High POT Drafting 101

[bsurocksrule]

edit: So I put this in the main other football games forum first. **** me lol

So I have been doing research through my past few scenarios. I have decided that the best and most crucial way to build a team is through The Draft(probably obvious), NOT through Free Agency. My current Seattle Seahawks roster has all players at 75 POT rating or higher. None less. Here I will present tips on how to make you a better drafter. Class is in session.

Do not trade up unless you have to.

Let me repeat, do NOT trade up unless you have to! If you scouted well before the draft, there will be plenty of sleeper players that will be MUCH better than the guys drafted Round 1 or early 2nd round. Trading up costs you draft picks, and potentially, players, all for just one young, unproven high rated, potentially costly player. Why trade up for Jack English who will always be drafted first when you could get Jake Scott? Trade down to get someone like Tristan Riley, don't waste picks for one high pick. Only trade up unless you know you need that player and he'll perform at a high level immediately for you.

Trade for multiple 5-7 round draft picks
If use the Individual Workouts on players, there will usually be a number of 80-90 potential rookies. Teams will look at your draft board, however they WILL NOT copy your draft board entirely.

Have a draft board
I paid for not using the in game draft board early when the game was released. It pays to have a draft board. You have the default draft board rankings. If you have not set one yet, you will have to manually search for the player you scouted in order to find him, IF he's still available. Now that waists time. Remember, this is a game, there are no real-live analysts commenting and giving you F's on your picks. Use the draft board for ONLY players YOU need and put the players YOU need at the TOP of the draft board, and stick to it no matter what. Feel free to move up 50-60 OVR players to the top of your board if he is a high pot player even if he's projected to be a 6th or 7th round pick to ensure you select him.

Use the Player Comparison*
If a QB has a Drew Brees Player Comparison and he's a low-round projected draft pick, 8 times out of 10 he'll be a great player. Gamble on him with your pick. If a player compares to John Abraham, select him!

*Be sure to use Individual Workouts to know that the player really does compare to the player comparison.

Know the Rookie's Upside
It's obvious, but it helps to know what the rookie can bring to the table. Look for Upside in one of the Regular Season scouting Strengths. Chances are he'll develop quickly. If he doesn't have an upside as a strength, look for any "None" in the weakness side. If he has a "none" as a weakness, he'll be a sleeper. If a rookie has "None" at ANY of his strengths, avoid the player at all costs, no matter what his PHS and INT are rated. He'll always be a decent to a bust player. We want great players, not decent players. I just drafted Bennie Louis in my current draft in the 6th round who has 88 POT rating. Darby Miles wasted someone else's #1 overall draft pick.

Make sure your team has a need before drafting in that position
Let's face it. If you have 3 high-level DE's, why do you need to draft another high potential LE? You cannot trade him away as other teams won't want him immediately until they've seen production from him. The only positions where you should draft another player in the same position with a high level POT is QB(without multiple QBs you may be out of your team's leaders quickly), WR, or CB. If you don't have any other needs, trade down for next year's draft.

When in doubt, Gamble.
It's usually safe to gamble when deciding which sleepers to pick in the last rounds, because nobody else knows that you know certain sleepers in the draft. If you are trying to decide whether to take a Marvin Harrison Comparison or a Drew Brees Comparison in the 5th Round and your next pick is in the 7th round, By George gamble! The best formula to know whether he'll be available by your next pick, is to make sure that the Drew Brees guy is -10 OVR than the other QB's remaining, Brees will most likely be available in the 7th round, maybe not drafted at all. Here you can safely assume Brees will be available later so you can pick Marvin Harrison.

Hope this post will inspire other John Schneiders or Ted Thompsons to draft better and get their team more prepared for their upcoming season! Class is dismissed!

[algoody421]

To add a few things. In this game, personality matters, A LOT MORE than most would understand at first.

At any position the best personalities are Captain Commander Titan Superstar because they have the driven trait. Superstar is the worst of them because its an attitude issue(they'll complain if they dont start) and will always want the most they could possibly be worth. They should only be gotten few and far between and at positions they'll start and produce in your playbook(offense or defense).


No one knows what ALL the personality traits do but we have figured out some through the guide and screens while waiting. Im also guessing on a few of these but they're based on players Ive had that had those traits.

Driven(captain commander titan superstar), this is a trait you want from any production position. That means qbs hbs wrs your sack leader position(dline or lb), cbs, safeties, really everyone. It makes it so that player develops twice as fast(when producing) because they get twice the amount of points.

Generous, this should be one you look for when picking 1st and 2nd round picks, especially money positions(QB, LT, etc). These players will take less than they're worth

Humble(early 1st round picks) willing to restructure their deals for the good of the team later in careers. They'll drop their cap number by signing an extension a year or 2 early.

Problem solver(qb, hb, mlb, safety, anyone really). Tend to diagnose the other team better and make the right decisions in crunch time.

Team player(BACKUPS). This is an amazing trait for anyone you select somewhere you already have a starter. I love drafting these guys for oline and dline depth, really depth anywhere. They can be the best at their position and still wont cry to the media if they're on the bench. Anyone drafted in the 3rd or later thats not going to start right away should be a team player if at all possible.

Patient QB RB WR LB CB, you'll notice these players dont do too much too soon in a play, they wait for the perfect moment than pull something out of their hat. Ozzie jones is a patient player, when you run a shotgun screen, he will wait next to the qb for 2-3 seconds before he leaks out on his screen route. Most other rbs just start running the route as soon as the ball is hiked. You'll also see a patient qb hold the ball till the last second if necessary to give his guys a chance to break open.

Aggressive : Blocking/blitzing players, cbs on ballhawk philosophy.

[Skarecrow]

I disagree on the part about modifying the draft board.

I purposely avoid changing my draft board, because the default draft board gives me a good overall idea of where other teams value the player, since they presumably all started with a list similar to mine, and most of them do very poorly scouting later round players.

For instance: If I'm in round 4 and I'm trying to decided whether to draft, say, the only remaining >90 pot WR right now, or take an offensive lineman or something like that and wait on the WR... it helps to know what other teams think of the WR. If the default draft board says that there's 12 other WRs ahead of him, he'll usually still be there in round 5, and maybe even round 6. If there's only 2 WRs ahead of him on the default board, chances are he'll be gone within the next dozen picks, and I'm lucky he's still there at all.

One exception. Even if there's 12 other same-position players ahead of the guy you're looking at, if he's started showing up on teams "pick the pick" listings, grab him now... somebody scouted him and the other teams followed up on it. He's going to go earlier than you think.

Between the default draft board and paying attention to "pick the pick", you should generally have an idea when any player is going to get drafted, give or take a dozen picks or so.

[shadowman]

I think the only real value of reordering your draft board is so your staff actually recommends someone that you want to draft.

[bsurocksrule]

The players you select for the top of your draft board don't change the rest of the default rankings for the players. It only shifts the rest of the rookies' #'s down but the ranking remains the same.

That is why I suggest to use the draft board because it puts your players at the top so you know who you should draft and the rest of the draft board will practically remain the same.

Oh and yes there isn't any real in game value for your draft board it just helps you find the information you need for certain players quicker.

Another thing, you can still compare the Overalls to the other rookies left on the board.

[thedudescrew]

I have never used the draft board and have no issues scrolling through trying to find the player I want. Also I dont see the John Abraham comparison ever being anyone worth while. Just figured I would mention that. There are always good/decent players. Also after about 3 years your whole team will have tons of high potential players and you will be forced to grab whatevers available. :P I know this from experience. I usually try to focus on what I need but most times I have too many picks from trading down and have to pick a position I dont need anymore.

I do agree that having a solid back up QB is worth it. With out one you will be screwed if the starter gets hurt.

Ok I think thats good for now.

[Skarecrow]

Quote: Originally Posted by thedudescrew

I do agree that having a solid back up QB is worth it. With out one you will be screwed if the starter gets hurt.

I usually grab one franchise guy (Dane Morrow, Joe Kain, etc) as early as I can, then pick up whoever the "sleeper" in the draft is in a mid/late round, keep him for 3 years, don't renew his contract, then grab the next sleeper.

I'm not really sure this is the best strategy. These guys have pots of 91, 93, etc, but their OVL often comes in pretty ugly, occasionally in the 50s or 60s, so they aren't really much good if called on to play in a clutch. I'm thinking now that it might actually be be more beneficial to grab a "cheap" veteran out of FA who is in the high 70s or low 80s... or else grab an "also-ran" bowl QB in the 2nd or 3rd rounds of the draft who may only have a pot of 84 or so, but starts off at 78 or 80 to begin with, that way my backup can at least play, even if he'll never be a superbowl level QB.

[cbutler0509]

I dont use the draft board in game. I normally write down all the players who are on my radar. I write down their position, player comparison, and where they are ranked on the big board and at their position.

The biggest help to me in my draft preparation is the mock draft. I identify which teams have the same positional needs that I do. Then I identify potential trading partners that allow me to move ahead of those teams to ensure my player is not grabbed up before my pick. It's not exact because other trades happen, or teams like the Raiders throw logic to the wind and draft horribly, but I am drafting better.