The S2 cognition check might go the best way of the Wonderlic. According to a report from The Athletic one sports activities company is directing its NFL Draft prospects to not take part in any cognition exams of their pre-draft course of this 12 months. The group, Athletes First, emailed NFL groups final month to inform them of the transfer.
“After much internal discussion, the agents at Athletes First have directed our draft prospects to respectfully pass on participating in any cognitive or psychological testing during the pre-draft process (e.g. AIQ, S2, etc.),” the e-mail learn, per The Athletic.
“We understand that many of your teams use these tests or protocols as part of your prospect evaluation process, however our recent experience with these exams has been less than positive,” the e-mail continued. “Specifically, the fact that certain results and performance were leaked publicly last year demonstrates that there truly is no confidentiality with these tests. It is not right for a player’s intelligence, aptitude or mental processing to be subject to public discussion and ridicule — no other job interview carries the same scrutiny.”
A number of Athletes First brokers had been unable to be reached by The Athletic for remark, whereas a consultant from S2 declined to remark. Based on The Athletic, two different brokers from main businesses confirmed that they had not issued any comparable blanket bans on cognition exams.
Athletes First represents over 100 Professional Bowlers and over 100 first-round picks, according to the Athletes First web site. Based on The Athletic, the company additionally at the moment represents 29 prospects within the 2024 draft class. They signify main NFL names like Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, Jalen Ramsey, and – most notably for this story – Houston Texans quarterback and Offensive Rookie of the 12 months C.J. Stroud.
The NFL phased out the Wonderlic check – a 12-minute, 50-question cognitive evaluation used within the NFL Mix – in 2022 as a result of the check was considered outdated. Nevertheless, that didn’t cease house owners from discovering new methods to check supposed psychological aptitude. Fifteen groups now use the S2 check. First utilized by groups in 2016, it measures the processing of split-second data and pace of response time over basic intelligence.
Stroud’s S2 check was a reported main pink flag in his pre-draft course of. Go Lengthy reporter Bob McGinn obtained a handful of S2 scores for the 2023 rookie quarterback class. Alabama quarterback Bryce Younger scored the best within the class at 98%, whereas Ohio State’s Stroud scored 18%.
“Stroud scored 18,” an govt advised McGinn on the time of reporting. “That is like red alert, red alert, you can’t take a guy like that. That is why I have Stroud as a bust. That in conjunction with the fact, name one Ohio State quarterback that’s ever done it in the league.”
One of many greatest believers within the S2 program: Carolina Panthers proprietor David Tepper. A number of sources reported how a lot the hedge fund billionaire believed in the info level. Contemplating experiences that Tepper overruled then-head coach Frank Reich by drafting Bryce Younger over C.J. Stroud, the check might have performed some issue within the choice.
What occurred? Stroud led the Texans to their first playoff victory since 2019 and secured an Offensive Rookie of the 12 months. Younger completed the season with 62 sacks – second to solely Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell – completed tied for the league’s worst success charge, and posted the league’s third-worst QBR behind Zach Wilson and Will Levis.
The founders of S2 had performed injury management about their scoring outcomes ever for the reason that scores leaked. Co-founder Brandon Ally appeared on Professional Soccer Focus earlier than McGinn’s article however after some scores had been rumored to leak on-line. He requested folks to take all leaked scores with a “grain of salt.”
“We have seen, ‘Hey, so-and-so scored the highest in the class, or the highest ever, and so-and-so scored low,’” Ally said. “And it’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s not true,’” Ally continued. “With that being said, this class as a whole—all the guys in the discussion—have scored really, really well.”
Ally then made an look on Pable Torre Finds Out a number of months later, citing optimistic correlation outcomes for the check.
“It’s a numeracy thing,” Ally told Torre, who took the check previous to Ally approaching. “When people are writing about Brock Purdy–who aced the test–last guy taken, who’s playing very well. Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, all these people came out, they kept saying, ‘Oh we need more data, that’s not real’. But when CJ takes it, now we get s**t on for one test.”
Ally went on to assert that the Stroud outcomes damage his psychological well being.
“It’s not good for my mental health,” the neuroscientist and co-founder stated. “CJ is a phenomenal quarterback. He reads defenses very good. He’s poised. He’s super accurate. We are not allowed to talk about what CJ specifically scored.”
He added that, as a result of the testing knowledge is owned by an NFL consortium crew, the corporate can not focus on check scores and share outcomes. He did, nonetheless, word that among the leaks “intentionally happened for a specific narrative” and advocated for extra public entry to the info.
