Series Introduction: A scheme fit is when a player’s traits and abilities line up with a certain coach’s style and scheme. Imagine if every NFL team could draft a player that fit perfectly into their scheme. That would benefit both the teams and the players simultaneously, as general managers and coaches wouldn’t be putting a…
Organizational philosophy is a widely debated topic. There are many ways to build a team’s roster up – whether it’s through free agency, trades, and/or the draft. In addition to all the different methods of going about acquiring roster talent there is also potentially an order of what position to acquire first. Should a team…
Draft expert Mike Mayock of NFL Network held his annual draft press conference on Friday, and as usual it included some excellent insight and information. Here are a few tidbits followed by the full transcript and a link to the audio segment, in case you would like to listen. On Alabama LB Reuben Foster Q:…
With no inside knowledge to the Browns’ plans, my hypothesis was that last season, the first for the current front office and coaching staff, was about establishing a foundation – a group of players with high football IQ and character, with mostly successful college careers, who may not ever be high-ceiling starters but would definitely…
We have arrived. The film has been broken down, the notes have been taken, the players have been debated for weeks on end, but soon the bright lights will turn on and the draft will finally begin, with the Cleveland Browns officially on the clock to start the 2017 NFL Draft. So let’s put together…
(Click to enlarge table) Click here for a full explanation of the methodology and categories used in the chart above. “The Big 4” My top rated quarterback, and the only one to receive a 1st round grade from me this year is Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes II. Mahomes is more than just an ultra gunslinger.…
Welcome to the debut of “Check with Me”, a semi-regular column on Inside the Pylon where former college quarterback, Mark Schofield, addresses topics, trends, and issues involving arguably the most important position on the field. Whether they are issues on the Twitter timeline, debates raging on network shows, or just QB-related topics that pop up,…
We are 31 days away from the 2017 NFL Draft. Despite being so close, the final picture of what the first round looks like is still as muddied as it was a month ago, it’s just muddied in different ways now. We know Myles Garrett is going #1 and we know little else for certainty.…
With the 2017 NFL draft quickly approaching, the scouts at Inside the Pylon are hard at work putting together scouting reports and breaking down all the tape on the next crop of NFL rookies. Over at our YouTube Channel, Mark Schofield has put together a number of videos on some of the quarterbacks in this…
Before the 2017 NFL Combine officially begins I wanted to get out a top 10 at each position to get discussion going and to show where I’m at in my process. Film and background has been gathered on all 110 prospects below, but athletic testing and measurements are vital to the scouting process, so the…
“State of the Draft” is going to be a weekly column serving as a catch-all for anything NFL Draft. You can expect information on which prospects I’ve been watching, players I’m high or low on, players who I think might be under the radar, positing on draft philosophy, expanded thoughts on topics in the media…
Ladies and gentlemen, mock draft season is upon us. Back when I worked in an office, I loved getting to my desk each morning during draft time, firing up the web browser, and surfing the Internet for the countless options that the wise denizens of football predicted for each team. But now, as a writer…
We are fully into the “red flag” portion of the draft season. Around this time, stories leak out about how teams might be concerned with a player’s character, or a certain part of their playing style, or their injury history, terming the issues “red flags.” Perhaps one of the more impressive red flags during the…
The 2016-2017 NFL season is officially over, signaling the start of the NFL Draft season. Now that the order of the draft is set for all 32 teams, it feels like the perfect time to release my first mock draft of the year. This mock is a predictive one, so before you scroll down and…
Welcome to my first mock draft of the season, where you are encouraged to slay me for each and every pick without reading my analysis or acknowledging the fact that it is February 6 and there is much we do not know! I’ve accentuated your criticism by making this a “what-I-would-do” mock draft, providing my…
In a few days, the football world descends upon the Alabama gulf coast. While the seafood and nightlife that Mobile has to offer are wonderful, those who make the trip are looking to find the next gem in the upcoming NFL draft class. The quarterbacks heading to the Senior Bowl comprise an interesting group, and…