Applying Analytics to the NFL Draft: Athletic Performance Measures as a Predictor of Future Success

Can an athlete’s National Football League’s (NFL) Scouting Combine measurements be used to predict their future success in the League? In this analysis, I use historical combine data to create a grading system that measures a player’s athleticism, regressed upon the player’s rookie year Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade to determine the extent to which athleticism can help NFL franchises better predict the outcomes of their draft picks