4/100's of a Second

Terranimal

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So much gets made over whether a player runs 40's in 4.4 range or get overly excited when they run a 4.38 for example.

These guys are now training for months to run and workout. Some very fast guys in this draft pulling off 4.2's 40.

But not very often is it a track meet on field.

Yes speed kills of course. However, speed measured which way?

Sudden quickness, change of direction, explosive first step, ability to get speration means more then then pure 40 time.

And 40 times can be negated by defenders who have high football IQ, taking proper angles, etc.
 
I think too many people get sucked in by the stats like 40 speed, how many times they can bench X pounds, etc. Those things are important, and certainly should be weighed into an evaluation, but only as another data point. I think a lot of media people put too much weight into those measurables, and less into the player's ability, which is why we see so much movement in the pre-draft rankings.
 
The measurables are nice things to look at to confirm other things you see when they're playing but by themselves aren't all that useful. I mean you'd like to see an o-lineman bench more than 15 reps but other than that it's not telling you much. Joe Thomas had a very pedestrian bench press at the combine as I recall - didn't mean a thing.

Same with a CB. If he runs a 4.35 or 4.45, who cares. If he runs a 4.6 or worse, it's time to look at the "tape" again because that's slow enough that a bunch of NFL wide receivers are going to give you a lot of trouble unless you do everything else right.

The other thing that makes it weird this year is that there are no Combine 40 times to look at. It sort of equalizes everyone both within that class and to past classes. Pro-day 40's are almost always faster than combine 40's and some schools seem to always have faster than expected 40's so it's hard to compare even within this year's class.
 
40 times are meh to me as these are guys in shorts and track shoes running on a track. Lots of guys will play slower or faster then the pads are put in. I think 3 cone drills might tell more as how fast they can cut and move.
 
40 times are meh to me as these are guys in shorts and track shoes running on a track. Lots of guys will play slower or faster then the pads are put in. I think 3 cone drills might tell more as how fast they can cut and move.

I agree. I want to see how they turn their hips when running routes. I want to see how they plant on their moves, and the acceleration out of the change in direction. I also like to see how they read what moves they're going to make based on the shading of the defense.
 
Yes, to an extent too much is made of 40 times. That said, a guy really needs to do a lot of other things really well in order to overcome 4.5+ as a corner, for example.
 
Mock drafts have become a cottage industry. How much film do these guys even watch? And this year with the opt outs and limited film it’s hard enough for a GM to evaluate but some guy in his basement? I used to take mocks with a grain of salt. Now? It’s just one minor data point
 
Mock drafts have become a cottage industry. How much film do these guys even watch? And this year with the opt outs and limited film it’s hard enough for a GM to evaluate but some guy in his basement? I used to take mocks with a grain of salt. Now? It’s just one minor data point
It's wild how many first round guys, even top 10-15 type guys didn't play in 2020, and scouts just going off 2019 tape. Trey Lance has 300 career attempts. I don't doubt the evaluations, just can imagine how hard and incomplete they must feel to teams.
 
Yes mocks everyone and their uncle make one now you have 1000s of mocks being done and they have turned into nothing but click bait.
 
It's wild how many first round guys, even top 10-15 type guys didn't play in 2020, and scouts just going off 2019 tape. Trey Lance has 300 career attempts. I don't doubt the evaluations, just can imagine how hard and incomplete they must feel to teams.
Exactly. And maybe I’m wrong here but I can see draft trades where teams stockpile picks for 2022 due to so much uncertainty. Next year you have the normal senior class + the Covid seniors + early entires. That should double this years class. Teams will have more film , more evaluation times and more medical info to assist the process. Unless you are dead certain he’s your guy moving around to get picks might be a smart idea especially if you have multiple holes to fill
 
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