Why Do NFL Draft Rankings Change During The Offseason?

[MightyGiants]

By Ross Tucker

Former NFL Offensive Lineman

Why are people changing their draft grades or prospect rankings this time of year?

I've often thought about this in recent years as I see certain draft analysts coming out with updated top 100 lists or "version 2.0 and 3.0" rankings of the top prospects.

Granted, it would be boring if their second and third versions were the same as the first, but it does beg the question of why those evaluations have changed and whether or not their methodology for doing so is sound.

This is not a knock on any particular draft guru. I am friends with most of them and have an incredible amount of respect for their work. As the expression goes, the tape won't watch itself. Scouting is an extremely time-intensive endeavor, so NFL teams usually have scouting staffs of more than 20 people scouring the country to find as much information as possible.

For the most part, all of the draft gurus make adjustments during the lead-up to the draft, so it is not like I'm singling any of them out. Some are minor, and others are major, which I find compelling. What exactly are the reasons? As far as I can tell, some real risks are being taken.

Still, without any actual football games being played since mid-January (aside from a few all-star games), what is the reasoning and do the people who consume this content — like me and you — want these adjustments to be made?

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