What Percent of 5-star Recruits Make it to the NFL?
High school prospects, also known as 5-star recruits, can make it to the NFL more than other athletes. NFL teams tend to have a particular interest in 5-star prospects because they can combine talent with hard work, and aid the speedy progress of their team. Most times, these 5-star recruits are the go-to athletes each time fans want something heroic from the team. And, interestingly, the goal of every 5-star prospect is to be drafted to the NFL in no distant time.
What classification of recruits makes it to the NFL?
But then, one question that needs to be answered is: What percentage of 5-star recruits make it to the NFL? A look at the various recruit classes of the previous past can help us predict the chances of getting a 5-star recruit drafted to the NFL. Between 2000 and 2014, for example, 522 high school prospects were identified, and 53 percent of these 5-star recruits eventually made it to the NFL.
Nothing stands 5-star prospects out more than their physical gifts. Talent and hard work are two major traits of 5-star prospects. Many NFL teams are always willing to draft athletes with these traits into the league. These prospects are easily snapped up by NFL teams after they must have had a blistering college career. But, being a 5-star prospect does not mean you will be drafted into the NFL early.
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NFL Teams Will Be Interested Based on Highschool Rating
What remains true is that many NFL teams will be interested in snapping you up. Since drafting is based on rounds, a 5-star prospect who couldn’t make it in the first round has a 58 percent chance of being drafted in the second round. And, perhaps the prospect didn’t make a list in the second round, chances of getting it right in the third round can be up to 66 percent. However, the higher the round, the higher the chances of being drafted into the NFL, but some still won’t get the opportunity.
Every 5-star prospect wants to be drafted into the NFL. Fine, but that is not the only way to stardom. You don’t have to be drafted into the league before you can enjoy your career. Antone Smith and Alex Boone, like other 5-star prospects, tried hard to be drafted into the NFL at different time intervals but couldn’t make a list. But this setback never stopped them from enjoying their solid careers.
Star Recruits and The NFL Impact
They went on to make huge impacts in their chosen sports. Maurice Clarett and Chad Jones were drafted into the NFL early enough but didn’t feature in the league. Many felt they would enjoy a blistering career in the league, but that was not to be. So, whether you were drafted into the NFL league or not, you could have a successful career if you worked hard. In most cases, the most important barometer to enjoying a blistering success in the NFL is the number of years 5-star athletes play in the league and the level of impacts made in those years.
However, most 5-star prospects who have featured in the league have made significant impacts in the NFL in recent years. So, a quick look at the individual recruiting class between 2000 and 2014 and the percentage of prospects who eventually made it to the NFL league is necessary. This should assist us in ascertaining the future chances of 5-star prospects being drafted to the league.
5 Star Recruits Percentage Table
|
Year |
Total 5-star Recruits |
NFL Drafted Recruits |
Percentage |
|
2000 |
40 |
15 |
38 |
|
2001 |
42 |
24 |
57 |
|
2002 |
39 |
21 |
54 |
|
2003 |
33 |
16 |
48 |
|
2004 |
40 |
18 |
45 |
|
2005 |
38 |
15 |
39 |
|
2006 |
32 |
19 |
59 |
|
2007 |
31 |
14 |
45 |
|
2008 |
28 |
12 |
43 |
|
2009 |
32 |
17 |
53 |
|
2010 |
32 |
17 |
53 |
|
2011 |
30 |
17 |
57 |
|
2012 |
37 |
25 |
68 |
|
2013 |
35 |
22 |
63 |
|
2014 |
33 |
23 |
70 |
|
Total |
522 |
275 |
53 |
From the table above, it can be said that the chances of getting a 5-star recruit drafted into the NFL have increased over the years. In 2014, as an example, the increase hit an all-time high of 70 percent, as against the 38 percent selection list of the 2000 five-star recruit class.
A careful assessment of the table has shown that there is a consistent increase in the number of 5-star prospects drafted into the NFL league since 2011.
Two out of every three 5-star recruits in the last three classes get to the NFL,
Almost two out of every three 5-star recruits in the last three classes get to the NFL, and this positive trend continued in 2015 and 2016. This trend is a very positive one, and it is helped by technology. Technology has aided accurate recruiting figures over the years, and this has helped us to ascertain the future chances of five-star prospects in the league.
However, athletes’ position may determine their chances of being drafted to the NFL.
5-star prospects were drafted to the NFL between 2000 and 2014
For example, out of the drafted 5-star recruits in recent years, 16 were tagged athletes, 15 were selected from tight ends, while the defensive line recorded 100 recruits. Based on this, one can say that selection is based on prospects’ position, but drawing a final conclusion from this may be misleading. So, it is necessary we consider the frequency of position through which 5-star prospects were drafted to the NFL between 2000 and 2014.
In the years under review, records show that 5-star recruits in four positions, that is, athlete, defensive line, defensive back, and tight end, had higher chances of being drafted to the NFL than those in the offensive line, running back, receiver, quarterback, and linebacker positions.
While the percentage of being drafted in the first four positions stood at 60, the second group hovered around 50. Five-star recruits in the first category have the chance of being selected than the others.
Does 5 Star Rating in High School Help Everyone?
5-star recruits on the offensive line position have a drafted rate of 43 percent, the worst rate in all positions. The position has seen a huge improvement in the last five years as about 75 percent of 5-star prospects in this positive were drafted into the NFL, in addition to all 5-star recruits in 2012 who were drafted.
True, only 24 five-star prospects were drafted between 2000 and 2004 from the offensive line position, but it is a different story today. For many years now, defensive back has remained one of the most sought-after positions. NFL drafted 5-star recruits in this position has hit 80 percent already.
While this figure remains exceptional, it is expected that more prospects in this position will be drafted in years to come. One position that has seen the fewer draft of 5-star prospects to the NFL is the receiver.
5 Star Data from 2000 and 2009
Less than 1 out of 3 receiver five-star recruits were drafted in the last five years. Between 2000 and 2009, selected stars from the position stood at 55 percent but dropped to 43 percent between 2005 and 2014. But the story changed in 2015 when four out of five 5-star receivers were successfully drafted into the NFL.
Truth be told. The data analyzed above is not perfect but could help us determine the possible rate at which 5-star prospects can be drafted into the NFL. So, all we can do is provide correlated assertions on 5-star recruits’ success rate in the past few years and dispel a few misconceptions that have already enveloped the minds of some people. 5-star recruits have higher chances of being drafted into the NFL, as shown by data of the past few years.
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