Analytics has taken over the football world. From teams being more aggressive on fourth down, to changing the ways front office’s draft, analytics have completely altered how we view football.
But how should analytics impact the way the Raiders draft this year? In a recent mock draft by analytics expert Cynthia Frelund, the Raiders selected Jerry Jeudy in the first round of her mock draft. Take a look behind the reasoning of the pick and why Jeudy is a sure-fire pick at No. 12:
When I track Jeudy using computer vision, his route-running ability stands out the most in this entire class of exceptional receivers. Basically, when I track where he ran, it looks like it was drawn exactly from a playbook. Also, his game-speed tracking shows he can quickly navigate away from defenders when they come within 5 yards of him during his routes. To my model, his 4.45 40-yard dash is one of the more predictive figures in terms of verifying his already-high-ceiling resume, due to his game-measured speed.
While Jeudy didn’t test as an elite athlete according to SPARQ, his incredible route running and speed will translate to the NFL. He already has experience playing multiple receiver positions and would thrive in a West Coast offense that asks receivers to win quickly.
If Jeudy is there at pick No. 12, don’t expect the Raiders to pass on this elite wide receiver prospect.
