NFL Draft 2015: 8 instant reactions

By Will Osgood | May 4, 2015

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces the number third overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addresses the crowd in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

Teams Were Willing To Reach for Fits

The Seahawks were not the only team to value SPARQ. Likely word leaked out that much of the Seahawks’ success in the past was due to their selecting SPARQ-friendly players. They say the NFL is a copycat league. And so several teams copied Seattle hoping to unearth draft gems the way the Hawks have throughout the past few years.

Even a team known for being rather immune to such things—the New Orleans Saints—took several SPARQ-friendly players. That may be coincidence or a concerted effort. We may need more drafts to chart their picks to get a better feel. The Philadelphia Eagles, not surprisingly, are in on this trend too.

Nelson Agholor, Eric Rowe, Jordan Hicks and 6’9”, 295 lbs. defensive end Brian Mahlik from Boston College were all SPARQ-friendly prospects, though Kansas cornerback JaCorey Shepard actually ranked last among all cornerbacks, so it may be that these are coincidences as well.

Of course there are other statistical formulae to consider as well. The work Pro Football Focus produced this season with run stuff percentage, pass blocking, pass rushing etc. were undoubtedly also consulted and used by teams to set their draft boards.

There were noticeable picks where players went higher than their film would indicate they belonged. That much is for sure. But we’ll try to maintain that secret a little longer.

Next: Character Concerns Were Key

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