For all of the great information that is available around the NFL draft, there are just things we do not know. We can profile players from the top of the draft, late first-round options, all the way down to a late-round steal possibility, and still not come close to knowing what NFL teams know. Fans and media might get reports, rumors, and leaks, but figuring out what is real is difficult.
Heck, we don’t even know all of the players who visit the Cleveland Browns on the allowed 30 in Berea. On rare
occasions, we find out about private workouts completed at college campuses.
On top of that, there are three areas that media and fans don’t have on prospects that are vital to decision-making by teams.
Vital, unknown NFL draft information
1. Health Injuries
While we get a little snippet of information here and there, there are often things that either knock players slightly down, greatly down, or completely off NFL teams’ boards that do not become known until after the draft, if ever. Whether it was heart concerns with Maurice Hurst and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, or scans on knees, backs, and hips, NFL teams have exhaustive medical tests that provide information on prospects. Whether it is X-rays, MRIs, or just flexibility testing, a player’s draft stock can be drastically impacted by the results, some of which will never become known.
2. Red flags
There are a couple of infamous examples of late red flag issues dropping Laremy Tunsil a few picks and La’el Collins from being drafted at all. There are other times when red flags never become known but have a big impact on a draft prospect. It all comes down to a team’s risk tolerance, as it only takes one. Red flags are not always huge legal issues, like James Pearce Jr. being a huge personality concern during the draft process last year. Pearce is now dealing with legal issues, but there were other red flags predraft.
3. Processing, learning skills
This is one area that some NFL teams are well-versed in, while others struggle. Can a player process information quickly and apply it to the game? Teams can find this out in a variety of ways, including interviews, assessments, background checks with coaches and teachers, and sometimes through undercover, covert operations (usually limited to top picks). Being an athlete and even putting up big numbers in college means significantly less at the NFL level. Can the player learn, process, and apply information when needed? It is an answer that fans and media rarely have access to, and something NFL teams are trying to become better at learning about.
If you see a player falling in the 2026 NFL draft, you can bet one or more of the above pieces of information is the reason. That is not always true, but an unexplained drop generally has a simple reason behind it.
Are there other details that you think are vital that fans and media don’t generally have access to?
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
