JETS 101

In Part One of our examination of the worth of the NFL Combine, we looked at how combine-specific training has lessened the value of the physical tests that the NFL Combine is centered around. While the physical tests have lost some of their value, there is still a lot of worth to the week-long mania that is the NFL Combine. Everyone will be obsessing about the numbers, but the real value in the NFL Combine is actually in the personal interviews teams conduct with players.

Each NFL team gets an opportunity to set up some interviews with individual players throughout the week. The meetings aren't too long, but each team tries to meet with about 20 players that they have some interest in. There's also some smokescreens throw out from time to time as teams have been known to bluff by meeting with certain players to mess with other teams, knowing information about the meeting will leak out.

Different teams have different approaches to the meetings, but the Jets put a lot of weight into them. The Jets typically spend some time having the prospects break down film of themselves. This is a great chance to evaluate how a player watches film, as excelling at the next level requires a player to be able to break down film of themselves and improve upon their play. Mike Tannenbaum also likes to get in the mind of the prospect by asking some different personality questions. The Jets are known as conducting some of the more intense meetings with potential draft selections.

While so much emphasis is placed on the physical attributes of the prospects available in the NFL Draft every year, it's tough to get a read on the mental makeup of the players. The exception is those with serious character flags, although the personal interviews become a chance at redemption for some of them.

Amazingly, as much as players prepare for the NFL Combine, some still manage to make themselves look foolish in front of potential NFL employers. Ryan Mallett is said to be an example of a player who didn't present himself well.

There will be whispers about players that impress and players that disappoint in their meetings amid the shouts about the players that tested well and the ones that tested poorly. While everyone else is distracted by the numbers, make sure you pay attention to who is taking care of business during their face time with teams. 

Also…

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• Should the Jets draft Vinny Curry in the 2012 NFL Draft?

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