; Peter King; 1993
- "The New Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football"; Paul Zimmerman; 1984
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