Several weeks ago, Bleacher Report’s lead draft analyst Matt Miller tweeted a list of his ‘10 Scouting Rules‘ he utilizes in building his profiles of draft prospects. Shortly after this, former NFL scout and ITP contributor Dan Hatman began a series for Inside the Pylon detailing examples of each of these rules and why they are so important to the scouting process. Now, Matt and Dan join hosts Chuck Zodda and Mark Schofield for a bonus roundtable discussion on Matt’s scouting rules and the process behind the rankings that fans want to see. Topics in this episode include:
- How does Matt’s own self-evaluation of his process and methods lead to improvement in his scouting in future years, including how long it took Matt to feel comfortable with his scouting reports (1:14)
- Dan on any additional rules he would add to Matt’s ’10 Scouting Rules’ and how he uses them in his evaluations (5:22)
- The importance of talking to team scouts and personnel to bolster your own knowledge as a scout as you look to become a better scout (9:34)
- The grading process and whether it simply focuses on a player in comparison to his draft year or how his value projects in the context of other drafts (13:07)
- The importance of context when scouting a player, not only looking at statistics and production, but the reasons why those may be either inflated or less than what a player can do at the next level (14:39)
- Which one of Matt’s 10 rules he has the most difficulty in following, and why it can be difficult for many scouts to remain disciplined in their reports (17:14)
- Issues with group-think in both the amateur scouting ranks as well as within professional organizations (18:48)
- The importance of studying film or watching workouts, and why game tape tends to be a more accurate resource than the non-game environment of many workouts (25:53)
- The prospects for Alabama running back Derrick Henry and why players who win numerous college awards do not always have the skills to succeed in the NFL (29:58)
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