Tag Archives: RAS

Decoding The “Packers Way”

Quarterback:

Here the thresholds haven’t changed from Wolf to Thompson to Gutekunst. They don’t care too much about a QBs RAS score. They like guys who have some athleticism, guys who can move around the pocket and not be a statue. Guys who can get a 1st down when needed. They like their QBs about 6’2 or taller and 215+

Running Backs:

Credit: Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

When it comes to running backs, the Packers do have a type. Of the three running backs Gutekust has drafted, they have RAS scores of: 8.15, 9.16, and 7.31. So that gives us the idea that they like their running backs to be good athletes. Even if you go back to Thompson they averaged an RAS score of 7.37.

The majority of the backs they have drafted have run a 4.55 or better, but the threshold seems to be 4.6. For explosive testing, look more at broad jumps. Under Gutekunst all three have jumped more than 10′, even going back to Thompson most jumped 9’11” or more.

Only one running back stands out as far as weight; AJ Dillion. The average weight of all the running backs drafted is 220. The threshold seems to be 205. Any backs under 200 should not be considered as well. Aaron Jones is also the shortest at 5’9 1/2 so anyone under 5’9 is probably off their board.

Wide Receiver:

Now this position is where there is the most hand wringing by fans over their thresholds. The Packers like bigger receivers with long arms. Gutekunst tried to make an exception with Amari Rodgers, and that didn’t work out. Outside of Rodgers, Gutey hasn’t drafted anyone with arms under 32 1/4″. If you go back to Ted it goes down to 31″. I would say 31″ is the bare minimum, but really hone in on guys with 32″ or longer.

While they have not said they have a minimum height, you have to think its 5’9, just due to the fact of how many 5’9 wide receivers weigh 190+? What Gutekust has shown is he likes his receivers taller. Toure was the shortest one he drafted, and he was a hair under 6’1. As to the weight issue, yes, the Packers do have a threshold. It has been confirmed by Gutey. He didn’t specify it, but looking at it historically you have to say its around 195.

Now to everyone’s favorite: RAS scores. Of the seven receivers drafted by Gutekunst, they have averaged a score of 8.19. If you go back to Thompson it is still a 7.9. For early-round receivers (1st-5th), look for guys that score 8.0 or better. As to 40-yard dashes, since Thompson they have only drafted two receivers who ran a 4.6, everyone else ran a 4.56 or faster. So unless someone has a high RAS, score I would eliminate anyone over 4.56.

The broad jump seems to be more important to them than the vertical. They have verticals from 30″all the way to 39 1/2″. Every receiver Gutey has drafted had a broad jump of at least 10′, so I would start there with any potential picks. 3-cone drill, though, is a big one for GB. Under Gutekust, their receivers have averaged a 6.84. Anyone running under 7 should meet their threshold. Any short shuttle around 4.25 or faster should be good.

Tight ends:

Now here is where things get interesting. The Packers are pretty loose on their thresholds at tight end. For example, the average RAS score of all the tight ends drafted since Ted is a meager 6.08. They do seem to have some size thresholds: 6’3 or taller and 245 or heavier. The Packers also like to draft guys who can contribute in the pass game and as a blocker, but its not a requirement.

Offensive Line:

When it comes to offensive line, the Packers very much have a type. Regardless as to what offensive scheme they have run the last 15 years; athleticism has always been a priority. Since Ted Thompson they have an average RAS score of 8.2, and under Gutey he has maintained it with an average of 8.16. The front office really values agility drills with their offensive linemen.

When it comes to players who will be playing primarily offensive tackle, the Packers tend to be even more specific. For example: arm length. Every player they have drafted who was slated to primarily play tackle has had 33 ¼” or longer. Also, none of them have been below 6’4. Any offensive tackle under those would be off their board, or they would see them more as a guard.

In regards to explosive testing, 25” seems to be the cut off for vertical. The lowest broad jump was 8’1”, so they don’t require highly explosive offensive linemen. The slowest 40 time we have is Jake Hanson with a 5.5, but the next one was a 5.33, under Gutekunst. That seems to be the cut off.

In regards to agility drills, the slowest short shuttle has been a 4.88 from Cole Madison. After that, it was a 4.81 from Sean Rhyan. The 4.88 seems like a little bit of an outlier, but let’s go with that for the baseline. Just be wary of anyone higher than a 4.8. The 3-cone drill, though, is a test the Packers value very highly. The slowest 3-cone has been a 7.91 from Royce Newman. Under Thompson, the slowest was an 8.01 by Jamon Meredith. So, there probably is a little bit of maneuvering you can do with that 7.91, but not much.

When it comes to interior guys, they like them with tackle experience. The Packers have only drafted three interior offensive linemen who did not have any tackle experience since Ted Thompson. They also have not drafted one under 6’3. The shortest arm length we have seen on interior guys has been 32”, so anyone with arms shorter than that, I would take off the board. The Packers also tend to be a little more forgiving on the testing with interior guys. Most of the slower times on the testing have been interior guys.

In my next article I will cover the defense.

Do The Green Bay Packers Have a Connection To RAS?

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Welcome back, its been a long time. When I wrote an article connecting the Green Bay Packers and RAS at Pack To The Future (here’s part 2, part 3, and part 4). I got a lot of push back. Oddly enough from Packers content creators. I was told things like “Its just a coincidence” or “The Packers don’t look players up on Kent’s website”. (Which I never said anyway). Even things like “Gutekunst doesn’t even know what RAS is”.

What is RAS?

First, let’s address what it is to those who may not know. RAS stands for Relative Athletic Score and was created by Kent Lee Platte. This quote is directly from his website

“For the past half decade, I have been working to provide a metric that can easily and intuitively gauge a player’s athletic abilities relative to the position they play and provide tools to contrast and compare based on known measurables”.
Kent Lee Platte, Creator of RAS

Basically he takes any athletic testing a player does from either the combine or their pro day and assigns a numerical value — a value which changes depending on the position they play. He totals it all up and divides it and it gives you a number from 0 – 10. It also rates that player historically to other at his position. You can also assign a percentage to it.

Rashan Gary for example had an RAS score of 9.95. If you turn that into a percentage it gives you 99.5% meaning historically he is a better athlete than 99.5% of all edge rushers who had participated in athletic testing. Now on to the article at hand.

Is It A Coincidence?

At this point, the correlation between the Packers NFL draft choices and RAS is strong enough to go beyond mere coincidence. We have enough data going back to Ted Thompson — and to a lesser extent Ron Wolf — showing the Packers value highly athletic players. Gutekunst has continued that trend. In fact, he has leaned even more into it. 27 of Gutekust’s 39 draft picks that have RAS scores scored 8.0 or higher on the scale.

Do Brian Gutekunst and the Packers Use The RAS Website?

No, of course not. I don’t think anyone ever claimed that. The Packers, like every other team in the league, has their own thresholds or guardrails that they follow. With that being said, no one can deny that the similarities between Kent’s RAS and whatever the Packers use in determining their athletic thresholds for draft picks.

Do Brian Gutekunst and the Packers know what RAS is?

While I don’t have direct knowledge, everything I know and have heard tells me yes. In direct conversations with Kent, he has told me that he has had NFL scouts contact him asking him about his metric and how it works. If you know anything about the NFL scouting community, it’s that it is small and pretty much everyone knows everyone. Which tells me if he has had a few scouts contact him about it and its a small community by now they all must know about it. It just makes sense.

Also scouts don’t do anything, especially contacting a fan, without their GM knowing about and approving it. NFL front offices are in the business about knowing everything about a player. They can tell you who his 3rd grade teacher was and what kind of grades he got. If they know that, they have to know what RAS is.

In my next article I will be updating their thresholds based off of just Brian Gutekunst draft picks. You can also find anything else I have written about the Packers, RAS, or anything else for ATB here.

Cincinnati Bengals RAS: Defense

Cincinnati Bengals Defense RAS Breakdown

Defensive line:

The Bengals have drafted five defensive linemen since 2017. Ryan Glasgow, Andrew Brown, Renell Wren, Tyler Shelvin, and Zachary Carter. Interestingly enough, there is not much of a height difference between them. They are all between 6’2″ and 6’4″. There is, though, a large difference in weight with the lightest being 282 and the heaviest being 350. It does seem they like their defensive line with long arms. All have 33 1/2″ arms or longer.

Now the average RAS score comes out to a 6.36, which isn’t all that special in of itself. But, if you remove Tyler Shelvin and his really bad .86 RAS, it jumps to a 7.74. Three of the players have RAS scores over 8. So you can say this is one position they find athleticism important.

Now looking at specific testing, four of the five did score at least ok in explosion drills. 40 speed seems to be of some importance. Four of the five ran a 5.13 or faster. Agility drills seem somewhat similar to explosion testing, in that four of the five tested at least a little above average. Bench does not seem to be of importance as they range from 19 reps to 31.

Credit: David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Edge:

Now here is a position the Cincinnati Bengals have invested a lot of draft capital in. They have drafted eight since 2017: Jordan Willis, Carl Lawson, Same Hubbard, Khalid Kareem, Joseph Ossai, Cameron Sample, Wyatt Hubert, and Jeffrey Gunter. We only have testing on seven of the eight.

They average out to a real solid 8.29 RAS score, and none scored lower than a 5.98. There was a big variance in height, with the shortest being 6’1 5/8″ and the tallest being 6’5 3/8″. Weight wise they are between 255 and 270, with six being 258 or heavier. So you can say they are middle of the road when it comes to weight. They like their guys 260ish to 270. Arm length does not seem to be of importance. They vary from 31″ to 34 3/8″.

They all scored at least good testing on explosion drills. Five of the seven had vertical jumps of 35″ or more. The broad jump does not seem as important, with only three jumping 10′ or more.

As for speed testing, it seems they rely more on 20-yard dash than 40 or even 10. Five of the seven posted elite 2- yard dash scores, with all posting a 2.7 or faster. Agility testing also seems to be somewhat important. One of the seven did not do agility testing. Four of the six posted very good or elite agility scores, with even Gunter posting solid agility scores.

Linebackers:

Linebacker is also a position the Bengals have invested a lot of draft capital in. Duke Tobin has drafted seven linebackers since 2017. They are Jordan Evans, Malik Jefferson, Germaine Pratt, Deshaun Davis, Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither, and Markus Bailey. We don’t have testing on the last two.

The five average RAS score is a healthy 7.85. Davis brings that score down a bit with his 2.65. There is some variance in height, with the shortest at 5’11” (Davis) and tallest at a hair under 6’3″ (Evans). Weight wise, though, there is not a lot of variance. Davis-Gaither is the lightest at 224, but after him the rest are between 232-241. Arm length they are all kind of similar, with six of them between 31″-32″.

This seems to be another position where explosion testing is somewhat important. Four of the five Bengals defenders that we have RAS testing on all had sold-to-elite explosion scores. Speed, though, seems to be super important to the Bengals. Four of the five ran a 4.63 or faster 40-yard dash. Agility also seems like a front office wide focus. Again here, four of the five have at least good scores in agility testing, with the short shuttle seemingly more important than 3-cone.

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Cornerbacks:

I separated out corners and safeties because some teams do scout them athletically different and some don’t (Packers). So just trying to be consistent across the board.

The Bengals have drafted four corners in the last six drafts. Davontae Harris, Darius Phillips, Jordan Brown, and Cam Taylor-Britt. This is a smaller number than most teams. Their average score is a 6.96, with three of them having a score of 7.77 or higher.

With height there isn’t a huge difference. Between 5’10 – 6’0. Same thing with weight; 193-205. So it does seem they like their corners to be sturdy. The Bengals also like their corners to have solid arm length, with three of the four having at least 31 1/8″ arms.

Explosion testing for corners does not look to be of any importance to them. They vary from bad to elite. The lowest vert was 31″ and the highest was 39.5″. 40 speed, though, does seem to be of some importance to them. The slowest 40 was a 4.54, while the rest were 4.51 or faster. Agility testing, again like other positions, they want their guys to be at least okay. Three of the four ran a 4.2 or faster short shuttle. Same with 3-cone, with the slowest being a 6.96.

Safeties:

For the final position in our look at the Cincinnati Bengals RAS breakdown on defense, we come to the safeties. Since 2017 the Bengals have drafted four safeties, with two just coming this past draft. They were Brandon Wilson, Jessie Bates, Daxton Hill, and Tycen Anderson.

All four tested very athletic. The average score for them was 8.59, with the lowest a 7.18. Height wise they were between 5’10” – 6’2″. As for weight, they were between 191-209. So a decent range, but if you remove Anderson they are all cornerback sizes: 5’10-6’1 , 191-200. Arm length doesn’t seem to be of any importance.

With safeties, the broad jump seems to be more important than the vertical. Three of the four had broad jumps of at least 10’1″, but the lowest vert was 33.5″ with the highest being 41″. Like corners, speed seems to be of big importance with the slowest being 4.5, with the other three being 4.4 or faster. Three of the four also scored good-or-better agility scores, with the 3-cone testing seemingly being more important than the short shuttle. Three of the four ran 3-cones of 6.78 or faster.

With the defense done, that concludes our look at the Cincinnati Bengals RAS breakdown. Which team will be next? Stay tuned to find out!

New England Patriots and RAS

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The New England Patriots RAS score is in the good hands of Bill Belichick’s dog Nike.
(Credit: The Boston Globe)

The New England Patriots bring us back to the realm of RAS, or Relative Athletic Score. This team remains an interesting one from the front office perspective. Bill Belichick has been the head coach/GM of the Patriots since he was hired in 2000. He had split some of the duties with Scott Pioli before he left, but Belichick was still the head guy with final say. With all that being said, there is no reason to go back to 2000. Draft strategies change, so we’ll look back to 2016.

You can find previous parts here: https://atbnetwork.com/author/bmaafi1125/

Quarterbacks:

Generally quarterbacks and RAS scores are kind of unimportant outside of maybe a team here or there. Most teams want a guy who can at least move around the pocket a little and could get a few yards if a play breaks down.

With that, let’s take a look at the Patriots. Since 2016 they have drafted four quarterbacks: Jacoby Brissett, Danny Etling, Jarrett Stidham, and Mac Jones. Etling was the most athletic with a 8.31 RAS score and Brissett was the lowest with a 4.53. All four average out to a 6.38, which ironically enough rates average overall.

In fact, it’s a pretty common average; most teams are around there or slightly higher. All four have been at least 6’2 and 217+ pounds. Essentially, New England likes solid sized QBs, which is also pretty normal among NFL teams.

Running backs:

The running backs for the Patriots are kind of interesting. Belichick has drafted only three since 2016: Sony Michel, Damien Harris, and Rhamondre Stevenson. Michel had the highest RAS score of the three at 8.96, but Harris and Stevenson both rated under 6.5.

At this position, it would seem overall athleticism is not that important to Belichick. All have similar size (between 5’10”-5’11” and 214-230), yet they don’t have any testing numbers that stand out. For example, Michel was the fastest of the three in the 40-yard-dash, clocking in at 4.54. So it would reason pure speed is not that important to them, especially since they all demonstrate average agility.

Tight Ends:

Since 2016 Bill Belichick has drafted only three tight ends: Ryan Izzo, Dalton Keene, and Devin Asiasi. All three are 6’3″-6’4″ and weigh between 253-257. Just going off this, and given the former Gronk factor, the Patriots like larger tight ends. As for RAS scores, this position once again rates average overall at 6.66.

Keene is a freak athlete with a 9.34 RAS score, but Izzo and Asiasi are both in the below/average range. It does look like they want tight ends with decent speed as Asiasi and Keene both run in the low 4.7’s. They all test at least average in explosion factor. All three are average to excellent in their 10-yard splits, so this might be something to watch.

Wide Receivers:

They Patriots have drafted five receivers since 2016: Malcolm Mitchell and Devin Lucien in 2016, Braxton Berrios in 2018, N’Keal Harry in 2020, and Tre Nixon in 2021. The average RAS score of them is a solid 7.58. Even better, three of the five are above an 8.0. Four of them measure between 6’0″-6’3″ and weigh 187+, with two of them currently over 200 pounds.

Outside of Berrios, they seem to prefer bigger receivers. They appear to factor in vertical jump as four of the five registered a 36″ vertical or higher. 40-yard-dash speed does seem to be something they key in as well. Harry was the slowest at 4.53, while the others were under 4.5, including three in the 4.45 range. Four of the five also scored at least average in agility testing.

Offensive Line:

One position the Patriots have made sure not to avoid is definitely offensive line. They have drafted 11 offensive linemen since 2016. Seven of them were interior offensive linemen, specifically guards. There was a solid average RAS score of 7.15. The guards even averaged a 7.51.

tackles:

The tackles averaged a 6.66, but that was mostly brought down by Justin Herron’s 3.99. The other two tackles were Antonio Garcia (7.29) and Conor McDermott (8.7). As to their size, the tackles varied from 6’4″-6’8″, but their weights did not show a lot of variety; they ranged from 302-312.

Arm length seemed to vary from 33 1/3″ – 34 3/4″. Explosion grades were at least average, while 40 and 10-yard splits were all average to a little slow. Agility testing does not seem to be something that they value at tackle; while two had poor agility testing, McDermott tested well.

guards:

The guards heights vary from 6’3″-6’5″, but weight wise there was a lot more variety. The lightest was Dustin Woodward at 295 and the heaviest was Michael Onwenu at 344. Another area that had a big range was arm length, which was between 31 1/4″-34 1/3″.

All of the guards tested at least average in explosion testing, specifically the broad jump. Speed does not seem to be a priority; the 40 speeds range from 4.95-5.34. As to agility testing, it seems that they prefer at least average agility. Only one drafted guard tested poorly in this area: Ted Karras.

Defensive line:

From 2016 to 2021, New England has drafted only three defensive linemen: Vincent Valentine, Byron Cowart, and Christian Barmore. The three of their RAS scores average out to a 6.6. They all do have similar height (6’3″ or 6’4″), while weight varies a bit from Cowart’s 298 to Valentine’s 329. It does look like they value arm length in their DL; the shortest is 33 1/8″ and longest is 34 3/4″.

There’s no explosion testing from Barmore, but Cowart and Valentine tested well, especially on the broad jump. Straight line speed does not seem to a priority here. Barmore ran fast, but his 10-yard split was just average. Meanwhile, Cowart and Valentine did not run well. All three had average to poor agility testing, so that might not be a priority either.

Edge:

Since 2016 the Patriots have drafted six edge defenders: Derek Rivers and Deatrich Wise (2017), Chase Winovich (2019), Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche (2020), and Ronnie Perkins (2021). There are only RAS scores for four, and they collectively average out to an athletic 7.9. There does not seem to be any threshold on height with Uche at 6’1″ and Wise at 6’5″.

A similar feature comes from weight – Uche was the lightest at 245 and Wise being the heaviest at 278. Outside of Wise, they appear to trend more on the light side; the rest are between 245 and 256. Arm length does seem somewhat important to them; the shortest arms tested were 32 7/8″ with Wise the longest at 35 5/8″.

They do seem to have a threshold as far as explosion testing, as all of them tested at least average or above. Straight line speed does seem to have some importance to them. Outside of Wise, everyone ran a 4.7 or faster with two running 4.6. They also seem to like guys with good or better agility.

Linebackers:

The Patriots have drafted five linebackers since 2016. Despite this, only three of them have RAS scores. The average RAS score of those three is a pretty solid 7.04. Height wise, they seem to like shorter linebackers, with all between 5’11” and 6’1″. There is some range in weight (two guys at 234 and the the other 248).

Arm length does not seem to be particularly important to them, ranging from 31 1/2″ to 32 1/4″. There does seem to be something to them liking their linebackers with decent speed as they all ran sub-4.75 in the 40-yard-dash. Their agility testing is average, though explosive testing isn’t of importance since they range from bad to very good.

Defensive backs:

The one position the Patriots have loaded up on is defensive back. Since 2016, they’ve drafted eight in this area, with three coming from the safety position. Although this is a trend with most NFL teams, it also seems to be a position where testing scores are more dependent.

The RAS scores on all but one came back with a good average of 8.37. Duke Dawson and Cyrus Jones do bring the average score down a bit; both tested about average (6.62 and 6.45, respectively). If one averaged out strictly the cornerbacks, this score actually drops to a 7.87. Two of the three safeties scored over 9.5, with only Joshuah Bledsoe failing to provide a score.

When it comes to height, three out of the four corners are 5’9″ or 5’10”, so they may have a preference for shorter corners. Of course the fifth is Joejuan Williams, who is 6’4″. With the safeties there is some variety from 5’11” to 6’2″. Weight wise, all eight players ranged from 197 to 217. This position, however, is where explosion testing mattered immensely.

While Cyrus Jones tested poorly, the rest all tested above average to elite. They also seem to like their defensive backs fast, and yes there are teams that do not prioritize it. Outside of Kyle Dugger, all run a 4.49 or faster, while the 10-yard splits are all varied.

In regards to agility drills, the Patriots want their defensive backs to have at least good agility. Of all these players, Duke Dawson was the only one with poor agility scores. Also, the 3-cone drill might be a little more important than short shuttle.

The Buffalo Bills and RAS

Quarterbacks: A Future MVP Candidate?

Beane has drafted only two quarterbacks in his time. Josh Allen in 2018 and Jake Fromm in 2020. The RAS scores from these two could not be more different. Allen scored a 9.67 and Fromm scored a 1.96. There are not many similarities between the two. Both are 220 or over, and That’s about it. This is something that seems to follow teams across the league. RAS does not seem to be all that important for most teams.

Running backs:

Since 2018 Beane and the Buffalo Bills have drafted only two running backs. Devin Singletary in 2019 and Zack Moss in 2020. The average RAS score for the two of them is 2.31. Which is interesting, because teams generally like their running backs to be at least decent athletes. Some similarities are that both are under 5’10 and both are over 200 pounds.

Both oddly have almost the same 40 times at 4.65 and 4.66. Same thing with their 10 yard splits with a 1.67 and 1.64. So it seems they do not care too much about athleticism with their running backs, although its a small sample size with only two guys.

Wide Receivers:

The Buffalo Bills have drafted five receivers since 2018. Austin Proehl and Ray-Ray McCloud in 2018, Isaiah Hodgins and Gabe Davis in 2020, and Marquez Stevenson in 2021. Looking at their average RAS score what comes out is a 5.45. None of them scored over a 7.56. Only two of them even scored a 6 or above (Davis and Hodgins).

With the Bills draft history it seems Beane prefers two different type of receivers either guys that are 5’9-5’10 like Proehl, McCloud and Stevenson or those that are 6’2+ in Davis and Hodgins. The three smaller receivers all seem to have good agility in common. 40 times range for 4.53-4.48 so they all have about average speed. Their explosion grade are average to below average. These tests are not prioritized by them.

Now when it comes to Hodgins and Davis besides both being 6’2+ they are both over 210. Both scored good in explosion and good with their 10 yard splits. Agility grades vary between the two, so that seems to be not a priority when it comes to bigger receivers for them.

Tight ends:

In his time Beane has drafted only two tight ends. Tommy Sweeney and Dawson Knox in 2019. Sweeney had a RAS score of 5.93 and Knox with a 9.25. Both are 6’4 250-255. Sweeney was pretty average across the board in testing, Knox meanwhile showed really well in explosion and speed testing, but average agility. Speed and explosion seem to be testing that they key in on.

Offensive line:

The Buffalo Bills have drafted five offensive linemen since 2018. Three guards and two tackles. Wyatt Teller in 2018, Cody Ford in 2019, and Tommy Doyle, Jack Anderson and Spencer Brown in 2021. The average RAS score for all of them is a very athletic 8.72 with only one of them scoring under an 8.

This seems to be a position that they highly value athleticism. As for the two tackles very similar athletic profiles. Both are 6’8 and 310+. They both had RAS scores of 9.9+. Both had very good bench scores for how long their arms are. They both have elite scores in explosion, speed and agility. It seems they really like tall super athletic tackles.

With the three guards all three are 6’4-6’5 and 314+. Their average RAS score is a solid 7.9. So they like their guards to have at least solid explosion numbers. All three have vertical jumps of 28.5+ with a broad jump of 8’08” at least. With their speed grades they are pretty average across the board. Their agility scores vary from average to poor. It seems the Bills do not prioritize agility testing with their guards. Arm length also varies with the shortest being 31 7/8″ and the longest being 36 3/4″

Defensive line:

Since 2018 the Buffalo Bills have only drafted two defensive linemen: Harrison Phillips (2018) and Ed Oliver (2019). Their average RAS score is a exceptional 8.99. They are 6’2-6’3. Their weights though vary with Oliver being 287 and Phillips at 307, so not much to connect there. Both did score high on bench press with Oliver being the lowest with 32 reps. So that might be something to keep an eye on. Both did score high on vert with a score of 32″ or better.

Now with speed they are on almost complete opposite ends. Phillips does have at least an average score on his 10-yard split, so that might be something that the Bills prioritize over 40 speed. Both did score very high in agility though, so that seems to be testing that Beane looks to when it comes to DL.

Edge:

In regards to edge players, the Buffalo Bills have drafted four since 2018: Darryl Johnson (2019), AJ Epenesa (2020), and Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham (2021). Their average RAS score is a 6.96. The guy that brings that score down the most is Epenesa with a weak 4.07 which is below average. If you remove his score you get a 7.96, so for the most part they like their edge defenders to be athletic.

Three of the four are 6’5 or taller, also three of the four are 266 or heavier. So it seems they like guys that are taller and a little bit on the heavier side. Oddly enough none of them were able to put up more than 21 reps on the bench. Arm length does not seem to be something they find important, the lengths vary from 32 7/8″ to 34 1/2″. They do not seem to value broad jump, three of the four had jumps under 9’9″ or less. Three of the four though had vertical jumps of at least 32″.

When it comes to speed scores three of the four had 40 times of 4.8 or faster with two of them running sub 4.7. Three of the four had good to great agility scores. Some guys scored well on one test and poor on another. So it seems they just like guys who are taller/bigger and are at least above average overall athletes.

Linebacker:

Now with linebacker Brandon Beane has only drafted two since 2018. Tremaine Edmunds in 2018 and Vosean Joseph. These two ended up on completely different ends of the spectrum. Joseph’s RAS score was a paltry .22, and Edmunds was an elite 9.74.

Neither scored high on the broad jump and Edmunds didn’t do the vertical jump. So it seems they may not prioritize that testing. Joseph did not do any speed testing and Edmunds did not do any agility testing. So outside of that there isn’t much data to go off.

Defensive backs:

Brandon Beane has drafted six defensive backs in his time as the GM of the Buffalo Bills: four corners and two safeties. Their average RAS score is a mediocre 5.94. Two of the guys drafted really bring that average down. Jaquan Johnson with a 3.46 and Dane Jackson with a 4.44, all the rest scored a 6.29 or higher.

Now in regards to the corners. All of them are either 5’11 or 6’0, so they seem to like average to above average height in their corners. The lightest was Jackson at 187, with the heaviest being Siran Neal at 206. So it can be said they prefer their corners in the 190ish+ range.

When it comes to explosive testing they vary from poor to elite so I would not put too much stock in this testing mattering for the Bills front office. We can say thought that they do not prioritize agility testing, all of their testing ranges from poor to about average. Speed testing does not seem to be a priority either with three of the guys running 4.53, 4.57, 4.56, and the fourth running just a 4.5 flat.

With the safeties as far as size goes it does not seem they value big body types, with Johnson being 5’10 190 and Damar Hamlin being 6’0 7/8ths 200. Both did put up 18 reps on the bench press. Both scored pretty average with explosion testing with 9’10” and a 10’1″ broad jumps and 33″ and 35″ vertical jumps. Johnson had a poor 40 time of 4.69 and Hamlin a average 4.6. Also interesting is both had identical 20-yard splits of 2.69. Both also scored average composite agility scores.

Final Thoughts

The Bills are kind of hard to pin point with athletic testing and RAS scores. They are kind of in the middle with most of the players they have drafted. With running backs you can say athleticism isn’t a high priority with their front office. As to wide receivers they seem to have two different types, slot sized guys and tall vertical type receivers.

When it comes to offensive and defensive line they have a preference for highly athletic players. With your edge players they like guys who are taller 265+ and relatively agile. Defensive backs they are kind of all over the place. Beane seems to like guys that are between 5’11-6’1 and 190+. Outside of that they do not seem to prioritize any athletic testing.