NFL teams could use a scoring system to ensure that they get the most quality player for each pick. This means that they draft the best combination of player / position need for their team.
There are two parts to this scoring system. First, rate each position on the team in terms of need. Each position would get a rating from one to five. Here are what the ratings would mean. Rank each position based on the value of the current starter.
- One = should be on the practice team
- Two = would ride the pine on other teams
- Three = average ability starter
- Four = Pro-Bowler
- Five = franchise player and future hall of famer
Each position on the team would be ranked. The coaches may want to rank sub categories for each position. So, they may have different rankings for left and right guard. There may be rankings for the #1, #2 and #3 receivers as well as linebackers vs. nickel backs. Rank as many positions as make sense for the team.
The second part of the scoring system is to rank players that are eligible for the upcoming draft. Each position coach should come up with a point system for there positions. The way the points for are determined for each position can differ, but the maximum number of points available for each position should be the same.
For example, lets say that all positions have a maximum of 100 points that can be awarded to a player. The wide receiver coach comes up with the following criteria:
- Speed: 0 to 20 points
- Hands: 0 to 25 points
- Yards after catch: 0 to 15 points
- Route running: 0 to 30 points
- Attitude: 0 to 10 points
The corner back coach comes up with the following criteria:
- Speed: 0 to 20 points
- Tackling: 0 to 15 points
- Pass defense: 0 to 40 points
- Knowledge: 0 to 15 points
- Attitude: 0 to 10 points
Again, each position coach comes up with a ranking system for players at their position. The total points a player can earn can not exceed 100. Once the coach has a ranking system, they will rank the top 10 or so players eligible for the draft who can play the position. If a player can play multiple positions, they will get a ranking for each position.
Finally, the position and player ranks are entered into a database. The head coach and general manager can run a report that will multiply the position rank for each position by each player’s rank for their position, sort the score in descending order and display the results. Here is an example.
PLAYER; COLLEGE; POSITION; SCORE
Brett Favre; Southern Miss.; Quarterback; 350 (70 x 5)
Kordell Stewart; Colorado; Quarterback; 325 (65 x 5)
Herschel Walker; Georgia; Halfback; 240 (80 x 3)
On draft day, when the team gets their pick, they simply draft the player with the highest score who has not been drafted already. With this system, there is a lot of up-front work, but draft day should be a breeze.
