Every single year, the NFL Draft takes over 200 athletes, and countless others sign rookie deals or receive invitations to mini-camp tryouts. As we all know, the selection isn’t a decision that just comes up randomly on draft night. This calculated process takes months or even years to prepare for. So in this week’s blog, I’m going to show you how to evaluate draftable talent.
(My 2026 player evaluation sheet I used during the draft process)
- Evaluate Game Film
The first step to evaluating any position is to watch their game film that’s released after every Saturday. This is probably the most important part of this process, seeing how this athlete plays the game. During this evaluation process, you’re searching for transferable traits that they can bring over in the league. Watching game film allows you to see how this athlete handles high-pressure situations.
- Analyze Players’ Stats
The second step is to evaluate the players’ stats. This is a very tedious process and is great when you’re looking to see how productive a player is. This is where you can see how this athlete changes the game not only with their athleticism but also with their mind as well. For example, if you see that this defensive end had 3 sacks in this game vs a strong opponent, you want to see how they obtained these sacks. This lets you see what the player does best and how to apply it to your offensive or defensive scheme.
- Check Combine Results
The third step is to check combine or pro day results. The combine is where most fans spend most of their time. The combine is known as the biggest interview process of an athlete’s career. The event allows you to see strong physical attributes that you can’t always see just by looking at someone or during the mental interview process. Being able to see how they move without pads is crucial.
- Evaluate Position-Specific Traits
Everyone knows that each position requires a different skill set. For example, you evaluate a defensive back on their ability to break downhill and track the ball through the air. While you evaluate a defensive lineman, consider how violent he is with his hands and his ability to disrupt the line of scrimmage.
- Compare to current players.
Comparing to current players in the NFL helps you understand how this athlete can fit into a scheme. Watching that player, along with a great player in the NFL who is already succeeding, is a valuable tool for making the right decision.
- Predict Draft Order
Lastly, determine where a player would perform best. This is where you incorporate team needs and other factors into the decision-making process. This part causes most people trouble, so double-checking your research and applying it to what we know about these teams is crucial.
Conclusion
When looking to complete the perfect player evaluation, make sure you follow the necessary steps. This step-by-step guide gives the best possible process to fulfill your analysis needs. An evaluation just like this one is done almost exactly the same at every level of football. I hope you enjoyed and tune back in next week.
(7th-round draft pick Vj payne working out before New York Jets rookie minicamp)
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