April 2-8

Whether it’s warranted or not, draft classes tend to be remembered by their respective first rounds. Perhaps even more so, legendary draft classes are often known for their superstars at the top of the draft or the quarterbacks they bore. This is why drafts like 1983 (John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly), 2004 (Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger) and 2017 (Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson) still have resonance across the league as well as draft fandom.

From the looks of it, this year’s draft has neither of those. Though there are several exciting non-QB prospects who could go in the top 10, there isn’t that one Garrett (’17), Pace (’97) or Smith (’85) who’s almost without flaws. Similarly, though several passers have inched their way up the ranks and could go on to solid careers, no one is discussing this draft class in the same breath with the 1983 or 2004. However, maybe there is a comp: 2013. 

That year was unlucky for a lot of reasons. The top pick, Central Michigan OT Eric Fisher, has been far from a bust, but he’s rarely touted as a future hall of famer. Of the top three QBs in the draft class (Florida State’s E.J. Manuel at 16, West Virginia’s Geno Smith at 39 and NC State’s Mike Glennon at 73), only two are still active and none has distinguished himself as a starter. Furthermore, of the top 10 picks, only three (Oklahoma OT Lane Johnson, BYU DE Ezekiel Ansah and Fisher) have even made Pro Bowls, and almost none made it to second deals with their drafting teams. Though Clemson WO DeAndre Hopkins (No. 27) and Johnson have gone on to stardom, the Day 1 misses far outweigh the hits. 

So, in five years, will we be talking about this draft in terms reserved for the 2013 draft? We asked active NFL scouts who were around in 2013 to compare it with this year’s class. Will ‘22 be seen as better than ‘13? Here’s what evaluators told us:

  • “I would hope and think it will be a little bit better. On paper, I think it’s better, but in reality, we won’t know for several years. I think this class has the potential for some good solid players. Looking back at the 2013 class, there are some good players, but not many great players. This year’s QB class has the potential to be similar to that 2013 class, which isn’t a good thing.”  

  • “Better top picks with pass rushers this year than Fisher and Geno and EJ, (who) were (third)-round QB’s. (This year’s) QBs are really late one or second.”

  • “I think it’s a better class. There’s some stars on the defensive side that will prop up the overall first round.”

  • “Similar with QB class, but better. OT class is better. So is DL (and) pass rushers, although (there were a) bunch of under-drafted players (in 2013). DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Le’Veon Bell, Erik Bakhtiari, Terron Armstead, Tyrann Matthieu, Travis Kelce.”

  • “Very very similar! Almost mirrored.” 

  • “I think it’s a good class. Weak at some spots but strong in others. I would say better than that Fisher class for sure.”

  • “It may seem similar at the top, but there is much more depth to this group. The Covid year created a phenomenon where there is more value to be found in later rounds.”

  • “Not star-studded, but I think there is awesome value and depth…like this could end up one of the better WR drafts in a while. Good pass rush talent as well.”

Though scouts are fairly optimistic about the ’22 draft class, we won’t really know the answer until around 2024 or 2025. At least we won’t have to wait long to find out who the first-rounders are. As of today, we are 20 days away from the Jaguars going on the clock. That’s something to celebrate.

Here’s a look at what we saw, heard, read and said in the business of college and pro football this week.

Eagles and Saints make a move: New Orleans became one of eight teams with two picks in the first round after its blockbuster trade with the Eagles. The deal certainly sparked conversations among NFL insiders, including former Panthers executive Don Gregory. “I think (the Saints) traditionally have targeted somebody to move up and go get in the draft,” Gregory said. “They’ve got the 16, 19 and 49 picks now. I don’t know if they’re gonna try to parlay (those picks) to move up and get a guy, but traditionally, they’ve moved up to get their guy. I think they’re still going with their consistency of what they’ve done in the past. . . They probably have identified somebody and they want to plan, to let the coaches get involved, instead of waiting . . . and instead of waiting to pull the trigger, I don’t think they really care about what everybody else thinks. They have a way they want to do things and this gives them a chance to strategize. Gives them enough time to feel confident in whatever guys they’re targeting.” Gregory wasn’t the only former NFL executive we asked about the deal. Former Titans college scouting director Blake Beddingfield provided his analysis of the deal in this week’s blog post, which you can find here. 

CGSU applications being accepted: Speaking of scouts, if you aspire to evaluate players for an NFL team someday, don’t forget about the College Gridiron Showcase’s program, CGSU. Last January, for the first time ever, CGS welcomed in 20 volunteers who spent three days listening to current and former scouts speak; helping out on the field with hundreds of draft prospects; and working alongside actual NFL scouts and executives. CGS co-founders Jose Jefferson and Craig Redd are ready to build the next CGSU class, and applications are now being accepted. Want in? Email josejefferson70@outlook.com or info@cgsallstar.com to apply or for more information. 

NFL Agent Exam Study Session Ahead: On Thursday, we’ll have our next online session with Chicago-based contract advisor Ian Greengross. As always, cost is $50 (plus tax) for non-ITL clients, and $20 (plus tax) for ITL clients. We’ll go from 9:30-10:30 p.m. ET, and we’ll cover . . . well, why don’t you tell us? In February, we discussed injury settlements, P5 salaries and determining cap numbers. Last month, we had a robust discussion on how to determine a player’s NFL seasons that have been accrued, credited for benefits and/or credited for salaries. Thursday’s session won’t preclude us from reviewing those topics, but we also need to know where you need the most help. Let us know here. Hope to see you Thursday!

The Buzz: This week in our Rep Rumblings reports, we dealt with what we’re hearing will happen in front offices after the draft, plus the latest updates on NFL local teams’ pro days and more.

  • On Tuesday, we discussed the cancellation of a once-promising pro day; the announcement of the dates and times for this year’s NFL agent exam and seminar; had more scouting updates; and looked at the expansion of a South Florida agency. 
  • On Wednesday, we discussed the big scouting news out of Las Vegas as well as the latest rumored moves happening in New York, Jacksonville and Atlanta.
  • Thursday, we had local pro day scoop on what’s happening in Arizona and Jacksonville, we looked at scouting buzz, previewed our next big event (hint: it has to do with the XFL) and looked at the agent ties to a top prospect in the ’23 draft. 

Don’t forget to review all the NFL teams’ local pro days, the latest scouting changes, and all our Rep Rumblings going back 10 years to make sure you’re fully up to date on the business of football.

Catching Up: John Herrera is 75 years old, though “everybody says I look 55,” he cheerfully adds. Herrera spent 45 years in the NFL with the Raiders (37 years), Bucs and Redskins (plus two CFL teams), but he describes himself as a “utility infielder” who spent time in coaching and administration as well as personnel. We caught up with him this week. 

  • Where are you living and what are you doing now?: “I’m living in Clayton, Calif., which is where we moved when the Raiders moved from Oakland to Los Angeles in the late 90s. My wife and I built a home in Clayton, just outside of Oakland, outside of Walnut Creek, up in the hills. My house faces Mt. Pablo, a famous mountain range in the Bay Area. My wife passed away in 2007, but I stayed in the house with my kids, and have lived there now for 25 years. Life has been good to me. I’ve never been at a loss of things to do. When I retired, I can’t tell you how many people said, ‘what in the world are you going to do with your time?’ I got that for several months, and I tell you, I’m living my life. I have nine kids. When my wife passed, we’d had four together, and they were all very young when she passed, and I had my hands full there. Then, when I retired, I was able to devote my time to my kids I had with Kathy, and they all had activities, like sports and drama and whatever was going on in school. One of my best friends is my pastor, and I’ve worked with him on a myriad of projects and volunteering with the church on activities the church has sponsored. I also volunteered with hospice for three years, and have volunteered with the local library, book acquisition and a couple of big sales they have every year. I’ve been able to assist with all the volunteer stuff and the kids and my dogs and cats, and I have done a lot of things I enjoy like concerts and ballgames and movies. I have been into music all my life. I was in the music business for five years, and have always collected anything musical. I still have a lot of friends in the music business, and I get to travel whenever I want to. We go to Sun Valley, Idaho, for a month each June, and when I was working, I could never do that. Since I retired, it’s been an annual rite of passage that we go to Idaho for a month. We’ve got a whole other group of friends there that we see now. Very little of it has had to do with pro football. I met a girl from Peru, and we have since married and we’ve been together three-and-a-half or four years now, and there’s this whole Peruvian community I’ve become involved with. We’re going to L.A. this weekend, and it has a huge community of Peruvians that know how to party. That’s another element of my life, as well. To say that my life is full would be an understatement.” 

  • Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?: “I really enjoyed player personnel work. I enjoyed scouting, the evaluation process, meetings, film, getting up on the board, and ranking the players and talking about them, and arguing about where a guy belonged on the rankings list, what round should he go in, who’s better than who, who’s second-best, fourth-best. I enjoyed getting up on the board, and Al would have me do that frequently. He loved to have me get up on the board . . . and I enjoyed it, but I don’t miss it. It’s weird. It was challenging and a lot of fun, and I watch games religiously. I like the college game more than the pro game, because it’s more diversified and, to me, more fun, but I still like looking at teams and evaluating guys and trying to mentally figure out where they should go. It’s funny, but I don’t miss it, because I have so much other stuff going on all the time.” 

  • Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “Just the Raiders guys, (former executives) Jon Kingdon and Bruce Kebric. Most of the guys I dealt with have either passed away or retired. (Former Raiders executive) Ron Wolf told me . . . when he decided he wanted to put me on the road, he said, ‘I’m not going to give you any other advice than not to listen to other scouts. Get out there and evaluate. I want your evaluation. I don’t want somebody else’s.’ So I never spent a lot of time talking and making friends with other scouts on other teams. I’d run into guys on a regular basis and a lot of times on the same days, and there were a lot of scouts I became friendly with like (former Chiefs executive) Carl Peterson, and I enjoyed that part of it. But I didn’t develop too many deep friendships with guys from other teams. The guys I talk to have all been Raider people. Plus, all those years after (scouting) I was with Al, he was having me do other things, and I lost contact with them anyway because they were scouting and I was handling the media or handling business things. . . I have stayed in touch with (Raiders owner) Mark Davis. Al and I were very close, and Mark and I have stayed reasonably close. I don’t see as much of him now that he’s in Las Vegas. My lunch calendar is usually pretty full.” 

  • Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “I go to a lot of live college games. I go to all the UC-Davis games because that’s my alma mater, and I have lifetime season tickets there. I love going up there. It’s only an hour-and-15 minutes, and hour-and-a-half from my front door to the stadium, and if they pay locally, like at San Jose State or Cal . . . I’ll be in Berkeley for that game. Joe Starkey, the radio announcer for the Cal Bears, Joe and I are really good friends, and he gets me Cal tickets whenever I want them. I (also) have a buddy who played at Cal and with the Cowboys and he goes to all the Cal games. So I go to all the Cal-Davis, games and some of the Cal-Berkeley games. That’s 11-12 games a year, and that’s enough to satisfy me. I’ve been to very few pro games. I’ll go to the odd Raiders game if my kids wanted to go, or if Mark (Davis) invited me to something, I’d go, but I gave up my season tickets years ago. I have no interest in going to 49ers games (laughs). I’ve gone to some high school games here and there, as well. My youngest girl just graduated from high school a couple years ago, so I was going to high school games, as well, and I must say, I really enjoyed them. If the Aggies win, that’s great, and if they don’t win, I’m unhappy, but I don’t lose any sleep over it, which was not the case when I was working.” 

  • Are there any players you love to watch and/or feel close to due to your work in the game?: “I do watch a lot of pro football; I just don’t physically go to the stadium. But I probably watch at least 4-5 games a week. I watch Sunday, Sunday night, Monday night, Thursday night. I look forward to watching it, and I do have favorite players. There are teams that I like to watch, but I don’t have any one team that I pull for anymore. Since the Raiders moved to Las Vegas . . . I still am a Raiders fan, it’s still in my blood because Al was such a big part of my life. I can’t help myself -- I have to watch the Raider games. But I have a lot of favorite players, actually. I’m mostly a QB and wide receivers guy. When I played, I was a receiver. The one year I was doing some coaching, I worked with the receivers, and in the draft, the players Al had me zero in on were QB and wide receiver. That’s the area I enjoy the most and understand the most. But I guess I can rattle off a bunch of names, and they’d all be names that all the fans like. The guys that are fun to watch. I love watching, like everybody, (Green Bay’s) Aaron Rodgers play, and I always enjoy watching (Tampa Bay’s) Tom Brady play, and I like the kid at Arizona (Kyler Murray). I love watching him play, and I’m shocked that Green Bay let (new Raiders receiver) Davante Adams get out of there. That was a huge surprise. And the one that Kansas City let go (new Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill), he’s so much fun to watch. And I love watching the QB at KC (Patrick Mahomes). He’s probably my favorite player. Even though the Chiefs were our big rival all those years, I love watching them play now. They’re just a lot of fun to watch play. That’s probably the team I enjoy watching the most.” 

Review the latest from other former NFL scouts and executives by accessing our Catching Up archive here. Want to hear from a former scout, or know someone who may be interested in being interviewed? Let us know.

Agent Changes: We are all caught up now that we’ve produced our agent transitions for the February-to-March term. We counted eight changes, heavily flavored with defensive linemen (two tackles, two ends). It was a much, much shorter list than the one we put out this time last year, when 28 players made a switch. Find out who’s where here.

Save the date: On the evening of Monday, April 18, we’ll host XFL officials Doug Whaley, Marc Ross and Russ Giglio on Zoom. They will discuss the rules and regs of the XFL as they relate to roster size, compensation, eligibility for NFL tryouts, length of season and style of play, and other related topics. Sure, the XFL won’t change the way they did everything during their brief return in 2020, but if you’re interested in finding out exactly what to expect, you’ll want to join us. We’ll have more details next week. For now, circle 4/18 on your calendar. 

Profile Reports: Since we kicked things off last week, we’ve rolled out reports on Air Force, Akron, Alabama, UAB and, today, Appalachian State. By now, you know the drill: we break down the 10 top NFL prospects, regardless of class or eligibility, at each school. We even provide a draft projection, no matter how early in his college career each prospect is. Make sure you’re reading all our reports going back several years on our big board.

Next week: As pro days wrap up and we close in on the draft, there’s still plenty of work to be done. For starters, we’ll have five Profile Reports breaking down the top prospects at FBS schools across the nation. We’ll sniff out all the news related to the business of the game, and whatever we hear, we’ll put in the Rep Rumblings. Maybe what comes out of our Rep Rumblings will go into our Scouting Changes Grid, or our NFL Local Pro Days Grid or maybe even our NCAA Head Coaches and Agents Grid or NFL Head Coaches and Agents Grid. On the other hand, perhaps you’re preparing for the 2022 NFL Agent Exam, and you need a little help. Our entire palate of services and products is here. You also may be interested in our Zoom study session that’s set for Thursday ($50 plus tax if you are not an ITL client, $20 plus tax if you are). Also, if you couldn’t make our 13th ITL Combine Seminar and didn’t want to wade through the entire stream, we’ve got the entire thing broken up by speaker on our YouTube page, so check that out if you’re interested in the scouting industry and want to know what’s going on in the business. We’ll also be back with insights on the industry in our weekly Succeed in Football blog. The draft is happening soon, but there’s a lot you can miss if you aren’t careful. We can help.