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Pat Kirwan published a couple of articles on NFL.com in 2005 which have had a lot of influence on analyzing prospect measurables. One had to do with the relationship between speed and quickness, which I'll discuss separately. The other had to do with measuring power and explosion. The original online article can't be found on NFL.com, but it has been reproduced elsewhere in many places. Here's one link for reference:
THE HUDDLE REPORT - NFL DRAFT
Kirwan's basic argument is that any one metric doesn't measure the whole story, and he uses the combination of Vertical Jump + Broad Jump + Bench Press (all rounded down) to get a sense of how explosive a prospect is:
Explosion = VJ + BJ + BP
It's not a perfect metric, but it gives some general idea of overall "explosiveness". Kirwan filters out buys who are extremely skewed (e.g., 45+ reps on the bench press and lousy vertical and broad jump numbers). But generally, a score > 70 is exceptional for a defensive player. Over 65 is excellent.
Some recent standouts in the NFL and their scores:
Mario Williams: 35 BP + 40 VJ + 10 BJ = 85
JJ Watt: 34 BP + 37 VJ + 10 BJ = 81
Haloti Ngata: 37 BP + 31 VJ + 9 BJ = 77
Sebastian Vollmer (pro day): 32 BP + 36 VJ + 9 BJ = 77
Geno Atkins: 34 BP + 33 BJ + 9 BJ = 76
Ndamukong Suh: 32 BJ + 35 VJ + 8 BJ = 75
DeMarcus Ware: 27 BP + 38 VJ + 10 BJ = 75
Luke Kuechly: 27 BP + 38 VJ + 10 BJ = 75
Jake Long: 37 BP + 27 VJ + 8 BJ = 72
Aaron Hernandez (pro day): 30 BP + 33 VJ + 9 BJ = 72
Vince Wilfork (pro day): 36 BP + 26 VJ + 8 BJ = 72
Lane Johnson: 28 BP + 34 VJ + 9 BJ = 71
Sheldon Richardson: 30 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BP = 71
Jamie Collins: 19 BP + 41 VJ + 11 BJ = 71 (could be elite if he got stronger)
Joe Thomas: 28 BP + 33 VJ + 9 BJ = 70
Jordan Cameron: 23 BP + 37 VJ + 9 BJ = 69
Von Miller: 21 BP + 37 VJ + 10 BJ = 68
Chandler Jones: 22 BP + 35 VJ + 10 BP = 67
Rob Gronkowski (including pro day): 23 BP + 33 VJ + 9 BJ = 65
Ziggy Ansah: 21 BP + 34 VJ + 9 BJ = 64
Lavonte David: 19 BP + 36 VJ + 9 BJ = 64
Jimmy Graham (including pro day): 15 BP + 38 VJ + 10 BJ = 63 - needed to get stronger
Nate Solder: 21 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BJ = 62
Dontari Poe had the second highest score (83) but that was skewed by 44 reps on the bench press. But even if you score him in the 30's on the BP he was elite.
Some of the scores for prospects from the 2014 Combine:
Ryan Shazier: 25 BP + 42 VJ + 10 NJ = 77
Kevin Pierre-Louis: 28 BP + 39 VJ + 10 BJ = 77
Aaron Donald: 35 BP + 32VJ + 9 BJ = 76
Ra'Shede Hageman: 32 BP + 35 VJ + 9 BJ = 76
Chris Smith: 28 BP + 37 VJ + 10 BJ = 75
Khalil Mack: 23 BP + 40 VJ 10 BJ = 73
Brandon Thomas: 35 BP + 29 VJ + 8 BJ = 72
Carl Bradford: 23 BP + 37 VJ + 10 BJ = 70
Jame Amaro: 28 BP + 33 VJ + 9 BJ = 70
Greg Robinson: 32 BP + 28 VJ + 9 BJ = 69
Jadeveon Clowney: 21 B P + 37 VJ + 10 BJ = 68
Troy Niklas: 27 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BJ = 68
Marcel Jenson: 24 BP + 35 VJ + 9 BJ = 68
Marcus Smith: 23 BP + 35 VJ + 10 BJ = 68
Gabe Jackson: 30 BP + 29 VJ + 9 BJ = 68
Taylor Lewan: 29 BP + 30 VJ + 9 BJ = 68
Tyler Larsen: 36 BP + 23 BJ + 9 = 67
Jake Murphy: 24 BP + 33 VJ + 9 BJ = 66
Arthur Lynch: 28 BP + 29 VJ + 9 BJ = 66
CJ Fiedorowicz: 25 BP + 31 VJ + 9 BJ = 65
Ronald Powell: 21 BP + 35 VJ + 9 BJ = 65
Tyler Starr: 24 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BJ = 65
Tim Jernigan: 27 BP + 29 VJ + 8 BJ = 64
AC Leonard: 20 BP + 34 VJ + 10 BJ = 64
Colt Lyerla: 15 BP + 39 VJ + 10 BJ = 64; needs to get stronger
Joel Bitonio: 22 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BJ = 63
Trent Murphy: 19 BP + 35 VJ + 9 BJ = 63
Larry Webster: 17 BP + 36 VJ + 10 BJ = 63; if he could get stronger he could be elite
Kyle Van Noy: 21 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BJ = 62
Jake Matthews: 24 BP + 30 VJ + 8 BJ = 62
Billy Turner: 25 BP + 28 VJ + 9 BJ = 62
Food for thought.
THE HUDDLE REPORT - NFL DRAFT
Kirwan's basic argument is that any one metric doesn't measure the whole story, and he uses the combination of Vertical Jump + Broad Jump + Bench Press (all rounded down) to get a sense of how explosive a prospect is:
Explosion = VJ + BJ + BP
It's not a perfect metric, but it gives some general idea of overall "explosiveness". Kirwan filters out buys who are extremely skewed (e.g., 45+ reps on the bench press and lousy vertical and broad jump numbers). But generally, a score > 70 is exceptional for a defensive player. Over 65 is excellent.
Some recent standouts in the NFL and their scores:
Mario Williams: 35 BP + 40 VJ + 10 BJ = 85
JJ Watt: 34 BP + 37 VJ + 10 BJ = 81
Haloti Ngata: 37 BP + 31 VJ + 9 BJ = 77
Sebastian Vollmer (pro day): 32 BP + 36 VJ + 9 BJ = 77
Geno Atkins: 34 BP + 33 BJ + 9 BJ = 76
Ndamukong Suh: 32 BJ + 35 VJ + 8 BJ = 75
DeMarcus Ware: 27 BP + 38 VJ + 10 BJ = 75
Luke Kuechly: 27 BP + 38 VJ + 10 BJ = 75
Jake Long: 37 BP + 27 VJ + 8 BJ = 72
Aaron Hernandez (pro day): 30 BP + 33 VJ + 9 BJ = 72
Vince Wilfork (pro day): 36 BP + 26 VJ + 8 BJ = 72
Lane Johnson: 28 BP + 34 VJ + 9 BJ = 71
Sheldon Richardson: 30 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BP = 71
Jamie Collins: 19 BP + 41 VJ + 11 BJ = 71 (could be elite if he got stronger)
Joe Thomas: 28 BP + 33 VJ + 9 BJ = 70
Jordan Cameron: 23 BP + 37 VJ + 9 BJ = 69
Von Miller: 21 BP + 37 VJ + 10 BJ = 68
Chandler Jones: 22 BP + 35 VJ + 10 BP = 67
Rob Gronkowski (including pro day): 23 BP + 33 VJ + 9 BJ = 65
Ziggy Ansah: 21 BP + 34 VJ + 9 BJ = 64
Lavonte David: 19 BP + 36 VJ + 9 BJ = 64
Jimmy Graham (including pro day): 15 BP + 38 VJ + 10 BJ = 63 - needed to get stronger
Nate Solder: 21 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BJ = 62
Dontari Poe had the second highest score (83) but that was skewed by 44 reps on the bench press. But even if you score him in the 30's on the BP he was elite.
Some of the scores for prospects from the 2014 Combine:
Ryan Shazier: 25 BP + 42 VJ + 10 NJ = 77
Kevin Pierre-Louis: 28 BP + 39 VJ + 10 BJ = 77
Aaron Donald: 35 BP + 32VJ + 9 BJ = 76
Ra'Shede Hageman: 32 BP + 35 VJ + 9 BJ = 76
Chris Smith: 28 BP + 37 VJ + 10 BJ = 75
Khalil Mack: 23 BP + 40 VJ 10 BJ = 73
Brandon Thomas: 35 BP + 29 VJ + 8 BJ = 72
Carl Bradford: 23 BP + 37 VJ + 10 BJ = 70
Jame Amaro: 28 BP + 33 VJ + 9 BJ = 70
Greg Robinson: 32 BP + 28 VJ + 9 BJ = 69
Jadeveon Clowney: 21 B P + 37 VJ + 10 BJ = 68
Troy Niklas: 27 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BJ = 68
Marcel Jenson: 24 BP + 35 VJ + 9 BJ = 68
Marcus Smith: 23 BP + 35 VJ + 10 BJ = 68
Gabe Jackson: 30 BP + 29 VJ + 9 BJ = 68
Taylor Lewan: 29 BP + 30 VJ + 9 BJ = 68
Tyler Larsen: 36 BP + 23 BJ + 9 = 67
Jake Murphy: 24 BP + 33 VJ + 9 BJ = 66
Arthur Lynch: 28 BP + 29 VJ + 9 BJ = 66
CJ Fiedorowicz: 25 BP + 31 VJ + 9 BJ = 65
Ronald Powell: 21 BP + 35 VJ + 9 BJ = 65
Tyler Starr: 24 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BJ = 65
Tim Jernigan: 27 BP + 29 VJ + 8 BJ = 64
AC Leonard: 20 BP + 34 VJ + 10 BJ = 64
Colt Lyerla: 15 BP + 39 VJ + 10 BJ = 64; needs to get stronger
Joel Bitonio: 22 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BJ = 63
Trent Murphy: 19 BP + 35 VJ + 9 BJ = 63
Larry Webster: 17 BP + 36 VJ + 10 BJ = 63; if he could get stronger he could be elite
Kyle Van Noy: 21 BP + 32 VJ + 9 BJ = 62
Jake Matthews: 24 BP + 30 VJ + 8 BJ = 62
Billy Turner: 25 BP + 28 VJ + 9 BJ = 62
Food for thought.