PLEASE FIRST READ: NEED A FOOTBALL FIX (PT 1) INVITATION AND INTRODUCTION. CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT.
TOP 50 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN ORDERED BY THEIR MASSIVENESS. Football is a game played by big men. In no position is that more evident than on the Defensive Line, Danny Woodhead would have never succeed as a Defensive Lineman. How important is Mass, when considered by itself, to succeeding in the NFL?
In my Database of 210 players with complete data, there are 18 pro bowelers + 14 chosen as top 100 players in 2010 or 2009 or 10 rookie team, 32 players in total. Out of the top 10% of players there are 2 pro-bowlers and 3 other who had significant achievements. This 15.6% of High Achiever players in the top 10% is only slightly more than a random distribution. Therefore, this would tend to indicate, Mass by itself, is not related to success in the NFL. This conclusion is supported by the fact there is only one other High Achiever is in this chart of the top 50 players, for a total of 18.7% in approximately the first quartile (25%) of players. I would guess this is because everyone who plays in the NFL is equally as Massive, and this factor cancels itself out. The two Defensive Linemen the Jets drafted this year are among the 4 Jets who are on this list. These 4 Jets represent 40% of their Defensive Linemen who have complete data..
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY EXPLOSIVE POWER . Football is not a game played by big men standing still, it is a game of big men moving in dynamic action. Explosive power is a general measure of the amount of force the player can generate coming out of their stance as they hit the Line of Scrimmage. In my Database of 210 players with complete data, there are 32 High Achievers. In the top !0% players in the database, there are 6 Probowlers and 5 others who had significant achievements. This 34.7% of High Achiever players of the top 10% is more than 3 times the expected amount under a random distribution. This tends to indicate Explosive Power is related to success in the NFL. Both Kenrick Ellis and Sione Pouha are in the top 10% and Jarron Gilbert and Kris Jenkins are also part of the top 50 which includes a total of 14 High Achievement players or 43.8% of that total in what approximates the top quartile of my database. I would assume that once Gilbert masters technique, Rex will rotate him into the starting lineup, let us hope he is not another Vernon Gholston with all the physical attributes, but none of the mental attributes that are subject to measurement. A fact that has often been overlooked about Gholston is that he was an Outside Linebacker in High School, but was switched to Defensive End at Ohio State because he could not master their OLB Play Book. He was suppose to master the Jets OLB playbook?
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY EXPLOSIVE POWER 1. In Football is it better to be a big strong man, or a strong big man? That is the quandary faced in these first two charts. The first chart puts equal emphasis on both the Massiveness of the player and his lower body strength. This chart puts slightly more emphasis on lower body strength. In my Database of 210 players with complete data, there are 32 High Achievers. In the top 10% players in the database, there are 6 Probowlers and 3 others who had significant achievements. This 28.1% of High Achiever players of the top 10% is slightly less then 3 times the expected amount under a random distribution. This still tends to indicate Explosive Power 1 is related to success in the NFL. Only Jarron Gilbert is in the top ten percent. Both Kenrick Ellis and Sione Pouha are in the remainder of the top 50 which includes a total of 17 High achievement players or 53.1% of that total in what approximates the top quartile of my database. Thus the quandary, there are more high achievers in the top 10% of the first chart, Explosive Power (11 vs 9), but there are more High Achievers in total in this chart, Explosive Power 1, of the top 50 players (17 vs 14). Yet Explosive Power in both its forms are statistically valid as an indicator of succeeding in the NFL. Both indexes share the same cut point of 91.00 or better, in which a players chance of being a High Achiever are at fifty percent. And of course as you would expect, while not everyone, many of the players are on both lists except in a different order.
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY "EXPLOSIVE MASS" USING 10 YARD SPLIT. When a moving "Explosive Power" meets resistance, in the form of a Blocker or Offensive Back (QB, RB) the energy produced will determine the outcome of the play. In my Database of 197 players with complete data, when using "Explosive Power" and the 10 yard split, there are (11 pro-bowelers + 14 other High Achievers. In the top 10% of these players there are 3 pro-bowlers and 4 others who had significant achievements (0 Jets). This 28% of High Achiever players in the top 10% is more than twice, almost 3 times, that expected in a random distributional. This would tend to indicate "Explosive Mass" is related to success in the NFL. This is supported in that, the top 50 had a total of 12 or 48% of the 25 High Achievement players, almost twice the expected number. Three Jets, Sione Pouha, Mike Devito, and Jarron Gilbert are in this group. However, was this result skewed by the elimination of the 7 pro-bowlers for who I did not have the 10 yard split time. Therefore I ran the test again using the 40 yard dash time 
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY "EXPLOSIVE MASS 1" USING 10 YARD SPLIT. When a moving "Explosive Power 1" meets resistance, in the form of a Blocker or Offensive Back (QB, RB) the energy produced will determine the outcome of the play. In my Database of 197 players with complete data, when using "Explosive Power 1" and the 10 yard split, there are 11 pro-bowelers + 14 other High Achievers. In the top 10% of these players there are 3 pro-bowlers and 2 others who had significant achievements (1 Jet). These 5 players make up 20% of High Achiever players who are in the top 10% of all players. This is exactly twice the number expected in a random distributional. This result would tend to indicate "Explosive Mass 1" is somewhat related to success in the NFL. This is supported in that, the top 50 had a total of 12 or 48% of the 25 High Achievement players, almost twice the expected number. The only Jet was Jarron Gilbert. However, was this result skewed by the elimination of the 7 pro-bowlers for who I did not have the 10 yard split time. Therefore I ran the test again using the 40 yard dash time 
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY "EXPLOSIVE MASS" USING 40 YARD DASH TIME. In my Database of 210 players with complete data, there are 32 High Achievers. In the top 10% of players in the database, there are 6 Pro-bowlers and 1 other player who had significant achievements. The 7 players represent 21.8% of High Achiever players in the top 10% of players. This would tend to indicate "Explosive Mass" is somewhat related to success in the NFL. This is supported by the fact that 18 High Achievement players, 56.3% of their total, is found among the fifty players in this chart. This has removed any question if "Explosive Mass" is related to success in the NFL. There is only one current Jet in this group, Jarron Gilbert. The relative position of players have changed as the type of timed speeds have changed. Some players have moved up or joined the players on this chart; some have moved down or completely left the top 50 players. The 10 yard split is how quickly a player gets off the Line showing his burst and acceleration. The 40 yard dash shows his energy level and endurance, to continue the play after he has been bumped a few times at the Line. Both types of speed indicate different characteristics which can make for superior players, and ideally a player would have both types of speeds, and be found on both charts 
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY "EXPLOSIVE MASS 1" USING THE 40 YARD DASH TIME (1 Exp Mass 40). The quandary continues which is the better "Explosive Power" to use in trying to determine successful prospects for the NFL. Should "Explosive Power" put equal emphasis on both the Massiveness of the player and his lower body strength or should slightly more emphasis be put on lower body strength as in "Explosive Power 1". Maybe the better Explosive Mass will provide the answer? My Database of 210 players with complete data, has 18 Pro-bowlers + 14 other High Achievers. In this test, the top 10% of players has 9 Pro-bowlers and no others who had significant achievements. This 28.1% of High Achiever players of the top 10% is slightly less then 3 times the expected amount under a random distribution. This tends to indicate "Explosive Mass 1" is related to success in the NFL. The top 50 players includes a total of 16 High achievement players or 50% of all the High Achievers are in what approximates the top quartile of my database. Only Jarron Gilbert of the Jets is in the top 50 players. Thus we still have the quandary, there are more high achievers in the top 10% of this chart, "Explosive Mass 1" (9 vs 7), but there are more High Achievers in total in the previous chart, "Explosive Mass", of the top 50 players (18 vs 16). Explosive Mass in both its forms are statistically valid as an indicator of succeeding in the NFL, yet there is no constancy, they contradict each other as to which is more important. However, both are significant and very important indicators.
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY BASE STRENGTH. In my Database of 210 players with complete data, there are 18 pro bowelers + 14 other high achievement players. Out of top 10% players there are 8 pro-bowlers and 1 other who had significant achievements. This 28% of High Achiever players in the top ten percent is twice almost three times the expected number. This would tend to indicate, Base Strength is related to success in the NFL. This is supported that among the top 50 players on this chart, there are 14 High Achievement players or 43.7% of this group. But Base Strength by itself is only the underlying base which must be combined with other factors to be translated into success in the NFL. HOWEVER, be warned, the amount of mass that each player is tested with, varies with each player. This chart measures lower body strength but does not take into account the actual mass that is being moved. Absent the inclusion of mass, as in the Explosive Power chart, it may be possible a player in this group is a workout warrior, which may also means that they may be a possible speed demon, since little mass is being moved by the players effort. There is only one current Jet on this list, Jarron Gilbert, and his mass of 44.31 is greater then Gholston's.
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY THE HIGHLY REGARDED KIRWAN EXPLOSION INDEX. The KEI was developed by Pat Kirwan to filter out the guys with great explosion who can't deliver a blow once they get there; how secure are their Tackles. It measures not only lower body strength, but also the strength of the upper body. I have normalized this index, so that rather than 70 indicating a superior prospect the required number is now 82. In my database of 200 players with complete data, there are 17 pro bowelers + 13 other High Achievers for a total of thirty. Out of top 10% of players in database, there are 5 Probowlers and 2 others who had significant achievements. This 23% of High Achiever players in the top ten percent is approximately twice the expected number. This would tend to indicate a high KEI is somewhat related to success in the NFL, and this conclusion is supported by the fact that 15 (50%) of the High Achiever players are in this chart of the top 50 players. However note they seem to be bunched at the lower end of the chart causing the slightly tentative nature for this conclusion. There are four Jets in the top 50, Jarron Gilbert, Sione Pouha, Mike Devito and Kris Jenkins. It should also be noted that all the players in this chart of the top quartile of players are above the 82 KEI score required by Pat Kirwan for a superior prospect. (Just in case you want to know, 70 x Normalization constant which for this test is 1.17. This is computed by taking the top Raw Score composed of Vertical + Broad + Reps which is equal to 85.5; this number is then divided into 100 and automatically rounded down, to produce the normalization constant,. No player is ever more then perfect, which is the reason it is never rounded up.)
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY MY VERSION OF THE HIGHLY REGARDED KIRWAN EXPLOSION INDEX. I use the same factors as Pat Kirwan, but I factor in player mass. In my database of 200 players with complete data, there are 17 Pro-bowelers + 13 other High Achievers for a total of 30. Out of top 10% the players in the database, there are 4 Pro-bowlers and 2 others who had significant achievements. This 20% of High Achiever players in the top ten percent when combined with the fact that only 11 (36.7%) of the High Achiever players are in the top 50 players, tends to indicate a high KEI, corrected for mass, is only marginally related to success in the NFL. Anything that is less then 1.5 times what would be expected in a random distribution may be only marginally, if at all, related to what is being studied. Note that the inclusion of Mass as a factor has caused the inclusion of Kenrick Ellis in the top 50, replacing Jarron Gilbert among the four current Jets, on this list 
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY UPPER BODY STRENGTH. The KEI attempts to evaluate the total strength of a player, it does not deal with upper body strength alone. Therefore in this chart I try to analyze just how important is upper body strength to a Defensive Lineman when it considered by itself. Since it deals only with Reps, it has been normalized only out of curiosity, how strong are players relative to one another in upper body strength, and how is a players upper body strength relative to their own lower body strength. In my Database of 200 players with complete data, there are (17 pro bowelers + 13 chosen as top 100 players in 2010 or 2010 rookie team). Out of top 10% players there are 3 pro-bowlers and no others who had significant achievements. This 10% of High Achiever players in the top ten percent of all players, would tend to indicate, Upper Body Strength is not related at all to success in the NFL. However, is this lack is offset to a certain extent by the fact there are a total of 10, 33%, of the High Achievers in the top 50 Linemen in this chart? This is less than 1.5 times the expected total and is very marginal at best. Therefore, it is likely there is no relationship, or at best a very marginal, involvement between Upper Body Strength and success in the NFL. This chart does not take into account the actual mass of the players 
TOP 50 LINEMEN ORDERED BY UPPER BODY STRENGTH, WHEN A PLAYER'S MASSIVENESS IS CONSIDERED. In my Database of 200 players with complete data, there are 17 pro bowelers + 13 other High Achievement players. Out of top 10% players there are 2 pro-bowlers and 1 other who had significant achievements. This 10% of High Achiever players in the top ten percent would tend to indicate, Upper Body Strength when a players mass is considered, is not related to success in the NFL. However, could is this lack of High Achievers be offset to a very slight extent by the fact there are 6 other High Achievers in the top 50 Linemen in this chart, for a total of 9 (30%)? The variance from a random sample is so small as to be insignificant. Upper Body Strength when a players mass is considered, is not related to success in the NFL. As we have seen, lower body strength when mass is taken into consideration yields Explosive Power, which was shown to be extremely significant as an indicator of success in the NFL. The relationship of upper body strength when mass is taken into consideration to success in the NFL is at best insignificent. Over all, upper body strength is not nearly as important as lower body strength, it is not even close. "Base Str" is base strength of the lower body; "N Reps" is the Normalized number of Bench Press repetitions, the measure of upper body strength; "Exp Pwr" is the calculation of Explosive Power when mass and lower body strength are given equal emphasis; and "M Reps" is upper body strength combined with mass using the same formula used to produce Explosive Power.
The charts on EXPLOSIVE POWER, EXPLOSIVE MASS USING 10 YARD SPLIT, .EXPLOSIVE MASS USING 40 YARD DASH and KIRWAN EXPLOSION INDEX are all relevant to the success of a player in the NFL. While a players Massiveness by itself is not important, when joined with a high lower body strength (BASE STRENGTH) it is the key to success in its various forms. Thus these charts are related, and there is some overlap in what they measure. Base Strength is the basic measure of lower body strength as measured by the Vertical Jump and the Broad Jump. By itself it has little meaning except as the basis for the Explosive Power and Explosive Mass. When the Mass of a player's body is taken into consideration with Base Strength you have the Explosive Power that jumps off the Line. When that Explosive Power gains momentum by moving and meets resistance, in the form of a Blocker or Offensive Back (QB, RB), the energy produced by this collision will determine the outcome of the play. For a Defensive Tackle who almost always meets a Blocker on the Offensive Line, and therefore gains little momentum, the Explosive Power is most important. For the Defensive End who will often, after gaining some velocity, meets his resistance in the backfield, in the form of blockers or Offensive Backs the Explosive Mass is important. However in both cases, the Defensive Lineman will be using his hands to redirect the power of his opposing resistance, and this is where the Upper Body Strength comes into play, but since it is reactive rather than proactive, it is less important to success. Its only importance consists of being sufficient enough to implement techniques used to shed blockers. The Upper Body Strength in the additional factor added to Base Strength which is measured by the KEI, but by itself is relatively unimportant.
However there is another type of player, who may not be as strong, but is successful because of finesse. They rely on quickness and agility, to supplement their Strength and Mass, in order to achieve their Goal. But this does not mean that Strength and Mass is not necessary or important for these players, there is a certain threshold that is required in a Defensive Lineman, but because of finesse it is not as high as it otherwise would be. Analyzing Defensive Linemen for these traits that will lead to success is more difficult since they are always wrapped around and are supplemental to the core elements of strength and mass.
NEXT Pt 3 SPEED and AGILITY TESTS DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
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