Pro Football Focus has published an interesting analysis regarding defensive backs who cover at a rate higher than expected given their NFL Scouting Combine athletic scoring.
Here’s how PFF’s Haley English describes the model.
“I built a linear regression model that takes into account the top two principal components, as well as the defender’s position, to predict a player’s NFL coverage rate. Some players greatly exceeded their NFL combine athleticism, where their actual coverage rate was much higher than their predicted coverage rate from their combine results.”
And here’s the chart, which shows the league’s top 15 defensive backs in coverage rate over expectation. Three Seahawks are on the list, including cornerback John Reid at the top.
This speaks to Seattle’s ability to recognize underrated talents on the back end of a defense. Coach Pete Carroll certainly has his faults as an evaluator, but nobody knows DB play better.
