With the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine set to begin on February 28th, it’s time to get reacquainted with Relative Athletic Score (RAS), which has had a strong connection to a majority of the Green Bay Packers draft picks during Brian Gutekunst’s tenure as GM.
RAS was developed by Kent Lee Platte as a way to take all of the height, weight, and athletic measurements that come from the combine or a prospect’s Pro Day and convert it into one digestible and easily comparable number. To read more about the inner workings of the RAS calculation, click here.
In short, based on how a player measures and tests athletically, they fall somewhere on the RAS scale, which takes into account historical results as well, not only the testing numbers from the current draft class. The scale ranges from 0 to 10, with five being average and eight or higher considered elite and within the top 20 percentile of a position group. The higher the score, the better the athlete. This rating is also relative to the prospect’s position group, so even though an offensive lineman and a cornerback will test very differently, both could end up scoring a 9.5, for example, if they are elite athletes at their respective positions.
Now, by no means do I believe that Gutekunst and the Packers’ scouting department are scrolling through Kent’s site looking at RAS scores, but there has been a strong connection over the years between Gutekunt’s draft picks and prospects who score really well on the RAS scale. I imagine the Packers have their own system for quantifying this data, but to a degree, it does align with Kent’s RAS table. So from the outside looking in, RAS perhaps gives us some insight into who the Packers may or may not be targeting in the draft.
Since 2018 when Gutekunst took over as GM, he has made 48 draft picks, and 42 of them have registered a RAS score. Of the 42, 30 have scored 8.0 or higher, with 18 in the 9-plus range and 12 scoring between 8.0 and 8.99. Only eight players, however, have scored below 7.0, and six of them have been Day 3 picks. Only Amari Rodgers was a top-100 selection.
Below you can find the individual results for each of the 42 draft picks that registered a RAS score.
Quarterback
Jordan Love: 8.43
Running back
AJ Dillon: 9.15
Dexter Williams: 8.13
Kylin Hill: 7.28
Wide Receiver
Christian Watson: 9.96
Equanimeous St. Brown: 9.85
Marquez Valdes-Scantling: 9.26
J’Mon Moore: 8.43
Samori Toure: 6.14
Amari Rodgers: 5.35
Offensive Line
Zach Tom: 9.59
Elgton Jenkins: 9.33
Royce Newman: 8.72
Cole Van Lanen: 8.46
Jon Runyan: 8.47
Sean Rhyan: 8.16
Cole Madison: 4.57
Jake Hanson: 3.72
Tight End
Josiah Deguara: 8.49
Jace Sternberger: 5.17
Interior Defensive Line
James Looney: 9.75
Devonte Wyatt: 9.59
Kingsley Keke: 7.98
TJ Slaton: 7.96
Jonathan Ford: 3.54
Edge Rusher
Rashan Gary: 9.95
Kendell Donnerson: 9.89
Jonathan Garvin: 8.97
JJ Enagbare: 6.25
Linebacker
Oren Burks: 9.72
Ty Summers: 9.71
Quay Walker: 9.63
Isaiah McDuffie: 7.32
Cornerback
Jaire Alexander: 9.53
Eric Stokes: 9.37
Josh Jackson: 9.26
Ka’Dar Hollman: 9.22
Shemar Jean-Charles: 4.24
Safety
Tariq Carpenter: 8.93
Darnell Savage: 8.37
Special Teams
Hunter Bradley: 9.03
JK Scott: 8.37
Of course, just because a player tests well athletically doesn’t mean that they are destined for success in the NFL. However, it’s also worth noting that many of Gutekunst’s most successful draft picks have scored at least 8.0, with most being above 9.0.
As the combine and future Pro Days unfold, Kent will be crunching numbers and posting Relative Athletic Scores throughout the week and beyond. Take note of who scores 8.0 or higher because 76% of Gutekunst’s draft picks have done so. On the flip side, be mindful of which prospects register below a 7.0 because only 19% of Gutekunst’s past selections, and none within the first two rounds, have scored lower than that mark.
