The First Round of the NFL Draft this year showed an emphasis on the need for athletic defensive linemen. These are men that are 260 to 330 lbs., but can explode off the ball and move as quick as men that weigh 200 lbs. This is an example of the combination of strength and athleticism expected and required to perform at the professional level in football.
Tyson Jackson (DE, LSU) is big enough to play as an interior lineman, but he shows excellent body control and quickness. This will allow the Kansas City Chiefs the freedom to align him on the exterior or interior. Aaron Maybin (DE, Penn State) is athletic enough to be able to move laterally and be able to cover defenders running routes. This quality is going to give the Buffalo Bills the choice to let Maybin rush the quarterback, or drop into coverage.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Draft Expectations
The NFL Draft is a way for franchises of the NFL to pick a young athlete out of college to play for their team. But, its not a simple process (in fact, far from simple!). Players are tested and graded and measured like they are rats in a science lab.
They want to know how fast you can run in a straight line to be able to determine how fast you will be able to run down a runningback. Teams want to know if you had any "off-the-field issues" in high school and/or college to see if you will be a problem child in the future. They want to know what kind of attitude you had in the locker room in college to see if you'll be a good teammate... and rightfully so. These franchises are putting a lot of faith into the players they are drafting, especially in the first round. The teams want the players to be responsible members of the community, be able to sell tickets with a cheerful smile, but still be able to produce on the football field (which sometimes means: hit someone so hard they don't want to get up).
The players who make it to the NFL have it good, but the expectations to be doscile off the field and a sociopath on it are too outrageous. It's not always as easy as flipping the switch...
They want to know how fast you can run in a straight line to be able to determine how fast you will be able to run down a runningback. Teams want to know if you had any "off-the-field issues" in high school and/or college to see if you will be a problem child in the future. They want to know what kind of attitude you had in the locker room in college to see if you'll be a good teammate... and rightfully so. These franchises are putting a lot of faith into the players they are drafting, especially in the first round. The teams want the players to be responsible members of the community, be able to sell tickets with a cheerful smile, but still be able to produce on the football field (which sometimes means: hit someone so hard they don't want to get up).
The players who make it to the NFL have it good, but the expectations to be doscile off the field and a sociopath on it are too outrageous. It's not always as easy as flipping the switch...
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)