Big Boards Are Overrated

[My2Cents]

Big Boards are overrated, I think. They're a great read, for sure. They're a great reference point, it's true.
But it is utterly impossible to build a concensus list. Even the media can't agree, much less fans. But to build one board, through the lenses of every NFL team is impossible.
Just saying.

 

[mgteich]

Big Boards are overrated, I think. They're a great read, for sure. They're a great reference point, it's true.
But it is utterly impossible to build a concensus list. Even the media can't agree, much less fans. But to build one board, through the lenses of every NFL team is impossible.
Just saying.

They are what they are. Perhaps folks over-rate them.

For me, I find it useful to have 3 or so big boards out during various draft picks. I think it interesting to see whose top 50 players are available at 62 or 93, and who the "best" OG's are available to us.

 

[manxman2601]

Unfortunately, us amateur who can't spend eight hours a day watching film and can't get access to coaches film need some sort of guide to judge value. Unless someone can say that they've watched extensive film of every prospect, how else can the assess value without some outside help.

 

[My2Cents]

Unfortunately, us amateur who can't spend eight hours a day watching film and can't get access to coaches film need some sort of guide to judge value. Unless someone can say that they've watched extensive film of every prospect, how else can the assess value without some outside help.

Agreed. I just think that too often we become "rankings slaves."

 

[My2Cents]

They are what they are. Perhaps folks over-rate them.

For me, I find it useful to have 3 or so big boards out during various draft picks. I think it interesting to see whose top 50 players are available at 62 or 93, and who the "best" OG's are available to us.

True. They're a nice reference.

 

[supafly]

As you say, they are a nice reference tool for the professional scouts and coaches, as well as us amateurs who don't know enough about all of the prospects.

One can say "Darqueze Dennard should be gone by pick 20, and could even go as high as 12," and in that sense the big board can be useful for determining a range of picks and teams that could take him, but for anything else such as specific teams/picks etc, I think it's pointless.

 

[Wilfork#75]

The biggest problem I have with media and analyst big boards is they can't be anywhere near accurate because they aren't team specific. Each team big board differs so much because they are all looking for different things at each position. That's why for some teams they may have someone like Manziel as a top 10 prospect while others have him as a late rounder because he doesn't fit their system. It's useful for fans to have a bit of fun with to do mock drafts and follow the draft process but as My2Cents points out it is impossible to come up with a consensus big board because there is no such thing as a consensus in the NFL draft, everyone is looking at the same thing from a different perspective. I am still glad they do it though because it certainly does add to the interest and fun of going through the entire draft process as a fan. It's just important to remember that it is just a tool.

 

[Off The Grid]

Big Boards are highly useful...as References.

If you're looking for more than that, you're looking for too much.

 

[Pats0204]

Big Boards are extremely useful if you know what you're looking at. I found this link and information extremely useful and fascinating. It goes into the two different types of big boards you see out there; the ones done by the Evaluators and the ones done by Forecasters. Anyway, check it out. Some great info here:

http://vikingsterritory.com/2014/nf...perts-forecasters-vs-evaluators#comment-41879

 

[Deus Irae]

Big boards are great. Expecting perfection is not. Consensus does not require unanimity.

 

[patchick]

Big boards are great. Expecting perfection is not. Consensus does not require unanimity.

And even a lack of unanimity can be informative. When you see a player like Clowney rated/projected top 3 on 100% of boards, that tells you something. And when you see a player like Bridgewater rated top 3 on some boards and in the 20s on others, that tells you something too.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Kiper n his on-air buddy's "margin of error" for the performance of players is about 35 places - and they only list their top 25 on their "Big Boards."

http://harvardsportsanalysis.wordpr...mel-kiper-jr-and-todd-mcshays-draft-rankings/

So IOW, shup Mel.