ALL-STAR Game score card

September 20, 2018

I have been perusing NFL rosters since the day after Labor Day. In reality those 53-man rosters, in addition to Reserve lists, are the most significant numbers to evaluate how good recruiting was by the 3 main Star Games last January. I did an initial summary after the actual 2018 Draft to indicate how many players were Drafted by NFL teams. You can find that in our archives if you wish. THat’s a seriously important number, but the Fall roster setting is the real number to watch. So here are the results as of September 5th, 2018 roster information.

I just got done writing an apology message to TONY SOFTLI, who oversaw recruiting efforts for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl out in California. The new game on the block, with less than 10 years on their resume’ is playing catch-up with the Senior Bowl, and more realistically the Shrine Game. I sent Tony a message because I had literally mocked the roster for the NFLPA game when I first saw their player listings at their weigh-in. Shame on me, and kudos to Tony and his staff. When the smoke had cleared the NFLPA alumni were breathing down the neck of the Shrine player counts. I counted 23 players from the NFLPA 2018 Game on NFL 53-man rosters, as well as another 3 on reserve lists. That’s a total of 26 players overall making NFL rosters from that game. Not bad at all. The highest player selected from this game was TRAVARIOUS MOORE/S/SOUTHERN MISS at Pick 95 in Round 3 by the 49’ers! MOORE did make the Niners opening day roster.

Next up was the Shrine Game, which played it’s game in St. Petersburg, on the same day as the NFLPA contest. The Shrine venue is the oldest continuous college All-Star Game, nearing its 100th edition in the very near future. Profits from the game go to support Shriners’ Children Hospitals around the Americas. The Shrine venue placed 28 players on initial NFL active rosters, with another 5 on reserve lists. That’s 33 total, or about 30% of the total players in the game. The highest Pick from this game was P.J. HALL/DL/Sam Houston State, who was selected 57th overall in Round 2 by the RAIDERS! HALL did make the Raiders opening day roster.

The winner, and still champion, by a landslide was the Reese’s Senior Bowl contest in Mobile, which has the closest ties to the NFL with actual NFL team coaching staffs handling the North and South rosters for all practices and games. This year the Senior Bowl had 73 players on active rosters, with another 14 on reserve lists. For the math challenged reading this that’s 87 players, or more than the other two games combined. There were 6 players at the Senior Bowl who made their pro team and were First Round Picks. These included No. 1 Pick BAKER MAYFIELD/QB; No.7 Pick JOSH ALLEN/QB; No.15 Pick MARCUS DAVENPORT/DE; No.20 Pick FRANK RAGNOW/OC; No. 23 Pick ISAIAH WYNN/OT; No.26 Pick RASHAAD PENNY/RB. All hail the undefeated, in my lifetime, Senior Bowl.

These numbers, attesting to the scouting acumen of their respective game scouting staffs, are even more impressive when you consider a couple of other factors that play heavily into the equation. Underclassmen, as defined by the NFL, are not eligible to play in these games. In round numbers, 100 players declared for the 2018 Draft but were not eligible to participate in these games. About 2 full rounds of the Draft were taken up by underclassmen, leaving about 190 draftees being seniors. Now, I must also allow that the 146 number of “draftees” is a bit skewed by the fact that 6 players total, appeared at the Shrine Venue (5) and NFLPA (1), then went on to fill roster spots in Mobile. But we are splitting hairs here. The overall numbers do not take into account players who were injured and never made it to their actual game action. I am including Reserve list players, because most (but not all) would have made their team’s roster had they been healthy. Some of them will be back on active rosters before the season is over. I am not including NFL Practice Squads because they are so fluid.

The two points of interest to me are that about 140 total players from these venues made NFL rosters at the beginning of the regular season. That’s why we have these Star Games. It’s a final check to see many prospects play against top level competition before workouts and interviews take over the process entirely. Can’t wait to scout the Shrine and Senior Bowl in person come January 2019. It’s like Christmas in January for Pigskin Paul.

Cheers all!

Pigskin