It’s getting to be that time of the year, we will have some OTA’s and Minicamps, then a hush will fall over the NFL world until late July. For me, this time brings an opportunity to look back at the content I created this past season, make changes to my approach, and learn from my mistakes.
NFL “Winter Is Coming”
There Were Some Wins…and Losses
I was pleasantly surprised, looking back to my Jake Haener article that I created as my first on this site. He would end up being a day three pick like I had projected, which I was surprised when I re-read the article. After that, had some ups and downs, though I asked if Anthony Richardson was a 1st round pick, and still stand by my feelings that another year of development could’ve made him the #1 pick (though #4 isn’t a bad option though in hindsight).
What I’ve Learned and Who I Learned It From?
In terms of my personal studying and prep for the 2023 NFL Draft, I looked at all of our team’s work done here, as well as other guys like Daniel Jeremiah, Lance Zierlein, The Draft Network, and Random dudes on YouTube (when traveling down player rabbit trails). I’ve learned that analytics is a helpful tool but really only a portion of a player’s overall picture, though I should’ve trusted my eyes more than I did this last season.
I don’t like draft grades, so I didn’t do them (nor did I read anyone else’s for that matter). I think analytics, the eye test, and the wisdom of others make for a really full picture of each player. Add that all together, it means hours upon hours of study per player, to get an idea of where I thought a player would go. I will say the one player I nailed from day one was Quentin Johnston to the Chargers, and my hope is to do better lining up a player with the team moving forward.
What Else Do I Have Going On?
I’ll spend a large portion of my time over the next 2-3 months focusing more on fantasy football content, written work you can find over at RotoHeat.com, and Video content on RotoHeat’s YouTube channel. I have many fantasy football leagues, from your basic Superflex to devy and full IDP leagues that I am a part of. Finding that my work here vastly improved my prep for all the different fantasy drafts this year (so far).
I Can’t Thank Each of You Enough!
Shane and Brian are the best, and I appreciate the opportunity to write about a sport that I love. This last season’s been wild for me personally, my day job downsized and after 15 years I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. So I focused on my family (two amazing daughters and wife), and I dug in hardcode into creating content, with a goal of making that into what I do when I grow up.
I try to bring a humble mindset into every player evaluation, and every personal conversation and keep it fun and uplifting. It’s an honor to be able to have a voice in whatever way I can, to help people grow in their knowledge and love for the game as I have.
If you want to keep in touch in the offseason (and I hope you do), feel free to hit me up on Twitter, as I am always looking for new opportunities to write and join new teams, and make new friends, so who knows what’s to come! I will definitely be back with Draft Countdown come August, excited to keep getting better and getting you ready for the 2023 NFL Draft!