Say Goodbye to the 40 Yard Dash: The Future of NFL Roster Building

Brian Burke - Senior Sports Analyst, ESPN

 

Nick Caserio - General Manager, Houston Texans

 

Kevin Demoff - Chief Operating Officer, Los Angeles Rams

 

Kevin Clark (moderator) - NFL Reporter, The Ringer

 

With COVID nearly cancelling the college football season and ruling out pro-days for many schools, NFL front offices were left scrambling to fill out their draft boards. However, the rise of tracking data in college football, as well as indications that traditional metrics, such as the 40 yard dash time, may not be as predictive of pro success as once thought, has changed the way front offices evaluate talent. Our panel of analytics writers, coaches, and front office executives provide their unique perspectives on the current and future states of analytics for player evaluation and development in the NFL.