Scouting in depth, but at a distance

[Sir Purr]

TRYING TO BE SEEN, WITHOUT BEING SEEN


While all scouts will tell you they look at everyone this year, there will inevitably be guys who slip between the cracks.


In general, there's a sense that players from larger programs could fare better than smaller-school prospects. Likewise, players with obvious measurables are easier to spot than guys whose value includes leadership and instinct.


At Appalachian, they have wide receiver Jalen Virgil, who has earned national notice for his speed and strength, without having eye-popping stats. He once ran a 10.29-second 100 meters for the track team, posted a 40.5-inch vertical jump, and bench pressed 405 pounds, but he has just 14 catches in six games this year. There's also a 6-foot-even center named Noah Hannon, who has started for four years but would be of much more interest to the league if he was an inch or two taller.


"The way things are now with the NFL scouts, it probably hurts our guys more than others," Blaylock said. "We haven't had as many scouts here to watch practice in the past, and we have a lot of guys who make a name for themselves by how tough they are and how hard they work. You see that when you're here, but it's harder to see on tape."


Blaylock said there have been a handful of scouts through to see practice this year, many of them stopping through Boone on their way from Knoxville, Tenn. to Blacksburg, Va. Players notice the difference.


"When our players see NFL personnel at practice, there's no doubt it's a boost," he said. "Guys go harder when they know they're being watched."


For some players, there's no chance to be seen at all.


Longtime agent David Canter is representing a prospect this year named Michael Strachan. He's a 6-foot-5 receiver from Division II University of Charleston in West Virginia. He caught 78 passes for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns last year. He caught none this year, since his school didn't play this season because of COVID-19.


"He's an amazing kid, and physically, he's off the charts," Canter said. "But he didn't have a season this year. He has no film in the last year.


"He has the kind of athleticism that will jump out at you. God-willing, if there's a Combine or an opportunity, he'll get a chance to show what he can do."