NFL Combine 2012: Wonderlic Test and More Pointless Analytical Tools

The Wonderlic test is worthless, and so are several of the other well known tools of NFL prospect evaluation. No matter how many times these tests are proved irrelevant, teams and the league continue to use them.

Along with the Wonderlic, the other most overblown skill assessment exercise is the 40-yard dash. 

Take a look at these facts and assessments on both.

Wonderlic

Per wisegeek.com:

"

The purpose of the Wonderlic personnel test is not necessarily to assign an actual Intelligence Quotient or IQ number to test takers. Instead, the test provides some idea of an applicant's intellectual strengths and weaknesses relative to the requirements of a specific job or assignment.

"

Per NFL Stats Analysis, these are the top 10 scores in the test's recorded history:

Ryan Fitzpatrick	2005	Harvard	48
Greg McElroy	2011	Alabama	43
Jason Maas	1999	Oregon	43
Blaine Gabbert	2011	Missouri	42
Drew Henson	2000	Michigan	42
Bruce Eugene	2006	Grambling State	41
Hugh Millen	1986	Washington	41
Darrell Hackney	2006	Alabama Birmingham	40
Alex Smith	2005	Utah	40
Eli Manning	2004	Mississippi	39
Todd Husak	2000	Stanford	39
Brian Griese	1998	Michigan	39

It's not an overly impressive list. Of these players only one of them (Eli Manning) would be considered better than average or great. Seven of the players here spent little to no time actually on the field. It really appears to be a mixed bag. The results seem to have no real say in on-field greatness.

Need more proof, take a look at some of these scores from prominent players:

Neil O'Donnell 1990, Maryland: 13

Donovan McNabb 1999, Syracuse: 14

Terry Bradshaw 1970, Louisana Tech: 15

Dan Marino 1983, Pittsburgh: 15

Jim Kelly 1983, Miami, FL: 15

Randall Cunningham 1985, UNLV: 15

Steve McNair 1995, Alcorn St.: 15

Mike Vick 2001, Virginia Tech: 20

Tim Tebow 2010, Florida: 22

Cam Newton 2011, Auburn: 21

There are more with successful resumes and sub-25 Wonderlic scores. This last list isn't even all-inclusive and it features three Hall of Famers, and a few who may yet be enshrined.

If the test is to measure how well a person would react intellectually in job relevant situations, why are so many excelling despite scoring modestly on the test?

And, why are so many failing on the field after scoring so highly?

The test is ridiculous and should be eliminated from the evaluation process.

40-Yard Dash

Everybody loves speed, it's the most exciting part of the game for most of us. That said, straight line track speed is completely different from on-field speed with pads on.

How often does a player get the opportunity to run a bee-line for 40 yards in an NFL game?

Almost never.

NFL players need to be able change directions, negotiate physical impediments and react accordingly to what they see on the field.

The 40 time only measures a very small aspect of the game. Look at the fastest 40 times recorded in NFL Combine history.

4.24 - Rondel Melendez - Drafted in 7th round out of Eastern Kentucky in 1999, accumulated no official NFL stats

4.24 - Chris Johnson - Drafted 24th overall out of East Carolina in 2008, has rushed for over 7000 yards in just four NFL seasons.

4.25 - Darrius Heyward-Bey - Drafted 7th overall out of Maryland in 2009. DHB hasn't been a bust, but he certainly hasn't been an elite receiver either. 2011 was his best season, he had 975 yards receiving and four TDs.

4.28 - Champ Bailey - Drafted seventh overall out of Georgia in 1999. Bailey is a future Hall of Famer, and has been a premier CB in the NFL since he came into the league.

4.28 - Jerome Mathis - Drafted 114th overall out of Hampton in 2005. Mathis spent only three seasons in the NFL, but his rookie year, Mathis was an All-Pro kick returner.

4.28 - Jacoby Ford - Drafted 108th overall out of Clemson in 2010. Ford has been a marginal receiver, yet dynamic return man in his two NFL seasons. He has four kickoff returns for TDs.

The top five times here is far more successful than that of the Wonderlic, but still contains some obvious misses. The inconsistencies come in when we look at some prominent players, and their 40 times.

Take a look at these players and the times they recorded in the 40-yard dash, per 40yarddashtimes.com:

4.65 - Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders great. Rice holds nearly every receiving record imaginable. 

4.63 - Larry Fitzgerald, a perennial Pro-Bowler and one of the best receivers in the NFL. 

4.75 - Anquan Boldin, fell to the second round of the draft due to his "slow" 40 time, but has since accumulated 9244 yards receiving and 54 TDs in his nine year career 

4.61 - Wes Welker, Welker is a pass catching machine. He has led the NFL in receptions three times, most recently this past year. He has four years with over 100 catches overall. 

All four of these players ran 40-yard dash times that are considered too slow for the WR position, yet all of them are likely headed to the Hall of Fame. Rice is the greatest receiver in history by most experts' accounts.

This shows there is far more to being great than a 40 time and, in some cases, it doesn't matter much at all for the positive or the negative.

The point here is that these tests generate numbers, but a good talent evaluator won't be swayed by them. The only way to accurately assess a player's ability is to see him on the field.