Patrick Peterson and A.J. Green score 9 and 10 respectively on the Wonderlic

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Low Wonderlic scores ding elite NFL prospects

 

 

Two of the NFL's brightest future stars, LSU CB Patrick Peterson and Georgia WR A.J. Green, registered among the five lowest Wonderlic scores of the 330 participants at this year’s NFL scouting combine.

 

Peterson was one of four prospects who recorded a dreaded single-digit score, which NFL teams often equate with getting their name right, tying with South Carolina's Chris Culliver for the lowest mark among all defensive backs as both correctly answered only nine questions on the 12-minute, 50-question test.

 

Green registered the lowest score of all receivers, answering 10 questions correctly.

 

What does it mean? The Wonderlic test is just a small piece of the evaluation process, designed to gauge the intelligence of prospects. What NFL teams value much more highly is football intelligence — how quickly a player can instinctively read, react and make plays on the field.

 

"Peterson plays like a low-test guy," one NFL decision maker told PFW on the condition he remain anonymous, "but [if] he's in 'cat' [man-to-man] coverage in the NFL, it's not as big of an issue as it will be for offensive guys."

 

"He's a press corner," another longtime evaluator said. "His strong suit is that he can run and press. He won't play for the Patriots, where he's disguising coverage after coverage, but I still think he can be a No. 1 shutdown corner."

 

A scout with deep knowledge of the kid said, "The more I'm around him, the more I love him even more. I love the kid, and I love the talent. But I don't like the way he plays with his back to the ball. He has an instinct issue, and I think it's tied to his mental [ability]. He can only handle so much. He's not a quick processor. It's a scary year to be drafting in the top 10 because they all have some issue."

 

The increasing complexity of NFL offenses creates more pressure for a receiver like Green, but teams are still split about how much of a concern his score is.

 

"He will get it," one evaluator said. "You're going to have to take it slow with him and let him start at one position and let him learn on the run. He's not going to be able to handle learning all three positions. If you ask him to be an X, Y and Z, you're setting him up for failure."

 

"A.J. won't reach his full potential …," another evaluator said. "I don't know that Julio Jones [who scored a 15, ranking in the bottom 12 among wideouts] will be much better."

 

A third evaluator said, "You can't cover that guy. He's so difficult to defend. Will it take him some time? It could. That's on the coaches. It's their job not to give him too much. If you overload him, you could have some problems initially, but he's a great kid. He'll work at it. And he'll get it."

 

Florida OT Carl Johnson produced the worst score among this draft class, registering a 6, and Oklahoma State RB Kendall Hunter was the only other athlete to record a single digit, scoring a 9.

 

The offensive line and quarterback groups, both expected to score highly given the premium placed on reading defenses and recognizing protection in the NFL, heavily represented the top 10 scores. Alabama QB Greg McElroy registered the top score, correctly answering 43 of the 49 questions he attempted. He was followed by Boston College OT Anthony Castonzo (41), Baylor OG Danny Watkins (40), Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien (38), Idaho QB Nathan Enderle (38), Central Michigan ILB Nick Bellore (36), Portland State TE Julius Thomas (35), Florida State QB Christian Ponder (35), Michigan OG Steve Schilling (35) and Nebraska CB Prince Amukamara (35).

 

Although the tests are designed to measure intelligence, many registered NFL player advisers help their clients prepare for the exam, and as a result, the test scores often may be inflated. The Wonderlic company says no tester should improve by more than a handful of points, and any improvement much greater than that should be dismissed.

 

Castonzo scored a 35 the first time he took the exam last spring, six points lower than he did at the recent combine; McElroy scored a 32, jumping 11 points, and Enderle a 40, falling two. On the other hand, Watkins scored a 15 the first time he took the exam last spring, so his 25-point improvement will be discarded by NFL teams, which have expressed some concern about his ability to handle playing multiple positions despite having the physical skill set to play anywhere on the line. Bellore scored a 21 the first time he took the test, showing a 15-point improvement. Amukamara, who registered the top score for a cornerback, improved by 21 points from the 14 he recorded last fall, and teams that have interviewed him have said the 14 score is a closer indicator of his intelligence.

 

 

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=pfw-20110317_low_wonderlic_scores_ding_elite_nfl_prospects

[BigBen07 285]

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

Wonderlic scores mean jack shit lmao.

[BigBen07 285]

Wonderlic scores mean jack shit lmao.

 

I know that's why I went

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Wonderlic scores mean jack shit lmao.

 

They are a measurement of someone's intelligence. If that means jack shit, that's probably why you're a Browns fan.

[rzb+ 367]

They are a measurement of someone's intelligence. If that means jack shit, that's probably why you're a Browns fan.

Apparently the formula to convert is IQ = 2(WPT)+60.

 

So Peterson is at most 78 while Green is 80. That is fucking horrible. But they still know how to play some ball, which is me as a fan only care about.

 

Greg McElroy (Alabama QB) scored the highest, 43.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Kind of weird that cornerback is one of the toughest positions to play in football and yet cornerbacks typically score very low on the Wonderlic. All comes down to instincts and athleticism, I suppose.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Apparently the formula to convert is IQ = 2(WPT)+60.

 

So Peterson is at most 78 while Green is 80. That is fucking horrible. But they still know how to play some ball, which is me as a fan only care about.

 

Greg McElroy (Alabama QB) scored the highest, 43.

 

LOL. Awesome to know.

[RazorStar 4,025]

maybe they just answered C for all the questions? got really lazy.

[RANGA+ 1,210]

Kind of weird that cornerback is one of the toughest positions to play in football and yet cornerbacks typically score very low on the Wonderlic. All comes down to instincts and athleticism, I suppose.

 

Well it depends what sort of defensive scheme you're playing in. If your corners are playing single coverages or man-to-man then their instincts and athleticism would be more valued. But in a scheme like the Steelers or Packers where the corners play a lot of different coverages and give a lot of different looks you'd want someone who can read the offense quicker and react accordingly (ie. someone with a higher football IQ).

 

For a random example just compare Cromartie and Woodson. Cromartie is very good in single-press coverage. But ask him to back off and react to the receiver and he gets burned far too often. On the other hand, Woodson excels in situations where he's disguising his coverage and reacting to what he sees at the LOS.

Edited March 21, 2011 by RANGA

[RazorStar 4,025]

You don't need to be intelligent to be a football player, just a better athlete who doesn't hesitate.

[BucD+ 648]

You don't need to be intelligent to be a football player, just a better athlete who doesn't hesitate.

 

...and football smarts. Which, apparently, is completely different than any other form of intelligence.

[RazorStar 4,025]

basically yes. Wonderlic scores and IQ tests generally measure level of education. A couple of black guys from the south who are outstanding athletes... pretty good chance they aren't very educated. Football smarts can be learned by years of experience. A player may not be able to find the odd sentence out of a group, but able to predict the route a receiver is running? Engraved into their blood.

[rzb+ 367]

basically yes. Wonderlic scores and IQ tests generally measure level of education. A couple of black guys from the south who are outstanding athletes... pretty good chance they aren't very educated. Football smarts can be learned by years of experience. A player may not be able to find the odd sentence out of a group, but able to predict the route a receiver is running? Engraved into their blood.

I wouldn't go that far, but I'd definitely say that if sports are carrying someone through life (ie lowered GPA requirements for enrollment, "athletic tutors," less demanding majors) then of course education will take a back seat. Unfortunately, that is a popular story in the South.