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Class of 2007 already under the microscope
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By Gil Brandt
NFL.com Senior Analyst
(March 29, 2006) -- We might be a month away from the 2006 NFL Draft, but my work on the 2007 draft already has begun.
Here is how I prepare: The process begins over a year in advance as I gather a list in late January/early February of about 800 players who will be college seniors in the fall.
I break down the players by position, then divide up the players into groups -- the top 60, the next 100, the possibly draftable and possible undrafted free agents.
Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn is among the 800 college seniors on Gil Brandt's list.
One thing that's very helpful is every school has what's called a spring prospectus, which seems to be getting bigger each year (Notre Dame's 2006 football prospectus is 108 pages). I rely on that, plus take in some of the Junior Pro Days. Then, sometime in the spring, I whittle the player list down to 700. (Think about that: Only 255 players will be drafted this year.)
Before the start of fall practice and continuing through the college football season, I delete and add players on a weekly basis. They are deleted for a number of reasons, including lack of NFL ability, speed or size. Some are added if they all of a sudden have some measurables that might not show up until they are seniors. To make these assessments, I watch tapes, games and go on personal visits.
As an example of how far in advance players can get on the radar, I noticed one player -- Sergio Kindle -- at Texas' Pro Day on March 23. Kindle graduated from high school a semester early so he could participate in spring practice with the Longhorns. In fact, he is one of four "grey shirts" (fall 2005 high school graduates) practicing with Texas this spring. Four years from now, if Kindle's progress continues, he will be on the list.
Another player to catch my eye is Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, who also played high school football last fall and is part of a program that allowed him to graduate early and participate in spring practice.
In January of the current draft year, I add underclassmen who have declared for the NFL draft and then start the process of elimination to get around to 600 players. In February before the NFL Scouting Combine, I start putting players in rounds where they could be drafted.
In my first one, I had 42 slotted for the first round and 74 in over the next two. Eventually, I'll get it down to 34 in the first, 64 in Rounds 2-3, and 112 in Rounds 4-6.
Once the Combine and Pro Days are over, I try to put the players in order by position using the position's dominant trait -- each has one. For example, the dominant characteristic for a successful linebacker is competitiveness. So, when you compare two somewhat equal linebackers, the one that has a very, very high competitive grade will be put ahead of the one with a lesser one. It becomes a never-ending shuffling of the cards.
I also look at players who might have been a sixth- or seventh-rounder at one time and move them all the way up a low No. 2 or a high No. 3. Oklahoma center Chris Chester is an example. Before fall practice, he was not expected to be drafted on Day 1 (Rounds 1-3), but now he has moved all the way up.
Here's what my chart for 2006 looks like right now, with the numbers of players from each position I am projecting to be drafted:
Pos. Rnd 1 Rnd 2-3 Rnd 4-6
QB......3.......1..........7
RB......4........3.........11
FB......0........0.........3
WR.....2........8.........10
TE......2.......4..........5
C.......1........1..........5
G.......0........4..........5
OT.....4........5..........5
DE......4........6..........8
DT......3........4..........8
ILB.....0........3..........5
OLB....3........8..........9
CB......4.......10.........6
S........2.......7..........7
PK.......0.......0..........1
P.........0.......0.........1
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NFL.com Senior Analyst
(March 29, 2006) -- We might be a month away from the 2006 NFL Draft, but my work on the 2007 draft already has begun.
Here is how I prepare: The process begins over a year in advance as I gather a list in late January/early February of about 800 players who will be college seniors in the fall.
I break down the players by position, then divide up the players into groups -- the top 60, the next 100, the possibly draftable and possible undrafted free agents.
Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn is among the 800 college seniors on Gil Brandt's list.
One thing that's very helpful is every school has what's called a spring prospectus, which seems to be getting bigger each year (Notre Dame's 2006 football prospectus is 108 pages). I rely on that, plus take in some of the Junior Pro Days. Then, sometime in the spring, I whittle the player list down to 700. (Think about that: Only 255 players will be drafted this year.)
Before the start of fall practice and continuing through the college football season, I delete and add players on a weekly basis. They are deleted for a number of reasons, including lack of NFL ability, speed or size. Some are added if they all of a sudden have some measurables that might not show up until they are seniors. To make these assessments, I watch tapes, games and go on personal visits.
As an example of how far in advance players can get on the radar, I noticed one player -- Sergio Kindle -- at Texas' Pro Day on March 23. Kindle graduated from high school a semester early so he could participate in spring practice with the Longhorns. In fact, he is one of four "grey shirts" (fall 2005 high school graduates) practicing with Texas this spring. Four years from now, if Kindle's progress continues, he will be on the list.
Another player to catch my eye is Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, who also played high school football last fall and is part of a program that allowed him to graduate early and participate in spring practice.
In January of the current draft year, I add underclassmen who have declared for the NFL draft and then start the process of elimination to get around to 600 players. In February before the NFL Scouting Combine, I start putting players in rounds where they could be drafted.
In my first one, I had 42 slotted for the first round and 74 in over the next two. Eventually, I'll get it down to 34 in the first, 64 in Rounds 2-3, and 112 in Rounds 4-6.
Once the Combine and Pro Days are over, I try to put the players in order by position using the position's dominant trait -- each has one. For example, the dominant characteristic for a successful linebacker is competitiveness. So, when you compare two somewhat equal linebackers, the one that has a very, very high competitive grade will be put ahead of the one with a lesser one. It becomes a never-ending shuffling of the cards.
I also look at players who might have been a sixth- or seventh-rounder at one time and move them all the way up a low No. 2 or a high No. 3. Oklahoma center Chris Chester is an example. Before fall practice, he was not expected to be drafted on Day 1 (Rounds 1-3), but now he has moved all the way up.
Here's what my chart for 2006 looks like right now, with the numbers of players from each position I am projecting to be drafted:
Pos. Rnd 1 Rnd 2-3 Rnd 4-6
QB......3.......1..........7
RB......4........3.........11
FB......0........0.........3
WR.....2........8.........10
TE......2.......4..........5
C.......1........1..........5
G.......0........4..........5
OT.....4........5..........5
DE......4........6..........8
DT......3........4..........8
ILB.....0........3..........5
OLB....3........8..........9
CB......4.......10.........6
S........2.......7..........7
PK.......0.......0..........1
P.........0.......0.........1
) and Lutui (sp?) with our 2nds. 
