Since 1977, the National Football League has been evaluating college prospects as if they were interviewing to become the next deputy advisor for NASA. Not only has this system proven to be flawed, it has also cost talented athletes millions in potential contracts.
Scouts have been drooling for years over prospects that excel at the drills performed during this process. The concept of drafting the best football player gets lost in the shuffle of who runs the fastest 40-meters or has the most reps in the bench press.
Here are a few guys to support my theory.
The NFL’s all-time leading receiver, Jerry Rice, ran a 4.6 in the 40-meter dash out of college and was deemed too slow to be an NFL receiver. He was drafted in the middle of the first round because of it.
The all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith, was labeled too slow and too small, and fell to the middle of the first round as well.
The all-time leading passer, Brett Favre, was not even a first round pick and was traded after only throwing three passes his rookie season.
Joe Montana won four Super Bowls, third round pick (79′). Tom Brady won three, sixth round pick (00′). Bart Starr won two, 17th round pick (56′). Meanwhile Gary Glick, a quarterback from Colorado State, was the first overall pick in that same draft (56′). Who is Gary Glick you ask? I have no idea.
The arm strength of a person does not warrant a number one overall pick (JaMarcus Russell), nor does the 40-meter dash time mean best receiver in the draft (Darrius Heyward-Bay). Football is a game played on the field, so measure whom you want for your team by what they do on the field in pads not how great he looks doing drills out of them.