Best NFL Factories - ESPN Article

[vehemon]

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/st...tball-programs-produce-best-worst-nfl-players

Methodology

We pulled data from Pro-Football-Reference.com on the 3,831 players drafted since 2002 and broke them into eight position groups. Special teams are excluded since many of those players are acquired as undrafted free agents.

Draft value
Picks are weighted by overall pick number, so early first-round picks carry more weight than late first-rounders.

NFL performance
The formula for this factors in career Approximate Value, along with percentage of seasons as an All Pro/Pro Bowler/starter. The goal was to account for players like J.J. Watt who have been dominant over shorter stretches.

Highlights

South Carolina doesn't show up in any of the top or bottom of these list. Could argue that's good and bad.

Clempson has 59 picks but comes as the worst school when it comes to NFL performance.

Worst Defensive Line/Back Factory
Clempson shows up as the worst as having a lot of defensive line/back picks but they massively under perform when they play in the NFL.

What I would get out of this is that Clempson is a very good school to get talent in and either:

• Do a really poor job coaching players and preparing them for the next level
• Very good hyping their players for the NFL draft and they don't meet expectations
• Playing for Clempson and against ACC teams doesn't give them good experience on what it's like to play NFL level talent.
• Playing for Clempson and against ACC teams makes them soft and can't handle the transition to the NFL.

Or a combination of all of the above.

 

[uscfootfan]

With regard to Clemson's defensive backs, they have 2 disadvantages in the NFL.

1) The refs actually call defensive holding and

2) the ball is marked at the point of the foul (not a 15 yard penalty like in college).

Hence, their players can not defend properly given their college experiences.

 

[PartyLikeIts2016]

• Playing for Clempson and against ACC teams makes them soft and can't handle the transition to the NFL.

Hmmm the same metrics have the top 3 over performers on the top of the list as Miami, Pittsburgh, and Boston College in order.

 

[vehemon]

Hmmm the same metrics have the top 3 over performers on the top of the list as Miami, Pittsburgh, and Boston College in order.

I don't think the answer is mutually exclusive. Still, the studies started in 2002. Miami didn't join until 2004. Boston College 2005. Pittsburgh in 2011.

Stating 3 teams that recently joined the ACC doesn't help prove whatever point you are trying to make about the top 3 over performers. Given enough sample size, it could be that these teams might be on a downward trend.

As the quote you took from me, the longer these teams play in the ACC... the softer they will get. I don't think that's completely true... just trying to make sense of the information they gathered together. (If there's really anything to make sense of it all)

 

[vehemon]

Strange analysis. Questionable metrics.

Don't disagree. Just thought it was strange how they piece it all together.