*Season 19 NSFL Draft Combine

[37thchamber]

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Season 19 Edition

The annual workout day for NSFL prospects is back -- you may have noticed the season 17 & 18 highlights had no commentary, this is because the guy in the tape room didn't edit the footage properly. Yeah I mean you Jerry! > Stop slacking and get your shit together! -- giving NSFL front office people a chance to get a look at their potential draft selections in a controlled environment that doesn't at all replicate game conditions!

First up, the quarterbacks



Avon Blocksdale Jr. scores 44 on the Wonderlic, which is tied for 6th highest score of all-time among NSFL players. You can tell he's a pocket passer, though, since he's not much of an athlete otherwise. In contrast, Deondre Thomas-Fox might not be the brightest among this year's quarterback class -- though it should be noted that a score of 39 on the Wonderlic is not to be sniffed at; it's a score that puts him in the 93rd percentile among NSFL players -- he is by far and away the most gifted athlete in this class. A team with a savvy offensive co-ordinator could potentially do great things with a guy like him under center.

Next up, runningbacks.



Okay so… running backs aren’t known for being the brightest of guys. As this group painfully demonstrates. A group high of 3 (yes, three) on the Wonderlic would suggest these guys are probably not the best options if you want a pass catching back; at least not if you have an even remotely complicated play calling system or route tree. However, they’re all pretty quick -- that 4.41 time is the slowest in this group, and would still rank in the top 40 times for a running back in NSFL history -- and show good agility. The standout of the group is clearly Quindarius Tyerucker, who leads his position group in every event. His list of possible destinations has undoubtedly narrowed given recent events in free agency, but still remains lengthy, as these numbers show there is a solid chance he could make an impact on at least half the teams in the league in his rookie year.

On to the wide receivers.



We had a nice little mini-duel here between Rayne Gordon and Sweet James-Jones, with the two looking like interchangeable selections when we’re talking first receiver off the board. James-Jones has the edge on the Wonderlic and bench press, while Gordon edges him out in every other measurable. You might put that down to their differing play-styles, though. Astute scouts will note that and factor it in when making their reports to front office… It should be noted, also, that Jacob Andrews Jr, despite not being comparable to Gordon or James-Jones in terms of smarts or raw speed and agility, might be the preferable option if you want a guy to go over the middle and grab passes. Leading the pack on the bench press and vertical jump drills, he’s a unit. With some improvement, he looks like he could compare favourably to NSFL legend Robert Phelps.

Not quite the same as the wideouts, but similar, we also have tight ends.



I’m gonna be honest with you here… tight end classes aren’t often particularly impressive. This is no exception. However, Austin McCormick… boi. This guy’s numbers compare favourably with this year’s wide receivers. Take notes, NSFL teams. His 4.34 time in the 40 yard dash is the best run by a tight end in NSFL history, and he’s no slouch elsewhere, ranking in the 70th percentile or above (among tight ends) in every event.

Last of the position groups on the offensive side of the ball, the offensive linemen; decreasing in novelty in the league these days, but interestingly scarce this year…



Just the one man has taken up this particular challenge this year… He may live to regret it. Let’s uh… leave it there, shall we?

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



Another mini-duel here, between Vassallo and Kearse. Bjornsson not miles behind them. The less said about Jon Adams, the better, though. Let’s talk about those top two guys for a second. Vassallo looks to be the superior athlete, his vert and broad jump showing great explosiveness, and his shuttle and 3-cone showing good agility, which typically translates to shedding blockers in order to reach the backfield. Kearse, though, is faster -- admittedly not by a lot, but the margins at this level are extra fine -- as well as possessing more raw strength, and seems a bit sharper mentally.

In a sport where recognising a play call and reacting fractions of a second quicker could be the difference between a sack or QB hit and conceding a 20 yard pass play… there’s a case to be made that Kearse is the better option. It all comes down to what you think you can coach better. Can you teach Vassallo to read the offense? Can you improve Kearse’s measurables? Maybe you want a bit more of a project player and go for Bjornsson, who is as smart as Kearse, but needs a bit more work in terms of athleticism. All solid options for the next level, though.

Moving back a level, we have linebackers.



Jeremiah Legend is perhaps setting the wrong kind of legend here. Players with worse workouts have gone on to have solid professional careers (like Vontaze Burfict, if you uh… in fact, you know what? Ignore that) but we know that NSFL teams put quite a lot of stock in the combine.

The other options in this position group this year are both very solid selections, likely to go a lot earlier than Legend. Assuming he gets selected at all. Hardagain and Arianlacher are similarly matched athletes, and both look capable of making the step up immediately -- depending on surrounding casts, of course; you don’t want to plunge a rookie in at MLB for an NSFL team where he’s flanked by over-the-hill guys, and/or has limited support from the safeties. If pressed, you’d give the edge to Arianlacher, that significantly better showing on the Wonderlic suggests he might be better suited to become a potential leader of the defense in that Mike slot. Hardagain would also be a solid choice in that role, but may be a better option at Will, using that explosive speed and frankly unnatural agility to reach his man a bit quicker than Arianlacher might.

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



Kacey Dream looking like a straight up a nightmare to match up against for a receiver, after recording the joint fifth fastest 40 yard time in NSFL history. Among all position groups. This man is fast. It would be a little surprising not to see him taken in the first few picks, to be honest, given the relative scarcity of top quality defensive backs in the NSFL when compared to available roles. I say a little surprising because Mason Blaylock is also a terrifying prospect for receivers to come up against. Roughly equal with Dream in every category except the Wonderlic, we’re talking about two guys who could fill a need for a lot of teams.

Lazer-Eyes and Beat are the next two guys off the board in my opinion, representing good value for a second round pick in this draft, and while not quite on the same level as Dream or Blaylock, they’re still noticeably ahead of the rest of this class on most measures.

Finally, we come to special teams. Remember, kids: #KickerLivesMatter



It’s a bit weird that we even ask kickers to workout at the combine, if I’m honest. The leading candidate in this draft class among kickers is probably Jordan Jackson, right? Well… the combine results would suggest not. Hunter Scott is the guy, if we go by the numbers, after leading the class in every measure. Yet, last season in the DSFL, Scott was nowhere near Jackson in terms of output. Who knows? Maybe on a better team, Scott would have shone more brightly?

To wrap things up, some notes about this season’s combine.

With the exception of Kacey Dream’s outstanding 40 yard time, and Blocksdale Jr’s Wonderlic score, no member of this draft class has troubled the leaderboards for any event at the combine.

Kacey Dream is this year’s workout warrior, appearing in the top five for this class in all events except the Wonderlic and bench press.

This year’s vertical jump numbers appear to be far off the leaderboards, when in fact, this year’s leader (Mack Arianlacher, 32.2) would be a top five result in almost every previous year. The leaderboards are simply dominated by an abnormally strong draft class from the league’s inaugural season.

This is the first fully covered NSFL Scouting Combine in a few years, with broadcasters questioning its appeal moving forward. Some have advocated for a modification, using more skills-based drills in addition to the classic format, as was previously seen at the DSFL Workout Day in season 10. Wu Tang Sports Management are said to be working on the mechanics for this, and are considering a test run next season, depending on how timings work out. :eyes:

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NOTE: If anyone is interested at looking at some historic combine data, click here. Hopefully, that works as designed. Should be useful for comparing results/benchmarking. Gonna try and add more comparisons later, too.

[Nokazoa]

Just want to say this is great!

[SweetJamesJones]

this shit is dope