Alright, let me tell you about this thing I did with the Hunter Wohler NFL Draft stuff. Buckle up, it’s a bit of a ride.
First off, I got curious about Hunter Wohler. I kept seeing his name pop up in draft discussions, and I figured, “Hey, why not dig in a little?” So, I started by just googling his name, seeing what kind of buzz was out there. You know, the usual: scouting reports, mock drafts, all that jazz. Nothing too crazy, just getting a feel for the general consensus.
Then, I decided to watch some game film. This is where things got a little more interesting. I found some highlight reels on YouTube, but those are always a bit… curated, let’s say. So, I went hunting for full game footage. That took a little digging, but I eventually found a couple of games where he was really active. I wanted to see how he performed in different situations, not just the highlight-reel plays.
Now, here’s where I started keeping track of stuff. I opened up a spreadsheet (yeah, I’m that guy) and started logging his performance. I looked at things like:
- Tackling ability: How clean were his tackles? Did he wrap up, or just try to blast guys?
- Coverage skills: Could he stick with receivers in man coverage? How did he handle zone assignments?
- Blitzing: Did he show any ability to get after the quarterback? Was he used as a pass rusher much?
- Overall instincts: Did he seem to anticipate plays well? Was he quick to react to what was happening on the field?
I watched those games multiple times, focusing on different aspects each time. One viewing might be just for tackling, another for coverage, and so on. I was trying to get a complete picture.
After the film study, I dove into the stats. I wanted to see how the numbers backed up what I was seeing on tape. I looked at things like total tackles, solo tackles, interceptions, pass breakups, sacks, and tackles for loss. I compared his stats to other safeties in the draft class to get a sense of where he ranked.
But stats can be misleading, so I tried to put them in context. For example, if he had a low number of interceptions, was that because he wasn’t good in coverage, or was it because quarterbacks simply weren’t throwing his way? That kind of thing.
Then I started piecing everything together. I took my film notes, my stats analysis, and the general draft buzz I’d gathered earlier, and I tried to form an opinion. Was he a first-round talent? A second-rounder? Or was he more of a late-round flyer?
I ended up thinking he was a solid day-two pick – someone who could come in and contribute right away, but maybe didn’t have the highest ceiling in the world. Good instincts, solid tackler, but maybe not a game-changing playmaker.
Finally, I compared my assessment to what the actual draft experts were saying after the draft. It was interesting to see where I agreed and disagreed with them. It turns out, my assessment wasn’t too far off from what most people thought. He was picked in the later rounds.
It was a fun little project. Learned a lot about player evaluation, and it gave me a deeper appreciation for the draft process. Would I do it again? Definitely. It’s a great way to get a better understanding of the game.
