The NFL draft is a critical event for all 32 teams, with each front office meticulously planning their selections and trades. Conducting the NFL draft process the right way can greatly shape how successful a team will be in the future. The numbers for me are absolutely key in understanding what a player could be. This year, a few truly astounding numbers have jumped out from that analysis.
Teams are especially concentrating on three specific sets of numbers that should influence their draft plans. The second batch are 23, 54, 87, 124, 159, 198, 237 and 250. RPA, EPA and YPC are all important metrics that teams look at when measuring a player’s production and projected effect on the game.
In addition to this initial set, another group of significant numbers has surfaced: 11, 43, 75, 100, 113, 138, 147, 160, 227, 249, and 252. These figures just shed light on important thresholds or benchmarks that front offices need to pay attention to. Next, these statistics uncover exactly where a player ranks among their peers. They further help teams determine their greatest value selections on draft day.
Paired with them, a third set of numbers—20, 51, 85, 122, 191, 197 and 208—has developed significant notoriety. These metrics include a breadth of performance indicators that scouting departments have a heightened focus on. Moving forward, having a better grasp of these statistics will help teams avoid reaching for players—both on and off the court—who don’t mesh with their system and culture.
The repetition of these sets of numbers from analysis to analysis highlights their value based on precedent in drafting smart strategy. Each numerical data point has an outsized influence given the context of previous performance and future predictive analytics. Teams are always looking up the long string of numbers that begins with 23 and ends with 250. This allows them to judge how good former players were at comparable points in their careers.
In much the same way, the second series starting with 11 offers important clues as to the player characteristics associated with success in the league. Understanding trends from these figures allows programs to sidestep missteps and position themselves to capitalize on the best chances to land blue-chip recruits.
Additionally, as teams get ready for the draft day, they need to account for what these statistics can do to affect trades and informal deals going forward. Knowing the value of draft picks that these numbers can help franchises plan and plot in ways that will help them make the most of their picks.
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