With all the Combine, mock drafts, and wild predictions... there have been very few threads backed up with numbers. What I'll present here, is a measuring tool used by NFL FO's to rate certain players' 'explosive' potential in the league. Pat Kirwan recently had an article explaining....

I like to evaluate a degree of explosiveness in each athlete and I do that by taking the results of three tests and combining them for a score. For the past 20 years I take the score on the vertical jump, standing broad jump and the bench press and hope for a number that reaches 70-plus. For example a 36-inch vertical, a 10-foot broad jump and 24 reps on the bench adds up to 70. That player has a chance to be explosive.

LINK TO STORY Let's select a few prospects after the jump....

I think we all can agree on OL, LB, CB, and DE as potential draft day picks... But for time sake, Here's a few Olinemen and DE that may or may not be worth a further review.

OL>>>>>>

Ben Jones C Georgia 68.25 Mike Adams OT OSU 55.83 Tom Compton OT SDak 59.00 Don StephensonOT Okla 64.00 David DeCastro OG Stan 71.66 RishawJohnson OG CalUpenn 62.50

Like any numbers, there are going to be some 'yeah buts'... like Decastro... outstanding explosion numbers, but upon disection... his vert and broadjump show he's mostly upper body.

DE>>>>>>> Nick Perry USC- 83.83 Shea McClellin Boise St-60.33 Olivier Vernon Miami-FL 75.66 Scott Solomon Rice-79.33 Whitney Mercilus Ill- 68.83

I spent some time trying to work out a chart form for this, but failed in epic proportion.

For more usage of this type of classification and scouting, check out Courage's Corner. He has an excellent breakdown of each day of the Combine.... and reminds us....

Again, the measurables alone do not define the caliber of player. It is only another piece of information used in the process and gives scouts and coaches a glimpse as to how a prospect moves (without pads). Marrying these results to the game tape is when decisions are made. It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers from the combine. The thing coaches want to avoid is drafting a “workout warrior” higher than they should.

LINKY

>

Examples of the "explosion number"... JJ Watts explosion number was 81.00 , Ryan Kerrigan a 74.66... and Suh?... a 76.25

So there you have it... another way to validate, or non-validate, your 'diamond in the rough'.

Enjoy! *** Numbers were extracted from ESPN data and Football Future***