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'Hidden' talent: Traits NFL teams look for in draft prospects aren't all obvious
Before the NFL Draft, scheduled Thursday-Saturday in Green Bay, teams devote countless hours to scouting players. Teams start by focusing on basic traits, including size, speed and strength.
However, some traits are more obscure but still important. With that in mind, here are five that NFL scouts consider that you may not have realized:
Multi-sport stars
At the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (now with the Las Vegas Raiders) said whether a prospect has played multiple sports is "vitally important to me."
Coaches and scouts target multi-sport stars because they've developed skills that translate to football. Look at Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez, who played college basketball for three seasons at California.
"Any time [Gonzalez] went up for a rebound in traffic, he would come down with the ball," former Kansas City Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson told ESPN's Adam Teicher in a story published in August 2019. "We thought that ability would be useful playing for the Chiefs, and it was."
Penn State TE Tyler Warren (6-foot-6, 256 pounds) didn't play college basketball, but he was a three-sport star at Atlee High School in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Warren, a good bet to go in the first round, earned all-state honors in baseball and an all-region nod in basketball.
A wrestling background
Players who wrestled in high school or college tend to have a better understanding of leverage and hand usage.
HOF defensive tackle Curley Culp wrestled at Arizona State and was the 1967 NCAA heavyweight champion. Former New England Patriots guard Stephen Neal — who won three Super Bowls in 10 seasons in New England — was a two-time heavyweight champion at Cal State Bakersfield.
Michigan DT Mason Graham (6-foot-4, 296 pounds) earned a first-team All-American nod in 2024. Troy Thomas, Graham's high school football coach, attributes his success to wrestling. The DT was a two-time conference heavyweight champion at Servite High School in Anaheim, California.
"You see that now in his game," Thomas told ESPN's Jake Trotter in a story published March 27. "The way he moves and tackles — you can see all of that when he's playing."
Spin rate
Spin rate measures the number of rotations a football makes per minute when thrown. A higher spin rate typically equals a tighter spiral, which is imperative for quarterbacks.
The average spin rate in the NFL is approximately 592 rpm. During a 2009 episode of the TV show "Sports Science," former New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees clocked an average spin rate of 600 rpm (h/t Jeff Duncan, a former writer for The Athletic). In 20 seasons with the Saints and Chargers, Brees completed the second-most passes (7,142) in NFL history.
Kyle McCord's ability to spin it may be one reason the Syracuse QB could be a potential sleeper.
Per The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner, the 6-foot-3, 218-pound transfer from Ohio State's average spin rate at a throwing session during the East-West Shrine Bowl in January was 699 rpm. His highest spin rate was 740 rpm, and 16 of his 28 throws were above 700.
Situational awareness
Situational awareness could also be defined as football IQ, as it refers to a player's ability to understand the game.
The situational awareness of Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter (6-foot, 188 pounds) helped him win the 2024 Heisman Trophy.
"Hunter's situational awareness is one of his best traits," wrote The Draft Network in a March scouting report. "He understands offensive formations and what routes can potentially manifest post-snap, especially in the red zone. He works the press-bail well by quickly jamming his receiver before dropping to his landmarks and will hinge toward threatening routes entering his zone."
Contact balance
Contact balance is a player's ability to stay upright while being tackled, which is pivotal for running backs, especially those who are undersized.
Per Pro Football Focus, Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs (5-foot-10, 223 pounds) finished third in the league in yards after contact (1,039) in 17 regular-season games in 2024.
Like Jacobs, Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (5-foot-9, 211 pounds) has elite contact balance. In a column published on April 11, NFL.com's Bucky Brooks — a former scout — called it his superpower.
"Jeanty's unique ability to pinball off defenders without losing speed/quickness is a testament to his ballerina-like footwork, balance and body control," wrote Brooks. "With the league's running back renaissance of late, the NFL world could quickly fall in love with the 2024 Doak Walker Award winner [as college football's best RB]."
More must-reads:
- Why Raiders shouldn't draft Ashton Jeanty with No. 6 pick
- NFL Draft countdown: Focus on Giants' first-round pick at No. 3
- The 'Second QB selected in every NFL Draft since 2000' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Steelers get front row seat as division rival gets publicly embarrassed by Kenny Pickett decision
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been stuck in a weird spot at the quarterback position over the last several seasons, and a lot of that has to do with the organization selecting Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh picked Pickett with the 20th overall pick in the first draft after Ben Roethlisberger retired, and it became clear quickly that the pick was a bit of a reach. The franchise panicked and drafted the only quarterback who had a grade that was considered near the first round, when in reality, the organization probably should have waited until 2023 to draft a quarterback that early. Pickett entered the 2023 season as the unquestioned starter in Pittsburgh, but it became clear he did not have what it took, and he never lived up to his first-round label. The organization decided to trade the quarterback during the 2024 offseason, as he went on to play with the Philadelphia Eagles and won Super Bowl LIX. He was mostly a backup, but he filled in for Jalen Hurts a few times throughout the season and put some quality play on film. This made the Eagles trade him again, and now he is preparing for his first season with the Cleveland Browns. Browns general manager Andrew Berry recently spoke to the media, and he was asked about the fifth-year option on Pickett's contract. The GM completely embarrassed himself and the organization, as he had no idea he needed to decide on the matter. "So, that would have been last year with the Philadelphia Eagles," Berry said. "You have to make that decision after year three, since he's already in year four. That's not a decision that we make." Berry, the GM of an NFL team, doesn't seem to understand the rules behind deciding on a player's fifth-year option. Fifth-year options are only a thing on the rookie contracts of players selected in the first round, and the organization has to decide as the player goes into their fourth season about whether or not the option will be picked up. If it is picked up, the player is under contract for two more seasons. If it is not, the player will become a free agent after the upcoming season. The Browns ultimately made the decision to not pick up Pickett's option, but it is a bit ridiculous that the organization had no clue it had a say in the matter. It was somewhat of a no-brainer not to pick the option up, as Pickett could start for them or be a backup in 2025. This will be a trial year for the two sides, and the franchise selecting two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft doesn't bode well for Pickett. The number on the fifth-year option is decided by position, playing time and Pro Bowls. Pickett will become a free agent following the 2025 season, and the quarterback should have a decent market as a backup. If he sees a good amount of playing time in Cleveland and can perform well, he might be able to be considered for a starting role in some spots that are desperate at the position. Steelers Have Plenty Of Experience Denying Fifth-Year Options The last time Pittsburgh picked up a fifth-year option, it was for Minkah Fitzpatrick ahead of the 2021 season. The Steelers didn't even draft Fitzpatrick, but it was a no-brainer at the time to do so. The franchise declined both Najee Harris' and Justin Fields' options ahead of the 2024 season, and the last homegrown first-round pick who had their option picked up was T.J. Watt. This is an eye-opening fact that reveals just how underwhelming Pittsburgh's drafts were in the late 2010s through the early 2020s with first-round talent. Hopefully, that trend ends in the upcoming years.
Browns would've scrapped blockbuster trade with Jaguars under one condition
The Browns took quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel during the 2025 NFL Draft. However, neither may have landed in Cleveland if the opportunity to take another passer presented itself. During the draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars dealt four picks to the Browns to move up from No. 5 to No. 2 and select Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter. In a story published Tuesday, The Athletic's Michael Silver reported the trade had been in place since April 7, but it had one caveat. If the Tennessee Titans had passed on Miami QB Cam Ward with pick No. 1, the Browns would've canceled the deal. Cleveland probably knew that was a long shot. In a news conference on April 22, Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said they would keep the top pick. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the New York Giants offered two first-rounders and multiple other picks to move up to No. 1, but the Titans rejected the offer (h/t ESPN's Turron Davenport). The Titans declining the haul seems surprising, but Ward reportedly impressed them throughout the predraft process. "I'm not comparing him to [Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes]," Borgonzi, a former Chiefs personnel executive, told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer in a story published Monday. "But some of the stuff I saw with Pat, just in terms of his instincts, spatial awareness, arm talent, arm angles, it kind of reminded me a little bit of Pat." The Browns' hope that the Titans would suddenly change their plans was understandable. Still, they shouldn't feel that not nabbing Ward ruined their draft. With pick No. 5, the Browns selected Michigan DT Mason Graham, who earned a first-team All-American nod in 2024. Taking two QBs in the draft was a bit puzzling, but if one hits, it will look smart. Sanders tossed 37 touchdown passes in 13 starts in his final season at Colorado. Gabriel, meanwhile, threw 30 TD passes in 14 starts in his final season at Oregon. Last season, the Browns went 3-14, missing the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. Even a talented prospect like Ward shouldn't be expected to solve their problems instantly.
Reaction across NHL over Aaron Ekblad’s retaliatory hit on Brandon Hagel
The Florida Panthers’ Game 4 victory has been overshadowed by a controversial hit from defenseman Aaron Ekblad on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel. The incident has sparked widespread reaction across the NHL community. Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper said he was tired of talking about a hit every game, but others have been much more vocal. In a tense and increasingly hostile playoff series, emotions boiled over when Ekblad delivered a high forearm shiver to Hagel, sending him down the tunnel. Despite the dangerous and seemingly intentional nature of the hit, no penalty was assessed on the play — a decision that left many, including Cooper, stunned. The retaliation appeared to stem from Hagel’s late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 3, for which Hagel was suspended one game. However, Ekblad’s response has sparked a fierce debate about player safety and officiating in this year’s postseason. Former NHL defenseman Chris Pronger weighed in on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Have seen this forearm shiver a number of times but usually not from this position. I would need more angles but this looks like a forearm to the chin. And completely in Ekblad’s control to avoid the head. The fact there was NO penalty is a tough look. Might get a DoPS call.” Analyst Justin Bourne of Sportsnet also criticized the hit, saying, “I think it’s a bad hit,” and speculated Ekblad could face a two-game suspension. Are the playoffs getting out of control? The "2 Mutts Hockey Podcast" revealed they spoke with seven active playoff players who expressed frustration with officiating. “The refs are becoming a huge part of who wins on a nightly basis because of the calls they miss the bad calls they are calling,” they wrote. “Players don’t know what game they are going to be playing in.” Ryan Whitney, never one to hold back, wrote, “I can not believe Florida won that game. Ekblad could have been kicked out … What the hell did we just watch?” This is not the only series that has gotten nasty. Fighting on the bench between the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals might be the most viral moment of the first round thus far. Despite the controversy, Ekblad stayed in the game and played a pivotal role in the Panthers’ comeback. Florida scored twice in 11 seconds — mirroring Tampa Bay’s earlier rally. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has yet to announce whether discipline will be handed down, but all eyes will be on how the league responds.
The 'Most recent 1,000 receiving-yard season by NFL franchise' quiz
The San Francisco 49ers already lost one skill player this offseason, sending Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders via trade. But veteran tight end George Kittle isn't going anywhere, reportedly agreeing to a four-year extension with the Niners to keep him in the Bay Area until 2029. Which brings us to today's quiz. The 49ers had a lost season in 2024, failing to make the playoffs after losing in the Super Bowl the season before. They're hoping players like Kittle will be the ones to get them back on track. With that being said, how many of the most recent players to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season for every NFL franchise can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
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