Alright, so I decided to spend some time looking into this Ryan Flournoy kid. You hear names, you see a highlight or two, but I always like to dig in a bit myself, you know? It’s not like I’m some paid scout, far from it, but I’ve watched enough football to form an opinion, or at least that’s what I tell myself. So, I figured I’d walk you through how I went about it, my little ritual for checking out a prospect.
Getting Started: The Tape Hunt
First things first, you gotta find the film. And let me tell you, for a guy from Southeast Missouri State, it ain’t always easy like finding tape on a top SEC guy. I spent a good chunk of Saturday morning, coffee in hand, scouring the web. You click on a lot of dead ends, some really grainy footage, but eventually, you piece together enough to get a decent look. I probably watched parts of three or four games, trying to get a varied sample. You can’t just watch the highlight reel where every play is a touchdown, that tells you nothing about the grind.
I’m not using any fancy software, just my laptop and a notepad. I jot down stuff as I see it. It’s pretty old school. My notes probably look like chicken scratch to anyone else, but they make sense to me, mostly. I’m looking for specific things, not just “is he good?”.
What I Actually Look For
So, when the tape is rolling, what am I keying in on? Well, a few things consistently:
- Release: How does he get off the line against press? Does he have a plan, or does he just get jammed up?
- Route Running: Is he just running fly patterns, or can he sink his hips and make sharp breaks? Is his route tree diverse or limited? This is a big one for me.
- Hands: Obvious, right? But not just catching, how does he catch? Body catcher? Natural hands? How does he do in traffic, with a defender draped all over him?
- YAC (Yards After Catch): Can he make a guy miss? Does he fight for extra yards, or go down on first contact? That tells you about his play strength and desire.
- Effort: This is huge. Is he blocking downfield when the run goes away from him? Does he take plays off? You can usually spot this if you watch enough.
I try to watch plays where he’s not the primary target too. What’s he doing then? That often tells you more about a player’s motor and attitude than the highlight grabs.
My Take on Flournoy After All That
So after all that, what did I think about Ryan Flournoy? Well, the kid definitely has some tools. You can see the athleticism pop. He’s got decent size, and I saw him make some tough catches. There were a couple of plays where he went up and got the ball in traffic that made me sit up a bit. He seems to have that burst you look for.
Now, it wasn’t all perfect, it never is. The route running, to my eye, still needs some polish. Sometimes the breaks weren’t super sharp, and against NFL corners, those windows close fast. Consistency is another thing. You see flashes, but can he bring it every single snap, against a higher level of competition? That’s always the big question mark for guys from smaller schools. He’s got a path, for sure, but it’s gonna be work.
So yeah, that’s basically my process. No magic formula, just putting in the time to watch, trying to be objective, and trusting my gut based on all the football I’ve consumed over the years. It’s a fun little hobby, keeps the mind sharp during the offseason. Hope this gives you a bit of insight into how I come up with my ramblings on these players.
