These are the qualities that NFL Scouts look for in grading a NFL player or College Draft
prospect. Each player is graded in a general category and then graded in a position-specific
category. The general categories are listed here, to the left you can see the individual
categories by position.
| GENERAL
CATEGORIES |
| Height, Weight and Speed |
Is he average, below or above for NFL
level at his position or another position? Can he overcome any deficiencies, and how? |
| Quickness, Agility and Balance |
These factors involve things such as
body control and movement skills. |
| Instincts and Intelligence |
Intelligence is the ability to learn and
retain what is taught in a football classroom setting, film grading setting, or practice
field and game day adjustment setting. Can he adjust and change quickly with his eyes or
does he need extra repetitions to retain and fully understand? Do you have to limit
schemes or techniques due to limited mental capability? Can he adjust under pressure in
game day situations? Can he react to what he is seeing or does recognition come in
stages? Is he disciplined or does he freelance and tend to do his own thing? |
| Strength and Explosion |
What type and level of strength does he
have? Is it just brute strength or does he have recoil ability from his upper and lower
body? Strength and explosion equals power. |
| Body Flexibility |
How does he bend and adjust his body
from a football positioning standpoint? |
| Durability |
Can he stay healthy? This category
doesn't just revolve around toughness, but has more to do with body makeup. Pain
tolerance is important: the more pain tolerance he has, the quicker he can get through
rehabilitation and the quicker he can heal. |
| Character |
Who he is really, as opposed to how
other perceive him? Is he a good citizen? Is he disciplined and stable? Is he a con guy?
Will he test the system and upset the locker room? Can you depend on him when things get
tight and tough, or is he a front runner? |
| Production |
This is not a measure of statistics, but
of the skill level and ability that creates the production. Why is he productive?
Is the production due more to his ability and efforts or those of his teammates
or the scheme that he plays in? |
