The start of the NFL 2025 draft is within a week. It is one of the most exciting weeks of the offseason, because the dreams of hundreds of young men become a reality, and fans of the NFL teams gather behind the new players in the hope that they will end up leading to lead their team to a Super Bowl.
For months, fans and analysts have informed their opinions on colleges players they love and those they don’t like. And even if we will not know for years if opinions on these players were valid or erroneous, we will at least know what other teams think in a few days.
But even the best teams with the strongest assessors are mistaken. Players fail to achieve their expected production, or a player who is late in the overput recovery, even the expectations of the draft team. The draft of NFL is a humble reminder that even the best screening processes can be mistaken.
So today, we repent.
What perspective of NFL draft have the most missed?
My answer: As many of you know, screening for the NFL Draft Prospects is not really my thing. I tried to do it in the past, but it is not my favorite part of work, and I can openly admit that it is not my strong costume. With limited access to cinema, GPS data and detailed characters’ assessments, I recognize that I am in a severe disadvantage compared to the NFL teams, and I am perfectly happy to look at the process playing and diving into the prospects once written.
That said, there are certainly times when I planted a flag for a player who did not end up working. I was there with the majority of fans of lions who wanted the second Aaron Curry on Matthew Stafford, but it was 16 years ago. It’s time to turn the page on this one and admit another error.
I was incredibly wrong about Kerby Joseph. When I turned on his band, I saw a very new person in the post who did not have the best instincts. I labeled it as my least favorite choice of the Lions Draft 2022 class:
“The lions waited too long to grasp security, and I had the impression that they had just seized the last acceptable at 97 years old. Joseph is athletically gifted, but he is always incredibly raw. His band at the beginning of 2021 was rough, and although he became better and more confident, I always think he is a year or two – if he turns into a starter.”
As you know now, Joseph started 14 games in his recruit season and has not given up Tolr since. Although he took him time to adapt to the NFL, he also produced four interceptions of his recruit season, four again in 2023, then led the league with nine in 2024.
Of course, the errors are great. It’s the best way to learn. And what I learned here is that you have to give some players the play to improve as they learn a new position. Of course, Joseph fought early in Illinois after spending the security receiver. It is a huge transition. And since he had the physical tools to play the position in the NFL, I should have taken into account that in the good coach staff, he could develop. That said, you never really know how a raw player will progress, so I understand at least a certain level of skepticism here. However, you must sometimes let the development player develop.
On what NFL project prospects have you failed? Scroll to the comments section and share your stories.
