First two quarterbacks drafted by year - rank 'em

I kind of assume they have something a lot, lot better that they use and don't release out to the general public, at least the front offices into heavy statistical analysis, similar to how baseball teams probably don't use WARP or FIP to evaluate players, but clearly are using something.

 

I'd be pretty surprised if they're using that stuff for player evaluation in the draft. RG3's stats at Baylor meant nothing to how he'd play in the pros. The tape still tells the story. I think stats are more situational (Team X runs to the right on 70 percent of third-and-2-or-less, that kind of stuff), but everything in football is contextual. Raw data doesn't exist the way it does in baseball.

 

I think it depends on how you filter and use them. Do I think you can look at anyone's college stat line by itself and know whether they'll be good in the NLF? Of course not - you always need a scouting report and tape. But if you're thinking about drafting a QB, you probably want to do your due diligence with the statistics as well. How similar is this guy to other QBs graduated by the program, are they any red flags (low accuracy, lots of sacks taken) in his statistical record, etc.

 

Slight threadjack, but I was looking through the '84 USFL dispersal draft and saw the Giants had picked Gary Zimmerman with the third pick (after Young and Rozier), then traded him to the Vikings for two '86 second-round picks (eventually Mark Collins and Erik Howard)

The fourth pick, the Eagles took Reggie White. Now, Collins and Howard were excellent players, but imagine if the Giants would have had White AND LT on that defense?

 

Intangibles!