PLEASE FIRST READ: NEED A FOOTBALL FIX (PT 1) INVITATION AND INTRODUCTION. CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT.
While the test for strength are straightforward, Vertical Jump, Broad Jump and Bench Press, the tests for agility and quickness with their interplay are more complex, Forty Yard Dash, 10 Yard Split, 20 yard Shuttle, and 3 Cone Run. To begin with, unlike the test related to strength where more is better the tests for agility are just the opposite, the less time it takes to run any of the tests, the better it is. In addition, what does each test measure. Once again the strength tests are pretty straightforward, the Bench Press measures upper body strength, while the Broad Jump and Vertical Jump do the same for the lower body. It is pretty evident that the 40 yard dash and the 10 yard split measure straight forward speed, but other then in a theoretical sense what exactly do the 20 yard Shuttle, and 3 Cone Run measure and what are the interplay between these agility factors and on the field performance. Please note in these agility and speed tests I have subtracted the test results from a numerical constant in order to list from best to worse as with the strength tests. In the case of the 10 yard split that constant was 3, in the case of the 40 yard dash that constant was 6; but this was only done for ease of presentation. ONLY THE ACTUAL RAW NUMBERS WERE USED IN ANY CALCULATIONS.
TOP 50 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN ORDERED BY THEIR 40 YARD TIMES. In my Database of 210 players with complete data, there are 18 pro bowelers + 14 other High Achievers a total of 32. Out of top 10% players there are 3 pro-bowlers and 2 others who had significant achievements. This 15.6% of High Achiever players in the top ten percent would tend to indicate 40 YARD TIME by itself, is only marginally related, to success in the NFL since it is only approximately 1.5 times the expected number. However, this conclusion is supplemented and strengthened to a certain extent by the fact there are a total of 14 (43.7%) of the High Achievers is in this chart, which is greater then 1.5 times, but not quite twice, the expected number. Therefore we can conclude 40 Yard times are slightly related to success in the NFL. There are no current Jets on this list. Note that the positions played are based on the positions played in college and many of the Defensive Ends on this chart would be prime candidates for conversion to Outside Linebacker in the NFL, particularity those with a small number for mass. The minus -40 times are only the 40 Yd times normalized, and mean nothing except as an aid in my presentation and internal calculations.
TOP 50 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN ORDERED BY THEIR 40 YARD TIMES WHEN MASS IS CONSIDERED. Yet, Football players are not Track and Field stars, their Mass should be considered. In my Database of 210 players with complete data, there are 18 pro bowelers + 14 other High Achievers. Out of top 10% players there are 6 pro-bowlers and 2 others who had significant achievements. This 25% of High Achiever players in the top ten percent would tend to indicate that while 40 YARD TIME by itself, is only slightly related to success in the NFL, when mass is considered it's significance increases greatly. Rather then being only approximately 1.5 times the expected number it is now 2.5 times the expected number. However, there is still a total of 14 (43.7%) of the High Achievers is in this chart, which is a little less than 2 times the expected number. Jerron Gilbert is the only current Jet on this list. The average time of the players on this list (4.82) is slightly more than the average time on the previous list (4.70). They are slower, but that is to be expected because they are the fastest massive men, and there are a number of players who appear on both lists.
TOP 50 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN ORDERED BY THEIR 10 YARD SPLIT TIMES. In my Database of 197 players with complete data, when using the 10 yard split, there are 11 pro-bowelers + 14 other High Achievers. In the top 10% of these players there is 1 pro-bowlers and no others who had significant achievements (0 Jets). It is pretty obvious that for a Defensive Lineman the 10 yard split is not a meaningful indicator of success since only 4% of the High Achievers are in the top 10% of the database of players. This is further evidenced in the chart of the top 50 player in my database where there are 5 (20%) of High Achievers, this is also slightly less then the number you would expect in a random distribution. Once again the -10 yd is the 10 yard split normalized. The average time is for the top 50 players is 1.58
TOP 50 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN ORDERED BY THEIR 10 YARD SPLIT TIMES WHEN MASS IS CONSIDERED. In my Database of 197 players with complete data, when using the 10 yard split and mass, there are 11 pro-bowelers + 14 other High Achievers a total of 25. In the top 10% of these players there is 1 pro-bowlers and 2 others who had significant achievements.. For a Defensive Lineman the 10 yard split even when mass is considered is not a meaningful indicator of success since only 12% of the High Achievers are in the top 10% of the database of players. This would be within a statistical margin of error. This is further evidenced in the chart of the top 50 player in my database where there are 6 (24%) of High Achievers, this is exactly the number you would except in a random distribution. The average time is for the top 50 players in the split is 1.68, which once again is slower when mass is considered. There are two current Jets on this list, Mike Devito and Sione Pouha. Based on the last 4 charts, whether or not Mass is considered it can be said, on the whole, the Jets Defensive Line is not very straight line fast, and our recent draft has not done much to change that. The average for all the Jets DL is 1.74 in the split, and 5.10 in the 40. However Straight Line fast is not the same as being quick and agile.
TOP 50 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN ORDERED BY THEIR THREE CONE TEST TIMES. In my Database of 197 players with complete data, when using the 3 Cone Drill, there are 17 pro-bowelers + 14 other High Achievers a total of 31. In the top 10% of these players there is 3 pro-bowlers and no others who had significant achievements, 9.7%. It seems that while being nimble is may be helpful, but is not one of the top requirements for a Defensive Lineman success. The 3 Cone Test is not a meaningful indicator of success since only 9.7% of the High Achievers are in the top 10% of the database of players. This is below the expected outcome of a random distribution. This is sightly offset in the chart of the top 50 player in my database where there are 12 (38.7%) of High Achievers. This is slightly more than 1.5 times the number you would expect in a random distribution. Therefore, we can conclude that the 3 Cone Test has a marginal to minimal efficacy as an indicator of success in the NFL. The Jets have one player on this list, Marcus Dixon. The "Nor 3 Cone" is the 3 Cone test results normalized.
TOP 50 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN ORDERED BY THEIR 3 CONE TEST TIME WHEN MASS IS CONSIDERED.. In my Database of 197 players with complete data, when using the 3 Cone Drill when player massiveness is considered, there are 17 pro-bowelers + 14 other High Achievers, a total of 31. In the top 10% of these players there is 2 pro-bowlers and one other who had significant achievements, 9.7%. This is what you would expect for a random distribution. The 3 Cone Test is not a meaningful indicator of success even when a players mass is considered. This consistent with the chart of the top 50 player in my database where there are 7 (22.6%) of High Achievers. This is slightly less than the number you would expect in a random distribution. Therefore, we can conclude that the 3 Cone Test even when mass is considered, has no predictive power as an indicator of success in the NFL. The Jets have two player on this list, Marcus Dixon, and the newly drafted Mo Wilkerson 
TOP 50 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN ORDERED BY THEIR 20 YARD SHORT SHUTTLE TEST TIMES. In my Database of 195 players with complete data, when using the 20 Yard Short Shuttle, there are (15 pro-bowelers + 13 other High Achievers a total of 28. In the top 10% of these players there are 6 pro-bowlers and no others who had significant achievements, 21.4%. It seems that being able to quickly reverse field may be one of the requirements for a Defensive Lineman success. The Short Shuttle may be a somewhat meaningful indicator of success since 21.4% of the High Achievers are in the top 10% of the database of players with complete data. This is more then 2 times the expected outcome of a random distribution. This is supported in the chart of the top 50 player in my database where there are 13 (46.4%) of High Achievers. This is slightly less than twice the number you would expect in a random distribution. Therefore, we can conclude that the Short Shuttle has some validity as a indicator of success in the NFL. The Jets have no current players, but two former players on this list, Kris Jenkins and Vernon Gholston. The "N 20 Shuttle" is the Shuttle test results normalized.
TOP 50 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN ORDERED BY THEIR 20 YARD SHORT SHUTTLE TEST TIMES WHEN MASS IS CONSIDERED. In my Database of 195 players with complete data, when using the 20 Yard Short Shuttle, there are 15 pro-bowelers + 13 other High Achievers, a total of 28. In the top 10% of these players there are 8 pro-bowlers and 1 other who had significant achievements, 32.1%. It seems that a big man being able to quickly reverse field is one of the requirements for a Defensive Lineman success. The Short Shuttle is a meaningful indicator of success since 32.1% of the High Achievers are in the top 10% of the database of players. This is more then 3 times the expected outcome of a random distribution. This is supported in the chart of the top 50 player in my database where there are 16 (57.1%) of High Achievers. This is more than twice the number you would expect in a random distribution. Therefore, we can conclude that the Short Shuttle when mass is considered has validity as an indicator of success in the NFL. The Jets have a former players on this list, Kris Jenkins, and two current players Sione Pouha and the recently drafted Mo Wilkerson.
NEXT:Football Fix (Pt 4) Defensive Linemen - Multidimensional Analysis and Discovering the Jets Defensive Line Strategy.
