Matt Waldman's RSP defines how he grades focus versus contact at the catch point for NFL Draft prospects with the help of a play from Penn State Wide Receiver Parker Washington.

 

Football Will Always Be A Collision Sport

Even if tackle football goes the way of the dodo and the game evolves into a mashup of basketball and flag football, the fundamental aspects of the game will always include bodies moving with high intensity and often in close quarters. Even if unintentional, collisions are an inevitable part of the game.

Although the vast majority of collisions take place at the line of scrimmage between linemen and ball carriers, pass catchers are recipients of the most violent collisions in the sport because routes and coverage demand players to build momentum into the point of impact.

Pass catchers understand the potential of being on the receiving end of a hit that feels like a car wreck any time they attack a target. The ability to concentrate on the task of completing the catch before protecting oneself from an oncoming hit is the hallmark of a receiver with the physical and mental toughness to compete in the NFL.

Even when the contact isn't as violent as a collision and instead, it's a surgically-placed reach, push, or pull at the ball, hands, or arms of the receiver, a pass catcher must display focus and comfort with defender contact at the catch point.

Scenarios Requiring Focus

The Rookie Scouting Portfolio has four basic scenarios where a receiver must display heightened focus and physical toughness to win the football.

Tight Coverage: A defender has tight coverage on a receiver when he is making contact or he is close enough to make contact or extend his hand into the frame of the receiver.

Contact to the Back: When a defender can slap, push, or hit the receiver from an indirect angle away from the receiver's field of vision that lands on the receiver's side, back, or the back of his legs.

Contact to the Chest: When a defender can slap, push, or hit the receiver from a direct angle within the receiver's field of vision that lands on the receiver's chest, side, or front of his legs.

Hard Shots: Catching the ball against collisions with violent impact have a higher degree of difficulty than other forms of contact. The RSP gives them their own category of value relative to contact that isn't as violent.

A hit with notable force from the defender is violent contact and it's generated based on a combination of factors:

Momentum heading into the collision point.

An accurate strike that hits the opponent as intended.

A strike hits through the target point of the opponent's body and not just onto the target.

How the receiver or ballcarrier reacts to the hit doesn't define whether the hit is violent. We've seen ballcarriers bounce off violent hits as if they weren't violent at all.

What It Looks Like on Film with Penn St. WR Parker Washington

https://youtu.be/MOc3dwRKUCk

 

And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95. 

Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95

If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.  

If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.  

Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children.