07-27-2020, 01:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-22-2020, 11:42 AM by 37thchamber.)
ISFL Scouting Combine
Season 24 Edition
The results of the annual workout day for ISFL prospects are here, and the seventy-seven strong class have performed well. In fact, there are new names on the all-time top ten leaderboards for five of the seven exercises at the combine. Nice.
As usual, the scouting combine took place over a few days, giving ISFL 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. So why do we do it? Uh...
Anyway, first up, the quarterbacks
Okay so... we have to talk about Mike Boss Jr. We have to. This is... for the new guys reading this, Mike Boss is legendary. Like seriously. Until recently, there hadn't been another quarterback who came close really (hi, Franklin Armstrong) and the guy basically owned pretty much all of the relevant QB records for a long ass time. Now his son is entering the league. The league has changed a lot and you look at the numbers being put up here and you gotta wonder whether junior can live up to that kind of hype. His combine numbers are not encouraging, it has to be said.
Sam Howtizer looks like someone to watch, same goes for Caliban. Both look like they may have the tools to be dual threat quarterbacks; and while that was a really tough ask in the ISFL of old, it seems to be more viable these days.
Joseph Joestar looks more like your classic pocket passer type, which will perhaps make him an attractive proposition for teams looking to groom a youngster with a high ceiling. If you can protect him, he might just have all the tools needed to be a top tier signal caller.
Meanwhile Cortez is a difficult one to read here. He's seemingly got the natural talent to go either direction, which could be a plus for any team looking to draft their QB of the future; he won't need to be picked by a team playing a specific kind of system potentially.
Next up, let's look at the runningbacks.
Alright, we all know what we're here for. Runningbacks in the ISFL are overwhelmingly built for speed. You don't often get bruiser types dominating headlines on combine weekend -- even if power backs can and do go on to have exceptional careers. This year's class is pretty interesting, because you have talented players like Crowbar Theeks -- who seems to straddle that speed/power line really well; but has openly expressed a disillusionment with the professional game, sadly; and Captain Rogers -- who doesn't have Theeks' power but might offer more in the receiving game... but both are overshadowed by Zoe Watts and Mai Fukushuu.
For what it's worth, Theeks is probably my pick for most talented of the bunch, but with questions over his longevity you simply cannot argue with Watts' 4.24 in the 40, combined with elite agility and decent strength. Some will point to Fukushuu's superior time in the 40, but it's literally the only event she bested Watts in, and even then, only by a hundredth of a second. Of course, this isn't to say Fukushuu herself isn't a talent. She absolutely is. I just find it hard to believe any front office would select another runningback in this class ahead of Watts.
I didn't forget the others by the way, I just don't think there's as much to talk about as with the four I led with. Sergio Kitchens maybe deserves an honorable mention here as a reasonable selection in place of Theeks if you're concerned about Theeks' commitment to the game, as he seemed to be right behind him in most events. In fact, my evaluation scores put him slightly above Watts overall, though I don't think it's unfair to argue that Watts might have a higher ceiling. She's noticeably faster and more agile, while not sacrificing much strength. Kitchens is smarter, but when you score a seven on the wonderlic, you're hardly in a position to lord it over someone. Even if that someone is apparently as dumb as a particularly intellectually challenged bag of rocks. On that note, congratulations to eliajah Williams for being the only runningback in this class to score double figures on the wonderlic. I suspect you may be the only one of the class who can spell their own name, and count the number of birthdays they've had without taking off their shoes.
On to the wide receivers.
I'm not gonna lie... I usually get pretty hype over wide receivers because there's usually a nice variety of skillsets and whatnot. This year, not so much. Taro Raimon and Gunner Thorbjornsson look like the leading prospects in this class to me. Particularly the latter. A nicely rounded skillset makes him a versatile option to plug into pretty much any recieving role. He has the pace to go deep (admittedly 4.3 isn't top top tier, but it's still pretty f'n quick) as well as the smarts and agility to run a crisp route; he's not particularly strong but he has enough about him to create separation, and the leading vert in the class makes him a possible option over the middle. Taro Raimon isn't as versatile but still a fantastic prospect with comparable numbers in most events. He just lacks that upper body strength at the moment, but that's what gyms are for. Joshua Campbell deserves mention here too, as a sort of Taro Raimon lite almost. Very similar numbers this weekend, and seemingly a similar skillset overall.
Korbin Brown is an interesting option who looks like a pure speed receiver who might need some careful coaching to get the best out of him, while Logan Hex could be a fantastic option in the slot where his strength will perhaps make him a more reliable option over the middle. Tre'Darius J'Vathon ... my guy, you ain't helping your stock with this showing. I gotta be real with you man.
That's enough about wide receivers though. We also have tight ends to check out [yeah we do, *wink wink nudge nudge* - Ed.]
Tight Ends often get a pretty rough deal. It's hard to appraise them on the combine weekend because they often need such varied skillsets that just don't really translate well to the exercises we measure here. Ragnar Krashwagen looks like the overall best prospect though, landing pretty much middle of the pack in every event in the end. Some will say that a tight end with a particular strength is better, but I disagree. With the right coaching, a guy who isn't bad at anything is more likely to blossom into a hall of famer. Frank Mitchell isn't far behind Krashwagen either, I would say. I think he's edged out slightly by Ragnar's smarts and better agility. For a big guy, you can't overestimate how much impact that slightly better agility can have.
If you subscribe to the specialism school of thought though, Ne Mo might be your guy. This guy looks like a proper vertical threat out of the tight end position, and could be a real problem in the red zone too as the clear class leader in pretty much any exercise that could translate to creating separation, and a vert nearing 26 inches.
Last of the position groups on the offensive side of the ball, the offensive linemen. Often overlooked but there's a lot more "fair rubs" for them these days.
Let's be real for a second. There's a clear winner here. Mac Elephant is "that guy". He's smart, he's strong, and he is deceptively quick for a guy his size. If you have a guy under center you want to protect, draft Mac. I said it.
That's not to say that there aren't other guys in this class who could also prove to be top tier linemen. Riposte and Pennington Jr both come from elite stock and look the part. In any other draft, they'd probably be the clear top picks at their position... but they happened to fall into the same class as, well, a freak. I'm not really sure how else to break this down but literally the only event that Mac didn't dominate is the three cone drill. In which he "only" got second place among offensive linemen, losing out to Pennington Jr by less than a tenth of a second.
Time to switch sides and look at the defensive linemen now.
Oh lord... we have some absolute *monsters* over here. By my count, we have five, maybe six defensive linemen in this class who could stake a claim to be classified among the most terrifying players in the position group that the league has seen. Asher Montain, who I believe was the first overall pick in the DSFL draft last year could very well go first overall again in the ISFL draft this year, the kid is terrifying. He is roughly as fast as some of the best defensive backs in league history, not far off the strength of the strongest guys in league history, and just all around monstrous athletically.
In most leagues, we'd be talking about him as a generational talent, but alas, this is the ISFL. If you wanted value, you wouldn't take Montain at first overall. Purely because there are another four or five names you could likely pick up a bit later who represent simlar quality. Arguably equal or better in fact. Dorothy Zbornak is as fast, and a bit more agile, while not being much weaker (40 reps is nothing to sniff at). Harrison Andrews and Arlington Heights are in the same bracker, with Azarius Ranger and Sigismund Sternenstaub not far behind them (mainly because they're barely smarter than a smart ISFL runningback, which is roughly equivalent to a moderately intelligent twelve year old).
Worst thing is, even beyond those six names, there's value to be found. I really don't have time to go through all the names available here, but really the only prospect who doesn't look like they can realistically cut it at ISFL level (yet) is Michael Cera. As an aside, why isn't this guy's nickname Shaft? C'mon that would be hilarious.
Moving back a level, we have linebackers.
Linebackers are another interesting group because of how versatile their skillset often needs to be, and I think in the current ISFL meta, they may be the most important players on defense now that safeties can't line up in linebacker slots. For this class, I think we have some solid depth, with a good four or five names here probably ready to step up immediately. None more so, in my eyes, than Adam Schell. Some will point to the clear potential of Alejandro Chainbreaker and Brach Thomaslacher as guys who can really help the blitz, or get into the backfield with regularity thanks to their speed and agility, which usually lends itself to strong block shedding... but Schell isn't far behind either of them in the agility and speed stakes -- in fact, he beat both in the three cone drill -- while also possessing solid strength to really wrap up a runningback before they break into the secondary, as well as a strong vertical jump which could be a major help if he has to help out in coverage. On top of all that, he's got the smarts to play middle linebacker and quarterback the defense. The kid is going places, I'm sure.
The other strong options here, Busch Light, Jeremiah Zelos and Juan Domine, are more bruiser types whose sheer power should strike fear into runningbacks as well as any receivers who might chance it over the middle. While none of the trio are *slow* per se, their speed and agility is a clear level behind the first group I mentioned, and as a result, they may require more run support from the secondary.
Speaking of the secondary, now we reach my personal favourite position group; the defensive backs.
Quentin Button and Maverick Bowie are the standouts here, with Joel Drake not far behind. Bowie leads the defensive backs class in every event except the wonderlic -- shame, really; kid is a fantastic athlete but dumb as rocks -- while Button isn't far behind him, while notching a respectable 37 on the wonderlic. Drake leads the class on the wonderlic with 39, but is noticeably not as strong as the other two, while not really able to hang with them in terms of athleticism either. He does represent a level above most others though, with perhaps Zack Mouse, Grummy Bear and Nerdy Name in a similar position.
Notably, most of the good prospects this class are safeties. If you want a pure cornerback, the best option is probably Rickie Vaughne, who is above average among DBs in all events except the three cone drill -- which may or may not be a dealbreaker, depending on how much your scouts have been assessing his mechanics. Was it an off day, or does he lack the fluidity of motion to truly be an elite corner? Hard for me to say based on combine results only.
Finally, we come to special teams. I'll be honest, I only include this because the kicker mafia make me do it. Who ever heard of a sport where kicking in the most important attribute?
(for those of you who don't get the joke, I'm a retired soccer player/coach)
I've said it before and I'll say it again... I really don't know why we insist on making these guys do the same exercises as the others. It doesn't seem fair, really. We really should get that skills challenge thing going, I've spoken to a few people and it's in the works.
Anyway, not much to say here. It's near impossible to judge a kicker's potential from the combine in my opinion... but I suppose you can maybe gauge professionalism by the results. And a more professsional, dedicated athlete is almost guaranteed to have a higher ceiling than others. To that end, Juke Thomason is the clear top choice among these guys... though it's not particularly impressive on his part either. I suspect I have a dead grandmother who runs the 40 quicker than that.
* * * * *
To wrap things up, some notes about this season’s combine.
Joseph Joestar's 46 in the wonderlic equals the second best score of all-time, trailing only the legendary Otters QB and first ballot Hall of Famer, Mike Boss. Imagine being that guy's son. Yikes.
Three new names appear in the top ten list for the 40 yard dash, with Zoe Watts and Maverick Bowie slotting in at joint second, ahead of names such as Stormlessed and Emondov Emoji (4.25), while mysterious Japanese runningback Mai Fukushuu equals the all-time record -- which has stood since our very first combine, I might add -- and now sits joint first with Boss Tweed, with a 40 yard time of 4-23 seconds.
Wide Receiver Taro Raimon busts into the top ten for the three cone drill with an impressive 6.83 seconds. This makes him only the second new player to appear in the top ten for this exercise since Dermot Lavelle *senior* back in 2017.
In a similar vein, Maverick Bowie's 35.9 inch vertical jump is good enough for tenth all-time, also only the second new face on this list in some time. The top eight are all from the very first scouting combine.
Maverick Bowie could actually be most deserving of the workout warrior title this year, in fact. He broke into *three* top ten all-time leaderboards, taking the top spot in the broad jump with a massive leap of 137.6 inches.
Season 24 Edition
The results of the annual workout day for ISFL prospects are here, and the seventy-seven strong class have performed well. In fact, there are new names on the all-time top ten leaderboards for five of the seven exercises at the combine. Nice.
As usual, the scouting combine took place over a few days, giving ISFL 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. So why do we do it? Uh...
Anyway, first up, the quarterbacks
Okay so... we have to talk about Mike Boss Jr. We have to. This is... for the new guys reading this, Mike Boss is legendary. Like seriously. Until recently, there hadn't been another quarterback who came close really (hi, Franklin Armstrong) and the guy basically owned pretty much all of the relevant QB records for a long ass time. Now his son is entering the league. The league has changed a lot and you look at the numbers being put up here and you gotta wonder whether junior can live up to that kind of hype. His combine numbers are not encouraging, it has to be said.
Sam Howtizer looks like someone to watch, same goes for Caliban. Both look like they may have the tools to be dual threat quarterbacks; and while that was a really tough ask in the ISFL of old, it seems to be more viable these days.
Joseph Joestar looks more like your classic pocket passer type, which will perhaps make him an attractive proposition for teams looking to groom a youngster with a high ceiling. If you can protect him, he might just have all the tools needed to be a top tier signal caller.
Meanwhile Cortez is a difficult one to read here. He's seemingly got the natural talent to go either direction, which could be a plus for any team looking to draft their QB of the future; he won't need to be picked by a team playing a specific kind of system potentially.
Next up, let's look at the runningbacks.
Alright, we all know what we're here for. Runningbacks in the ISFL are overwhelmingly built for speed. You don't often get bruiser types dominating headlines on combine weekend -- even if power backs can and do go on to have exceptional careers. This year's class is pretty interesting, because you have talented players like Crowbar Theeks -- who seems to straddle that speed/power line really well; but has openly expressed a disillusionment with the professional game, sadly; and Captain Rogers -- who doesn't have Theeks' power but might offer more in the receiving game... but both are overshadowed by Zoe Watts and Mai Fukushuu.
For what it's worth, Theeks is probably my pick for most talented of the bunch, but with questions over his longevity you simply cannot argue with Watts' 4.24 in the 40, combined with elite agility and decent strength. Some will point to Fukushuu's superior time in the 40, but it's literally the only event she bested Watts in, and even then, only by a hundredth of a second. Of course, this isn't to say Fukushuu herself isn't a talent. She absolutely is. I just find it hard to believe any front office would select another runningback in this class ahead of Watts.
I didn't forget the others by the way, I just don't think there's as much to talk about as with the four I led with. Sergio Kitchens maybe deserves an honorable mention here as a reasonable selection in place of Theeks if you're concerned about Theeks' commitment to the game, as he seemed to be right behind him in most events. In fact, my evaluation scores put him slightly above Watts overall, though I don't think it's unfair to argue that Watts might have a higher ceiling. She's noticeably faster and more agile, while not sacrificing much strength. Kitchens is smarter, but when you score a seven on the wonderlic, you're hardly in a position to lord it over someone. Even if that someone is apparently as dumb as a particularly intellectually challenged bag of rocks. On that note, congratulations to eliajah Williams for being the only runningback in this class to score double figures on the wonderlic. I suspect you may be the only one of the class who can spell their own name, and count the number of birthdays they've had without taking off their shoes.
On to the wide receivers.
I'm not gonna lie... I usually get pretty hype over wide receivers because there's usually a nice variety of skillsets and whatnot. This year, not so much. Taro Raimon and Gunner Thorbjornsson look like the leading prospects in this class to me. Particularly the latter. A nicely rounded skillset makes him a versatile option to plug into pretty much any recieving role. He has the pace to go deep (admittedly 4.3 isn't top top tier, but it's still pretty f'n quick) as well as the smarts and agility to run a crisp route; he's not particularly strong but he has enough about him to create separation, and the leading vert in the class makes him a possible option over the middle. Taro Raimon isn't as versatile but still a fantastic prospect with comparable numbers in most events. He just lacks that upper body strength at the moment, but that's what gyms are for. Joshua Campbell deserves mention here too, as a sort of Taro Raimon lite almost. Very similar numbers this weekend, and seemingly a similar skillset overall.
Korbin Brown is an interesting option who looks like a pure speed receiver who might need some careful coaching to get the best out of him, while Logan Hex could be a fantastic option in the slot where his strength will perhaps make him a more reliable option over the middle. Tre'Darius J'Vathon ... my guy, you ain't helping your stock with this showing. I gotta be real with you man.
That's enough about wide receivers though. We also have tight ends to check out [yeah we do, *wink wink nudge nudge* - Ed.]
Tight Ends often get a pretty rough deal. It's hard to appraise them on the combine weekend because they often need such varied skillsets that just don't really translate well to the exercises we measure here. Ragnar Krashwagen looks like the overall best prospect though, landing pretty much middle of the pack in every event in the end. Some will say that a tight end with a particular strength is better, but I disagree. With the right coaching, a guy who isn't bad at anything is more likely to blossom into a hall of famer. Frank Mitchell isn't far behind Krashwagen either, I would say. I think he's edged out slightly by Ragnar's smarts and better agility. For a big guy, you can't overestimate how much impact that slightly better agility can have.
If you subscribe to the specialism school of thought though, Ne Mo might be your guy. This guy looks like a proper vertical threat out of the tight end position, and could be a real problem in the red zone too as the clear class leader in pretty much any exercise that could translate to creating separation, and a vert nearing 26 inches.
Last of the position groups on the offensive side of the ball, the offensive linemen. Often overlooked but there's a lot more "fair rubs" for them these days.
Let's be real for a second. There's a clear winner here. Mac Elephant is "that guy". He's smart, he's strong, and he is deceptively quick for a guy his size. If you have a guy under center you want to protect, draft Mac. I said it.
That's not to say that there aren't other guys in this class who could also prove to be top tier linemen. Riposte and Pennington Jr both come from elite stock and look the part. In any other draft, they'd probably be the clear top picks at their position... but they happened to fall into the same class as, well, a freak. I'm not really sure how else to break this down but literally the only event that Mac didn't dominate is the three cone drill. In which he "only" got second place among offensive linemen, losing out to Pennington Jr by less than a tenth of a second.
Time to switch sides and look at the defensive linemen now.
Oh lord... we have some absolute *monsters* over here. By my count, we have five, maybe six defensive linemen in this class who could stake a claim to be classified among the most terrifying players in the position group that the league has seen. Asher Montain, who I believe was the first overall pick in the DSFL draft last year could very well go first overall again in the ISFL draft this year, the kid is terrifying. He is roughly as fast as some of the best defensive backs in league history, not far off the strength of the strongest guys in league history, and just all around monstrous athletically.
In most leagues, we'd be talking about him as a generational talent, but alas, this is the ISFL. If you wanted value, you wouldn't take Montain at first overall. Purely because there are another four or five names you could likely pick up a bit later who represent simlar quality. Arguably equal or better in fact. Dorothy Zbornak is as fast, and a bit more agile, while not being much weaker (40 reps is nothing to sniff at). Harrison Andrews and Arlington Heights are in the same bracker, with Azarius Ranger and Sigismund Sternenstaub not far behind them (mainly because they're barely smarter than a smart ISFL runningback, which is roughly equivalent to a moderately intelligent twelve year old).
Worst thing is, even beyond those six names, there's value to be found. I really don't have time to go through all the names available here, but really the only prospect who doesn't look like they can realistically cut it at ISFL level (yet) is Michael Cera. As an aside, why isn't this guy's nickname Shaft? C'mon that would be hilarious.
Moving back a level, we have linebackers.
Linebackers are another interesting group because of how versatile their skillset often needs to be, and I think in the current ISFL meta, they may be the most important players on defense now that safeties can't line up in linebacker slots. For this class, I think we have some solid depth, with a good four or five names here probably ready to step up immediately. None more so, in my eyes, than Adam Schell. Some will point to the clear potential of Alejandro Chainbreaker and Brach Thomaslacher as guys who can really help the blitz, or get into the backfield with regularity thanks to their speed and agility, which usually lends itself to strong block shedding... but Schell isn't far behind either of them in the agility and speed stakes -- in fact, he beat both in the three cone drill -- while also possessing solid strength to really wrap up a runningback before they break into the secondary, as well as a strong vertical jump which could be a major help if he has to help out in coverage. On top of all that, he's got the smarts to play middle linebacker and quarterback the defense. The kid is going places, I'm sure.
The other strong options here, Busch Light, Jeremiah Zelos and Juan Domine, are more bruiser types whose sheer power should strike fear into runningbacks as well as any receivers who might chance it over the middle. While none of the trio are *slow* per se, their speed and agility is a clear level behind the first group I mentioned, and as a result, they may require more run support from the secondary.
Speaking of the secondary, now we reach my personal favourite position group; the defensive backs.
Quentin Button and Maverick Bowie are the standouts here, with Joel Drake not far behind. Bowie leads the defensive backs class in every event except the wonderlic -- shame, really; kid is a fantastic athlete but dumb as rocks -- while Button isn't far behind him, while notching a respectable 37 on the wonderlic. Drake leads the class on the wonderlic with 39, but is noticeably not as strong as the other two, while not really able to hang with them in terms of athleticism either. He does represent a level above most others though, with perhaps Zack Mouse, Grummy Bear and Nerdy Name in a similar position.
Notably, most of the good prospects this class are safeties. If you want a pure cornerback, the best option is probably Rickie Vaughne, who is above average among DBs in all events except the three cone drill -- which may or may not be a dealbreaker, depending on how much your scouts have been assessing his mechanics. Was it an off day, or does he lack the fluidity of motion to truly be an elite corner? Hard for me to say based on combine results only.
Finally, we come to special teams. I'll be honest, I only include this because the kicker mafia make me do it. Who ever heard of a sport where kicking in the most important attribute?
(for those of you who don't get the joke, I'm a retired soccer player/coach)
I've said it before and I'll say it again... I really don't know why we insist on making these guys do the same exercises as the others. It doesn't seem fair, really. We really should get that skills challenge thing going, I've spoken to a few people and it's in the works.
Anyway, not much to say here. It's near impossible to judge a kicker's potential from the combine in my opinion... but I suppose you can maybe gauge professionalism by the results. And a more professsional, dedicated athlete is almost guaranteed to have a higher ceiling than others. To that end, Juke Thomason is the clear top choice among these guys... though it's not particularly impressive on his part either. I suspect I have a dead grandmother who runs the 40 quicker than that.
* * * * *
To wrap things up, some notes about this season’s combine.
Joseph Joestar's 46 in the wonderlic equals the second best score of all-time, trailing only the legendary Otters QB and first ballot Hall of Famer, Mike Boss. Imagine being that guy's son. Yikes.
Three new names appear in the top ten list for the 40 yard dash, with Zoe Watts and Maverick Bowie slotting in at joint second, ahead of names such as Stormlessed and Emondov Emoji (4.25), while mysterious Japanese runningback Mai Fukushuu equals the all-time record -- which has stood since our very first combine, I might add -- and now sits joint first with Boss Tweed, with a 40 yard time of 4-23 seconds.
Wide Receiver Taro Raimon busts into the top ten for the three cone drill with an impressive 6.83 seconds. This makes him only the second new player to appear in the top ten for this exercise since Dermot Lavelle *senior* back in 2017.
In a similar vein, Maverick Bowie's 35.9 inch vertical jump is good enough for tenth all-time, also only the second new face on this list in some time. The top eight are all from the very first scouting combine.
Maverick Bowie could actually be most deserving of the workout warrior title this year, in fact. He broke into *three* top ten all-time leaderboards, taking the top spot in the broad jump with a massive leap of 137.6 inches.
NOTE: For the full, sortable results from this season's combine, go here. For historic combine data, with comparisons by position and draft class, click here.
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