What's your Scouting/Draft Strategy?

[iamwubbie]

So we have 5 Regular Season Scouting Sessions, the Combine, Pro Days and Individual Workouts. But with a limited amount of scouting reports, and a limited amount of information, I find it improbable to determine consistently a good/bad player in the draft.

How do you scout during these times? Anyone have a system (without having to resort to a glitch)?

5 Regular Season Scouting Sessions
Generally, these sessions don't reveal much. They pretty much just reveal one or two pertinent ratings. I kind of use this as a screening session. I wouldn't want a DT who can't pursue, or a CB with 30 strength. But other than that, it's just one or two stats.

Combine
It sucks that we only have 20 scouting reports, rather than, say 30 or 40. Virtually every position, except perhaps pocket QBs, have their primary ratings revealed at the combine. I normally use 10-12 of my ratings on receivers and defensive backs, while I use the rest on skill positions who really stood out from regular season scouting.

Pro Days
If I'm drafting a pocket QB, they're going to get first priority for Pro Day Scouting Reports. After that, I'll scout players who got EXCEPTIONAL marks in Regular Season and Combine Scouting... If I had a choice, I'd probably look at linemen and linebackers first, and then receivers/runningbacks, and then defensive backs.

Individual Workouts
In my opinion, individual workouts should be used on high draft picks. High draft picks are naturally the most valuable ones. It's hard to trade up, so you can't miss when you draft high. In order to save scouting reports, I won't even bother scouting certain players high. I'll just individually workout all the players in the first round. For instance, if I'm the 49ers, I won't scout any cornerbacks in the first round. I'll just workout 5 first round corners. If there aren't 5 first round corners, I'll pick the next priority, which for the 49ers is probably free safety or defensive tackle.

If I'm blessed to have a team that doesn't have an immediate need, then I'll use my individual workouts on guys who showed great promise throughout all my scouting sessions. I prefer using them on high draft picks though. It's easy to stockpile mid/late-round picks if you trade down on your first pick. With all those picks, you could play the odds and draft, say, 4 or 5 cornerbacks with promise and hope you get lucky.

But that's my system. Anybody care to share theirs? Any ideas on how to improve mine?

[ghostlight85]

I use a very similar strategy, but a couple things I'd add are:

during the regular season, I have a HEAVY emphasis on OL/RB. I'll toss in a SS/QB or two if I am looking to improve at those positions. Also, I avoid scouting 1st round projected players in most cases. I'll talk about that later.

The combine is great for any player where speed/strength are important. Honing in on a running back is a great idea here. WR/CB this is a crucial time, so much like you I scout 10+ here. Leftover spots are generally LBs and DL.

Pro Days I try to catch the positions that I haven't scouted at all and also this is where QBs would get looked at for me. Also, I generally use this as confirmation of anyone that looked like a high value in the mid/late rounds.

Individual workouts my first priority is finding my 1st round pick. Sometimes though I will confirm someone that seems like a late round find. Seems a waste to use this on anyone that's already scouted, which is why it is generally 1st rounders that don't scout early on.

I also keep a notepad handy during the offseason. After resigning, I take stock of my roster and write down positions of need and if there is any type of player I want there. For instance, I was running a franchise with the Seahawks and in the first offseason I was looking for a 3rd down back (a la Darren Sproles/ Reggie Bush) to go with Marshawn Lynch. I also like to get flex lineman because I like to run Multiple D. So I like to keep a group of lineman that can flex from 3-4 to 4-3 with the right mix.

During free agency, some of these get crossed off. Whatever's left gets prioritized and becomes my draft wishlist. Generally I wont reach too far down, but I try to stick with either scouted players or guys who fell way out of their projected slots if they fill a need.

[Richieh]

I tend to use the in-season, combine and pro days to scout a few options for each round. I use the individual workouts to check the five players I'm considering with my top two picks.

The tough part is picking players you know will be available at the time. For that reason, in the two drafts I've had I have been drafting late in each round so I tend to draft players a round early: i.e. in the 1st round I draft a player tipped for the second round

[Obnoxious]

I Sim it all usually with the CPU doing all the scouting. Most the of the rookies after the first year are like 40-60 ovr. I release them all. I might just sim seasons in NCAA to get better draft classes then actually spend time with it.

FA is where I spend hours.

[ghostlight85]

Quote: Originally Posted by Obnoxious

I Sim it all usually with the CPU doing all the scouting. Most the of the rookies after the first year are like 40-60 ovr. I release them all. I might just sim seasons in NCAA to get better draft classes then actually spend time with it. FA is where I spend hours.

Most of those rookies are random UDFAs, not the people that you would be scouting. The prebuilt draft classes that you get stock are actually pretty good and scouting does yield some benefit. The system isn't perfect though.

[Armor and Sword]

I am still in year one and still in my regular season scouting.

My question is after your done doing all the scouting phases do all the rating still show on draft day for you. Will you be able to reference all your scouting info to help you draft?

Or do I have to write down my draft board because everything I unlock goes away on draft day.

Thanks for the reply!

BTW I use the OP method for the most part. I have been really scouting OL, RB and FS mainly in the regular season.

[sleepyeagle]

I just finished up my first year of scouting and went through the draft. Probably gonna take another year in my franchise before I'm completely comfortable with it.

I think I've got the scouting patterns down, unlocking key attributes for the right positions at the right time. I'm shocked at how much more in depth this process has become. I like the feeling that I actually have to be picky about who I'm scouting at certain stages.

Got a couple really good picks that will eventually be starters on my team, but most of the others came in with low ratings and D or F potential so they're gonna be cut. In the first year, there seem to have been a large number of rookies with decent first year stats, but horrible awareness (like in the 20's and 30's). I know awareness goes up a good bit over time, but I don't want these oblivious rookies cluttering up my depth chart.

This year I got a great WR, CB, and promising LT. In my first game of the regular season my rookie WR ended up taking over the slot position when Jason Avant and Riley Cooper were both sidelined with minor injuries. He ended up with 89 yards and a TD catch, so he'll be seeing more of the spotlight very soon.

[slimdagreat]

I've started using my Individual Days to try and find 3rd-4th round steals. I figure I have a higher likelihood of finding a good 1st rounder vs. finding an 80+ player in the 3rd without scouting.

This has worked out great for me in finding cheap stud OL in the 3rd and even 4th rounds