NFL to supplement Wonderlic, add a second intelligence test to 2013 Draft Combine

Gamedayr | February 17, 2013 at 3:34 pm | 1 Comment

LSU Tigers defensive back Morris Claiborne does the broad jump during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. (Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)

Since it was first devised in the 1970s by legendary coach Tom Landry, the Wonderlic has been used as a test of aptitude for potential NFL Draft selections. For the first time, the Wonderlic is set to be supplemented by a second intelligence test as the 2013 crop of former college standouts readies itself for the upcoming Scouting Draft Combine.

According to NFL.com, scouting president Jeff Foster plans on implementing the second aptitude test this year in response to the heavy criticisms the Wonderlic has dealt with over the last few years.

Foster and his team worked with a university professor in putting together this new test. The hope is that “it’s something that’s a little more evolved than the Wonderlic.”

Some might ask why the NFL simply doesn’t get rid of the Wonderlic altogether. The rationale behind that is simple: Teams and old-school scouts are wary of dumping anything that has years of numbers behind it.

As much as anyone would like to criticize the Wonderlic, the fact of the matter is that it is here to stay. It has been around for too long and too many front office members have put varying amounts of stock into it to simply get rid of it for a whole new system — especially one that has yet to even be used at a single Combine.

An example of this is the wingspan measurement. Back in the day, scouts only measured arm length. Wingspan, however, is a far better means of testing a player’s natural length. When it was added, the arm measurement was kept simply because it has been around forever.

One test simply stacks on top of another, instead of replacing the older ones with those that are new. Thus, the Wonderlic remains, and potential draftees now will take two tests.