"Who are your guys in this draft class?" is one of the most common questions I'm asked. My guys aren't necessarily the best prospects, but players I admire based on a combination of my formative years watching football and the work I've done as the creator of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio.
There are certain football skills that appeal to me more than others because they match my analytic sensibilities for evaluating a prospect, but they also evoke an emotional response based on what I grew up valuing from football players. Think of it as football-related psychological imprinting.
Here's a partial list of those traits:
- Comfort with physicality - I value players who can give and take physical play. They don't have to win the confrontation but they don't shrink away from the conflict.
- Effort - Often described as a "high motor," I seek players who play until the whistle and don't give up on plays. Even players with good motors will unintentionally give up on a player because they sense a lull on the action. However, players with high motors have learned to train themselves to remain vigilant until the whistle.
- Being the aggressor - Jamaal Charles is not a physical player, but he initiated the first contact as a runner or blocker in his prime. Whether it's ball-carrying, route-running, or pass-protecting, an aggressor with technique and a plan is a stiff challenge for most opponents.
- Physical and mental flexibility - I believe that flexible players are less susceptible to certain types of injuries and more capable of winning one-on-one battles when they're forced to overcome a temporary disadvantage with leverage. Flexibility can sometimes adequately compensate for a lack of strength. Among other things, mental flexibility helps players make smooth adjustments when a strategy isn't working. It naturally leads us to a related trait...
- Emotional intelligence - The majority of existing football leadership are Baby Boomers. I'm not a huge proponent of generational analysis, but these men grew up and built their careers on specific player prototypes with traits they could measure effectively such as book intelligence, athletic ability, and fundamental techniques of the position. Although important skills, football is a performance sport that requires its employees to deal with pressure, unplanned circumstances, and making adjustments to the stimuli around them. This requires the integration of every trait in a player's toolbox and that integrating factor is that intuitive-emotional IQ-flexibility that separates the stars from the good -- but not quite good enough -- options. This remains the least explored territory in NFL evaluation because it is difficult to quantify and teach. However, once a player has established that he has the baseline tangibles, emotional intelligence is the most valuable of traits.
- Attention to technical details - A player doesn't require technical mastery of his position before he enters the NFL, but I want to see refined detail with what he knows. I'd rather see a player display near-mastery with 1-2 techniques than be sloppy with 4-5.
The more of these skills a player has, the more I'm likely to admire their game.
Here are six of My Guys in this 2018 class. These are Day 3 prospects, at best. There is no order of priority with this list.
To see the rest of My Guys—especially those with Day 1 and Day 2 potential, download the 2018 Rookie Scouting Portfolio.
Note: Some videos have soundtracks that are not safe for work.
RB Boston Scott, Louisiana Tech: One of those "short, not small" runners in dimension, the 5'6", 203-pound runner has one of the most entertaining combinations of agility and balance in this class. Although he won't push a pile, Scott bounces off larger defenders and he's a good gap and zone runner. He has only fumbled once in 349 career touches and his pass protection technique is refined and effective against linebackers and defensive backs. Scott missed his sophomore year after developing Cramp-Fasciculation Syndrome, a rare muscle condition with no known cure that leads to involuntary twitching, discomfort, and fatigue. Although Scott figured out how to manage it for two years (anxiety medication and better attention to his daily healthy), the condition will likely make him a camp body trying to impress with limited reps.
Ladies and gentlemen, RB Boston Scott... pic.twitter.com/h2uIPizgLA
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) January 11, 2018
Boston Scott pass pro v A-Gap LB pic.twitter.com/fk101lsaKs
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) January 11, 2018
WR Richie James, Middle Tennessee State: James and Antonio Brown share some intriguing similarities in dimension, athletic ability, and college usage. James lined up in multiple spots at Middle Tennessee State, including the slot, the perimeter, and the backfield. When used outside, he showed a lot of promise against tight man coverage. Combine these skills with acceleration and change of direction quickness on par with Brown, and you have a player who can get on top of defenders and win in the vertical game. James has numerous difficult catches in his film portfolio, which is a testament to his hand-eye coordination, body control, and overall technique. He will sell out for the ball at the boundary, over the middle, or over a defender to make the play. Brown was a raw prospect who refined his game a tremendous amount during his first three years with the Steelers — a surprising development. Expecting James to reach similar heights is idealistic, but he has what it takes to become a capable starter with big plays in his arsenal.
WR Steven Dunbar, Houston: A quintessential Waldman Guy, Dunbar is a skilled technician with a good motor and comfort with physical play. The 6'3" receiver has a variety of effective releases against press coverage and despite lacking great speed, he has the quickness and acceleration to get on top of defenders early in his routes so he can get deep. Dunbar shines at the catch point. He's good at high-pointing the ball against tight man coverage and either pulling the ball away from the opponent's reach or turning and shielding the man with his back. He tracks the ball into his hands from difficult angles and he has the body control to lay out for the target. He's flexible, strong, physical, and intelligent in every aspect of the receiving game. He's also a good blocker who should earn at least a priority free agent contract due to his special team prowess. Like the player Dunbar reminds me of stylistically — Stevie Johnson — I would not be surprised if Dunbar works his way into a contributor role as a receiver.
ECU has another nice vertical route (sorry, two...) pic.twitter.com/eGSsgU3CXM
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) February 22, 2018
RB Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt: The 2018 Running Back Class is the best I've evaluated for the Rookie Scouting Portfolio publication. Nothing specific about Webb's game stands out among the crowd, but he does a lot of things well. It either makes him a tremendously underrated back or the epitome of average. A patient runner, competent receiver, and effective blocker, Webb is a versatile and tough football player who plays hurt and executes with refined decision-making between the tackles. At worst, Webb's profile compares favorably to former Dallas runner Tashard Choice. If his quickness matches his 4.48-second 40-time, he could surprise as something more. Because he's likely a late-round pick or UDFA, Webb may bounce around the league or find his way to the CFL early in his career. If he maintains his confidence and perseveres, Webb could carve out a decent career in a professional league.
TE Tyler Conkin, Central Michigan: Although lacking deep speed, the Chippewas used Conklin on the perimeter and he routinely beat cornerbacks with his burst and technical guile. He has multiple variations of hand and footwork moves to defeat press and he routinely stacked his opponents once he earned early position downfield. Conklin attacks the ball against tight coverage, and his hand-eye coordination and wide catch radius make him capable of difficult adjustments to the ball — including fade routes. The fact that he returned during the fifth week of the season when this foot injury often requires months, speaks to his toughness and the desire to keep his film on the radar of NFL scouts. A late-round target, Conklin reminds me of Owen Daniels. He's not as quick as Daniels, but he's quick enough to do similar work. He has what it takes to become a multi-purpose H-Back. If not for a Jones fracture during the first play of 2017 fall practice, Conklin might have done more to impress.
RB Justin Jackson, Northwestern: Dare I say Jackson reminds me of Jamaal Charles? His athletic and conceptual talent for running the ball is within the sane region of Charles' game, maybe even the same city. Like Charles, Jackson is a thinner back with a tremendous skill for using contact to his advantage. Jackson eliminates direct angles of contact with his agility and quickness, and he finishes off defenders with more effective stiff-arms than the Heisman Trophy. Jackson earned close to 1,300 touches during a 4-year stint as a Big Ten starter and only fumbled once every 181 touches — an excellent ball security rate.
There's still a pervasive myth about running back workloads and fantasy football prospects, but Adrian Peterson, Steven Jackson, Ray Rice, Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, Darren Sproles, Matt Forte, and LaDainian Tomlinson all had at least 740 rushing attempts as collegians and all were Pro Bowl talents with (the exception of Sproles) heavy workloads. Williams, Turner, and Rice had more than 900 career rushing attempts. High-volume runners in college who stay healthy, often stay healthy as high-volume runners in the pros. If Jackson earns a real shot to start, an injury will be a coincidence more than a correlation to college workload.
Turning 💩 into 💵 ... play reminds me of things Cadillac Williams did in tight spaces. pic.twitter.com/8rmBnFYH4q
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) January 19, 2018
I am a Justin Jackson fan. Aware player who used his skills well. Catch, moves, functional power, balance...baller. pic.twitter.com/DX8LnW2gid
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) January 19, 2018
Coming Soon: A short list of prospects that I'm drawn to with troubling evaluations.