A list of players that will be in the 2017 RSP on April 1. 

Why I Do Pre- and Post-Draft RSPs

If you’re new to the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, it’s really twin publications: a pre-draft (available April 1) and a post-draft (available no later than a week after the NFL Draft).

The rankings in the post-draft publication factor in player fit with team, scheme, depth chart, and draft status. This is what most newbies want.

(Pre-order your login/password here)

Whether it happened at first sight or it was a gradual falling, most of veteran subscribers love the pre-draft publication and eventually value it equal or greater than the post-draft.

It’s because the April 1 pre-draft differs from most draft guides. It is my view of skill player talent divorced from draft stock and team fit.

While my pre-draft rankings and analysis will include a realistic take on how the NFL may value the player that will diverge from my ranking, I think it’s better to give readers a judgment of talent without the influence of risk management practices, politics, speculation and rumor.

It’s a fun part for many as drafniks and analysts. But if I were to be exact about my description about the pre-draft RSP, it’s a guide to talent evaluation, not a draft guide. 

The doses of realism I supply are meant for your to see that I possess awareness of what the rest of the world is saying. However, I don’t want to anticipate GMs, owners, and scouting directors when it comes to rankings.

I spend months studying talent to develop a ranking with my own system. A process that, I’ve been told my those who have (and still) created and administered scouting methods for the NFL, is ahead of the curve.

Unlike the NFL, I’m not working in an organizational dynamic where this is heavy pressure to sublimate true valuation of a player to cover one’s ass with one’s bosses in order to limit the risk of losing a job. This is unfortunately a common issue with the organizational management practices that impact scouting.

My goal is to make my process better every year and to do so, requires learning new lessons. Even if I don’t change my process every year, I’m constantly noting where I need to re-evaluate my criteria for evaluation.

Making my process better also means focusing on talent over the machinations of the draft. Whether I hit or miss, if I think Russell Wilson, Spencer Ware, Isaiah Crowell, Marvin Jones, Chad Spann, Jeremy Gallon, and Joe Don Duncan are good football talents, I don’t want to temper it with factors that have nothing to do with what happens on the field.

This comes back to why my readers love the unvarnished analysis of the pre-draft: It often helps them remain ahead of the curve about players that major media writes-off early or never bothers to learn about because of a low-round or UDFA status.

2017’s RSP Pre-Draft List

Below is the list of players that will be included in this year’s RSP. The current total is 155 players. I may add another 4-6 players after the NFL Combine.

If a player is not listed below and he is drafted before the fifth round, chances are strong that I’ll include him in the RSP Post-Draft. (Note: WRs Noah Brown and Darreus Rogers will also be on the list). 

 For analysis of skill players in the 2017 draft class, pre-order a login for the 2017 Rookie Scouting Portfolio – for April 1 download  Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2017 RSPs at no additional charge. Best yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 apiece.