NFL teams evaluate every aspect of a prospect before considering drafting them.
Teams will often rely on watching tape of players, which will show how they play in-game.
The other popular method of evaluation is the drills ran at the NFL Combine.
Though, all of those methods only look at the physical traits and abilities of players.
What about the mental side of the game?
That is where the Wonderlic test comes in.
Should The Indianapolis Colts Consider Wonderlic Scores When Drafting A Quarterback?
History:
The Wonderlic test is similar to an IQ test.
It measures general cognitive ability in math, vocabulary, and reasoning.
Tom Landry, the famed former head coach of the Cowboys began using the Wonderlic test in the 1970s to evaluate players.
Landry’s use of the evaluation proved to be so successful that every team soon began testing as well.
There has only been one perfect score in the NFL, Pat McInally, a punter who was drafted in the fifth round by the Bengals.
McInally went on to appear in one Pro Bowl and one Super Bowl.
Looking at the most notable low scores, one name that stands out is Frank Gore.
Gore who is expected to be a Hall of Famer had a score of six in 2005.
Quarterbacks:
The Wonderlic test holds the most weight at the quarterback position.
Quarterbacks must be able to process what is happening on the field just as well as they perform the skilled aspects of it.
Approaching this year’s draft, there is much debate about whether it can determine success in the NFL.
Here are some of the reported Wonderlic scores from this years draft class.
Wonderlic scores for QBs, per @BobMcGinn.
• Jake Fromm: 35
• Joe Burrow: 34
• Jordan Love: 27
• Justin Herbert: 25
• Anthony Gordon: 25
• Jacob Eason: 23
• James Morgan: 23
• Jalen Hurts: 18
• Tua Tagovailoa: 13— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) April 17, 2020
The average score for quarterbacks is 25.9.
Tua’s score should not cause any panic.
Now if these numbers do lead to success, then Nate Stanley should be more highly thought of.
Though when looking at history, there are many discrepancies among that correlation:
Notable QB wonderlic scores. Those listed in bold have won Super Bowls: pic.twitter.com/WXi6hZktKz
— Salty Fin Fan (@ChampiPHINS) April 17, 2020
The highest score from a quarterback is Ryan Fitzpatrick, a Harvard product.
He is considered a journeyman and has not sustained success throughout his career.
How The Colts Can Benefit:
While history may show that on-field performance is a better indicator of success, the results of the Wonderlic test may allow the Colts to find value in the draft.
The Colts do not have a first-round pick.
So the likes of Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Tua Tagovailoa will be off the board once the Colts are on the clock.
The scores show that quarterbacks like Jake Luton, Brian Lewerke, and Nate Stanley may be great picks towards the end of the draft.
The Colts do have a need at quarterback for the future, and the Wonderlic test can help them fill it.
NEXT: Colts GM Chris Ballard Will Not "Force" Drafting A QuarterbackReader Interactions
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