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NFL Draft 2019: 5 Most challenging positions to evaluate

By Shelbie Warr

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: Deionte Thompson #14 of the Alabama Crimson Tide breaks the pass intended for Carson Meier #45 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the third quarter during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: Deionte Thompson #14 of the Alabama Crimson Tide breaks the pass intended for Carson Meier #45 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the third quarter during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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With the NFL Combine fast approaching, draft season is officially upon us. What positions are hardest for scouts to evaluate for the next level of play?

The NFL Draft may just be the most exciting part of the offseason. We all finally get to see our favorite players make the move to the next level, seeing where they end up and determining their likelihood of playing. The Combine runs from February 26 to March 4. The NFL Draft commences on April 25 and ends on April 27 live from Nashville, Tennessee.

While it’s easy for fans of any collegiate team to decide that their players will move to the NFL seamlessly, that is not the case. How do scouts and teams see who could make it to the next level? Here are five positions that are incredibly difficult to scout.

5. Center

This is arguably the most important position on the field. Yes, I know that many will argue for that title to belong to the quarterback. However, I disagree as without the center getting the ball to the quarterback there is no play to be had by the offense and the opposing defense is able to have a field day. What makes finding a great center so hard? It’s all about the translation of skills that are already hard to scout to start with. The amount of tangible skills shown on film that really could translate depends on where the guy plays and who they play against on a week by week basis.

Most importantly, the job of the position is inconsistent in terms of how much coverage he has to provide against the opposing defense. The center is the quarterback’s first line of defense as they are right behind them, but aren’t always blocking someone like a tackle or a guard. Being a center is about reaction ability and that is something you won’t really be able to track until they play against those bigger and stronger NFL defenses who are facing off against the best of the best each week. Nothing that the NFL Combine has to offer is going to show you how a young lineman, especially a center, is going to transition to the next level.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to start bringing in some experienced players to run full-contact drills with these guys. That might give scouts a taste of how they will handle the transition. Until then though, scouting a good center is going to be one of the harder jobs in the league.

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