Matt Waldman’s RSP Cast Scout Talk with Special Guest Dan Hatman: Digging Into 40 Times and Building Scouting Teams

Scouting Academy founder Dan Hatman returns to Matt Waldman's RSP Cast for a conversation about Wisconsin WR Quintez Cephus' work out, investigating irregularities with 40-Yard Dash times and why there's room for generalists and specialists in the scouting profession.

Dan Hatman is an excellent resource for the draft community. The former NFL scout for the Giants and Eagles is several years into building the Scouting Academy, a curriculum for those wishing to learn more about studying the game and evaluating football talent. The Scouting Academy has placed several of its students into positions with the NFL and college football.

We begin our podcast where I share a story about Dan's work helping his students earn positions in the league and the initial skepticism people had with the program design that has now won over a significant number of teams in the league. I actually know a college recruiter who missed out on a pair of NFL jobs after making it to the final round of interviews because the teams chose an alumnus of the Scouting Academy.

The majority of our conversation focused on Wisconsin receiver Quintez Cephus, his combine results, and how skilled scouts will investigate his disappointing 40-Yard Dash performance in lieu of strong performances on tape, the 20 Shuttle, the Broad Jump, and the Vertical Jump. You'll learn more about the Floating 20 from Dan and I share some historical data about receivers with Cephus's Vertical Jump and how fast they ran.

We finish the pod with an extended conversation about the skills required to become a scout, how there are generalists, and specialists in the field, and ways teams can leverage these talents effectively. You'll hear a bit of an abrupt ending to the podcast--Dan had his microphone on mute after my last comment and I thought he had to drop out to make an appointment at the top of the hour. Still, you'll find this conversation worthwhile.

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