*Season 38 ISFL scouting combine

*Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - Printable Version

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*Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - 37thchamber - 10-06-2022

ISFL Scouting Combine

Season 38 Edition

The results of the annual workout day for ISFL prospects are here, and this season's class of sixty-six have subjected themselves to the annual spectacle that is the ISFL Scouting Combine. Well, sixty-three, since the three placekickers have a different... thing... never mind. You know what's up. I'm your host, former ISFL defensive back Antoine Delacour. Let's get into it.

First up, the quarterbacks. Or uh... quarterback.

Not really much to say here I guess. This fella looks decent? He's pretty sharp -- Wonderlic score is in the 99th percentile all-time for ISFL players -- and I mean, he's not terrible athletically speaking. Okay, he kind of is, but not terrible compared to other quarterbacks, I suppose. Below average though.

But really, who cares? The ISFL needs smart guys under center. You need to be able to read the field, and make a decision, the correct decision, quickly. I mean, have you seen ISFL defensive linemen?

Next up, let's look at the running backs.

Alright so, two notable things here. Firstly, this is an oddly slow crop of running backs by ISFL standards. Not a single sub-4.3 in the forty. Wow. Don't get it twisted, these guys are still quick -- except Adama Traore, lol -- but even the class leader here (Armor Queen's 4.35s is just ahead of Frost and Goodwood) is only in the 67th percentile among ISFL running backs all-time.

The other notable thing is the average Wonderlic score. Two thirds of this class has a Wonderlic above 20. For those of you tuning in to an ISFL Scouting Combine for the first time, usually ISFL running backs are about as intelligent as single-celled organisms. No, really. The class leader, Sherwin Blue Jr. scored a thirty. That's the second best Wonderlic by an ISFL running back ever. A score of ten would be good enough for the 59th percentile. The worst score this year is good enough for the 55th percentile. So yeah. Weirdly smart running backs this year. Maybe being a little less quick of foot is the price paid to be quick of thought...

This year's class is largely solid overall though. I'd raise eyebrows if a team was dead-set on drafting Henry Oswald-Newman or Adama Traore at the top of their board, though both look like they could be decent project players I guess. But of the other four, I don't feel like there's a clear front-runner. You can make the case that Frost is the weakest prospect of the four, owing to his noticeably lower upper-body strength -- a stance which aligns with our algorithm -- but he's also the most agile, which, in a league like the ISFL, could be crucial. Our scouting algorithm puts Sherwin Blue Jr. at the top of the list, but neither Armor Queen nor Ben Goodwood is far behind.

On to the wide receivers.

Just at a glance, you can see a sort of division of the receivers class this year. Roughly half of these guys look like they're gonna be able to make an impact on an ISFL team as a rookie. A few of them could potentially step into a WR3 role and put up solid numbers, even. The others... hard to tell. They've not really impressed this weekend, and while that's not really an indicator of "this player will not make it", it won't be enticing anyone to pick them up in the first few rounds. Someone like Davantae Evans (for example) could be a decent late round flier for a team hoping to pick up depth and maybe future pieces to trade... but right now, they don't seem to represent enough value to spend a third or earlier on.

I don't say this to be harsh, it's just the way that the game goes. There are only so many selections, and only one player can go at each. And frankly, your draft position doesn't really have any impact on your career. Look at me, I went in the eleventh round and made the Hall of Fame. It doesn't affect your earnings either... though a good agent can help with that. Not me, of course. My license doesn't allow me to represent any more players. But having the right person on your side of the table when it comes to contract talks can be a game-changer. Take notes, rookies.

The marquee options here, like Newman -- our algorithm's choice for top WR of this class -- or Turnbull, Johnny Blaze Jr, or Really Creative-Name ... these guys should all be off the board before the third round starts, I imagine. If any of them are available at the top of the third, they'll probably represent BPA at the time.

As an aside, Jeff Newman is pretty damn strong, and pretty damn smart. This dude can learn complicated schemes, run tight routes, and then probably truck the poor defensive back sent to cover him. I'm getting flashbacks to facing Robert Phelps right now, man. Monster.

Tight ends, next.

Let me preface this section by pointing out that Tight Ends are criminally underappreciated. I'm going to try not to fall into that trap, but you're always going to, on some level, compare them to Wide Receivers and Offensive Linemen... and both groups have a clear advantage over Tight Ends.

That said, I really like the look of Bastian Weichselbraun. He's pretty quick -- 72nd percentile for his 40 yard dash among all ISFL players all-time -- and compared to other Tight Ends historically, he's also pretty strong. Of course, he's not as quick and agile as a wide receiver (as an aside, he's not particularly agile at all, even for a tight end) or as strong as a lineman... but his numbers stack up well against other tight ends, and that's what really matters, no?

He's not the only impressive option in this class either. Stevens, Gibson, and Siegmeyer OfCatarina all look like similarly strong options based on this weekend, and that's going to factor into a lot of teams' decision making, I suspect. It's rare to see a tight end go early -- you've gotta be really top drawer for that, I'm talking like a Paul DiMirio, a Verso L'Alto, you know? But again, we're looking at guys who could go second, third round depending on team needs and how interviews go.

On to the offensive linemen...

I have a vested interest in this position group since my client is among this group... and he's not gonna like this but, he's not the best prospect in this class. It's not even close. The runaway best option here is Walrus Jones. He literally leads the offensive linemen in every single event. That's crazy. Four of his results here rank in the top ten all-time among ISFL offensive linemen. This is a generational talent in the making, I'm certain.

I've spoken to Jones as well, he's a great kid. Really has the kind of attitude that scouts and general managers pick up on. He's almost definitely going to be the first offensive lineman off the board, and if I'm being honest, he could be a top five pick in this draft. The kid is that damn good. I'm almost mad he's not my client. Almost.

My client is Remi Musgrave-Smythe -- it's a long story, but basically I know his dad; let's not get into that -- and he's comfortably in the second tier of offensive linemen in this draft, along with Fortified Fridge and Painted Penguin. Given the value placed on offensive linemen, I could see all four of these guys going in the first round. Almost definitely in the first twenty picks, I think. If I were an ISFL GM and I saw any of these guys still on the board early in the second round, I'd seriously consider making the pick, unless I had much more pressing needs. For example, if you're in a rebuild, you probably need more important positions, and you can roll with bot linemen for a few seasons... But otherwise, even if I don't think my team needs an offensive lineman, players like this are great pickups for tradebait.

Something I noticed about this year's offensive lineman class, though, is that their Wonderlic scores are a bit on the lower side. Even Jones' class leading score is below average historically. Part of me wonders if this is indicative of a shift in what ISFL teams prioritise...

Time to switch sides and look at the defensive linemen now.

Defensive linemen this year mostly look like good prospects, and I'd be doing you all a disservice if I didn't address the situation of Aidan Hutchinson Jr. Widely tipped to be the first name off the board next week, he looks the part here. Let me just remind you of what I said about ISFL defensive linemen earlier. Do you see what I mean now? This guy runs a 4.4 forty. That's insane. A guy that size, running that fast... it shouldn't be a thing. Hutchinson leads the class in four events, all of which suggest explosiveness and agility. This guy isn't a steamroller type. He's an elite edge rusher in the making. Sure, his DSFL numbers might not have been as strong as people had expected, but this weekend he has shown that he has the tools. Every ISFL GM will fancy themselves to be the one who brings the best out of this kid.

All that talk about Hutchinson shouldn't distract you from Sledge Hammer, though. Similarly explosive, and slightly quicker straight line speed, combined with sharper mentals ... if Hutchinson is a first overall pick, Hammer might be a second overall -- assuming Jones doesn't go before him.

Even if you miss out on those two, there's still a lot of talent here. Carly Rae Jensen, Teddy Rhinoback, and Jack Hammer (no relation, as far as I'm aware) are all also high end talents. You really can't go wrong with any of these guys. You just have to consider their strengths. For example, lining Jensen up as an edge rusher might not be the best idea, since she's clearly a more power-oriented player, and might not have the speed or agility to hang with ISFL talent (yet). Similarly, lining Hutchinson up as a nose tackle would be silly.

Gotta look at team fit, as always. But this is a solid class with multiple viable options.

Moving back a level, we have linebackers.

The pundits choice in this class is legacy player Cruella de Ville, and it's not hard to see why. She's quick, she's strong, she's agile. Again, all the tools you want for a good pass rusher. But... our algorithm actually places her second in the class, behind Brian Duke. Interestingly, de Ville outperformed Duke in four events -- highlighting her explosive strength and surprising agility -- but our algorithm sees Duke's significantly better Wonderlic and five extra reps on the bench, and says "hey no this guy is the one". I won't claim to be an expert on how the algorithm works, but I do know that the guys behind it have done extensive testing and calculations based on the data... Speaking from experience as a defensive player, I can definitely attest to the importance of smarts. I was never the best athlete, but I could hang, because I could read the play. It's something all of my coaches throughout my career, from high school to my final season with the Hawks ... they all said that was my edge. Reading the play well gives you a split second more time to react, and at the ISFL level, a split second can be a few yards. A few yards is the difference between a first down and a turnover, or a stop and a touchdown.

Zavier Perkins is another high ceiling player. He's not far off de Ville and Duke. Closer to the latter, but not quite as mentally sharp, based on his Wonderlic score. But again, these guys are all pretty similarly impressive. Caleb Hayden and Tank McGibbons are also in the mix, both putting up an impressive 37 reps on the bench, and posting similar numbers on the jumps and agility drills to the other three we've looked at so far. Another strong class overall.

For all I spoke about the importance of mentals, they can't save you if you're just not that athletic. To a layperson, a difference of say, 0.2 seconds in the forty or a foot in the broad jump doesn't sound like a lot, but it effectively nullifies any advantage you gain from being better at reading the game or quicker to process thoughts... and that's the problem for guys like Toby Knerr and Alexander Lawrence. They're smart guys, and decent athletes... but when comparing to ISFL athletes, they're a couple steps behind, and they will need to make up that gap if they're going to make careers for themselves in this league.

Now we reach my personal favourite position group; the defensive backs.

Jimmy Jeetaaaaa. Man, this guy reminds me of Lennox Garnett, the first guy I signed to my agency. He's not as quick, but he's an all-rounder at a high level, and that Wonderlic score is top tier for a defensive back (I would know, I scored a 30 and that was considered pretty good). He's not the only prospect in this group who caught my eye, though. Casino Robin is similar, there's not much between the two overall. Robin slightly quicker straight line speed, Jeeta a bit smarter, Robin slightly stronger, Jeeta a bit more agile. It's tight. I don't know who'll be first off the board between the two, but I'm fairly certain one of them will be first among the defensive backs.

Reshad Morris and Diggs Sideline-touchdown are also strong options, though the algorithm rates Morris significantly better -- probably down to Diggs' below average Wonderlic score -- and I suspect both will be in pretty high demand, particularly among teams who need depth at DB but have more pressing needs, so won't want to spend a first (or maybe even a second) round pick on one.

I never rule out a prospect entirely, so I wouldn't say any of these other guys aren't going to make the grade... but in comparison, their chances look significantly lower, let's say.

Final position group, the placekickers

[Image: TafiJya.png]

Now that we've changed the setup for kickers... There's not much to say here, except that David Doug gets an impressive 40 on the Wonderlic... but that's not what we're here for is it? We want the Placekicker Challenge. Let's get it.

Code:
Booter McGavin    o o o  o o o    74

Mike Makmur      o o o  o o o    74

David Doug        o o o  o o o    74

Round one started off hot. All three entrants nailing a perfect six for six. Nice. Literally nothing to separate them at this point, a rarity, to be honest.

Code:
Booter McGavin    o o o  o o o  o o x  126  Total: 200

Mike Makmur      o o o  o o o  o o o  140  Total: 214

David Doug        o o o  o o o  o x o  126  Total: 200

After thirteen straight successes each, we finally see some deviation, when David Doug sends his eighth kick from thirty yards (his second on the right hash) slightly wide of the upright. Booter McGavin, perhaps feeling a bit of pressure after Doug's miss, does the same thing on his third from the right (ninth overall from thirty). Mike Makmur, however, has ice in his veins, and nails all nine of his kicks in the second round to take a slight lead early on. As all three made enough to nab the bonus points for round two, Makmur's lead is just fourteen points, with plenty more to go.

Code:
Booter McGavin    x x o  x o o  o o o  126  Total: 326

Mike Makmur      o o x  x o x  o o o  124  Total: 338

David Doug        o x o  o o x  x o o  124  Total: 324

Things remain tight, with all three contestants sending three kicks wide of the uprights in this round. Makmur's early consistency abandons him on his third attempt down the centre, and he shanks two from the left before he recovers to make all three from the right. McGavin struggles through the middle, landing just one, and sends his first from the left wide as well, before nailing his last five. Doug on the other hand seems to have a different kind of problem, missing one from each position. Once again, all three manage to pick up the bonus points, but could the patterns of misses be a hint at what to expect in the final two rounds?

Code:
Booter McGavin    o o o  o o o  o o x  185  Total: 511

Mike Makmur      o o o  o o o  o o o  160  Total: 498

David Doug        o o o  o o o  o x o  180  Total: 504

Oh dear! It's all starting to unravel for Makmur. For the first time, he's missed more than his opponents, sending one from the centre wide, and then two of his three attempts from the right. Elsewhere, David Doug nails all three from the centre, and sends one each from the left and right wide of the posts. Booter McGavin's two misses (one from the centre and one from the left) come before he nails all three from the right, putting him ever-so-slightly into the lead overall. It's all to play for in the final round, where each kicker gets three attempts from sixty yards.

Booter McGavin up first... he nails it!
Mike Makmur steps up...... he's hit the crossbar! No good!
David Doug fires one off.. nailed it!

Change of kicking order for the second attempt...

David Doug first up...... oh dear! He's made a proper mess of that one. Completely miskicked it.
Booter McGavin has a chance to extend his lead... and he sends it wide!
Mike Makmur up last...... this one touches down in the end zone. He's fallen short again!

All three missed their second attempt. It's all to play for on the final kick...

Mike Makmur up first this time... and would you believe it?! He's hit the crossbar again! What a nightmare for Makmur. Accurate laterally but he just didn't have the power to get them through the uprights.
David Doug second up... he's done it!
Pressure is all on Booter for the final kick. If he makes it, he's the winner...
Booter McGavin steps up... it's good!

With that, we crown this year's champion, Booter McGavin!

Code:
Booter McGavin    o x o    90  + 10 Streak bonus    Total: 611

Mike Makmur      x x x    0  + 10 Streak bonus    Total: 508

David Doug        o x o    90  + 10 Streak bonus    Total: 604

RE: Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - SchwarzNarr - 10-06-2022

Sim League Hutch and IRL Hutch being similar in their results pleases me greatly.

RE: Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - dude_man - 10-06-2022

But I was told that Aiden Frost ran a 4.2

RE: Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - 37thchamber - 10-06-2022

(10-06-2022, 04:36 PM)dude_man Wrote: But I was told that Aiden Frost ran a 4.2

Hand timed doesn't count

RE: Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - TwoSocks - 10-06-2022

(10-06-2022, 04:43 PM)37thchamber Wrote:
(10-06-2022, 04:36 PM)dude_man Wrote: But I was told that Aiden Frost ran a 4.2

Hand timed doesn't count

It might've been because his girlfriend timed it

RE: Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - Billybolo53 - 10-06-2022

Nice, Hodges with the quickest 40 time

RE: Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - Starboy - 10-06-2022

All those BBB rushing records to only have average/above average RB combine smh. Automatic reach

RE: Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - infinitempg - 10-06-2022

wow i can't believe i'm so bad at kicking

RE: Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - BOOM™ - 10-06-2022

Burner is obviously a 3rd rounder.

RE: Season 38 ISFL scouting combine - caravaggio - 10-06-2022

This is awesome, I actually read through old combine posts the other day and was a little disappointed that they hadn't kept up over the seasons. But this looks like a ton of work, and it's appreciated.

Thrilled to see Walrus Jones crushing it too, hopefully he didn't peak that weekend!