3 pieces of advice NFL GM's should take before the draft

  I am going to step outside of the box on this post. Before finishing my pre-draft evaluation on players I want to give NFL GMs some good, solid advice. Everyone knows that the NFL really stands for "Not For Long" so teams don't have time to rebuild for more than a year. In order to keep their jobs in the NFL here are 3 interesting facts that they shouldn't ignore when drafting a player:


1. YOUR EYES DON'T LIE, THAT IS...IF YOU HAVE GOOD EYES IN THE FIRST PLACE

Matt Ryan showed plenty of poise at BC

     Make sure that you take a player based off your own eyes, not someone else's. We all know that two heads are better than one but it doesn't necessarily mean that you should take advice. If there is a player you really like, it should be because of his game film or because you've seen him in person. Successful players in the NFL show up on tape on  a consistent level. Stats set aside, you have to like what you see on the field. I'll give you an example...in 2007 I sat in the stands of Death Valley and watched Matt Ryan torch my Clemson Tigers. It was one of the few times in my life where I have watched a game and left with the impression "This guy is going to be a VERY good in the NFL!" Ryan went 31/47, which is not too bad considering you had to throw it FOURTY SEVEN times!!! He had to put the team on his back and he did, delivering a clutch performance on the road while making spectacular throws. From a scouting perspective, I had seen enough highlights to see him as a future starter in the NFL. But after seeing it with my own eyes I knew he had what it took to be the Matty Ice he has become for the Atlanta Falcons. BELIEVE WHAT YOUR EYES SEE!

2. INJURY HISTORY IS VERY OVERLOOKED IN THE DRAFT

The above picture is a statement I tweeted well before the 2012 draft. I was wrong when I said the class was very weak because there were three rookie starters that make the playoffs. But I was right about RGIII not being able to stay healthy in the league. He is a phenomenal athlete when at 100% but its not going to be that way after two ACL tears in 4 years. My favorite team in the NFL is the Detroit Lions, but I have to question why Mark Mayhew would draft players such as Jahvid Best and Ryan Broyles. And this is AFTER seeing your team have problems staying healthy at QB, S, RB, TE, OL and DL. What kind of sense does it make to draft a player who has been severely injured at least once? I'm not saying that you should ONLY draft players who haven't had a single injury, I'm simply stating that it would smarter to spend millions on someone who is more healthy. Injuries are a part of the game which is why depth can make or break a good team. There is a clear difference in the type of players that are drafted by the Detroit Lions than those drafted into the 49ers organization. The season is 17 weeks long so there is no excuse for drafting players who aren't durable.

3. INTERVIEWS SHOULD BE THE ONLY REASON TO INCREASE A PLAYER'S STOCK

The best WR to ever play this game wasn't a blazer

     Tyrann Matthieu just benched pressed 225 lbs 4 times at the NFL Combine! And you know what? Who cares?! Is that the type of player you saw on Saturdays for the LSU Tigers? Not even close...he had five forced fumbles and constantly brought down bigger players with ease. Coming into the combine I had him with a 2nd round grade and I would have to say he did nothing to change that. Other teams might have increased his stock but in the NFL you have to get as many play-makers as possible. His past is the past, you have to take a gamble on talent like this. Look at Jerry Rice's numbers for example. He ran over a 4.6 forty yard dash and still went on to become the best WR of all time. There is no talk of how Jerry Rice looked in workouts or what his vertical jump was. Bill Walsh just needed to see the game tape to believe that he was taking the right guy. And after talking to him I am sure it only made the Niners more confident in grabbing Rice with their 1st pick.