The theory is simple: there's a better, more nuanced way to evaluate collegiate performance in the NFL draft than kindergarten arithmetic.
A few years back, FootballScoop changed the way the NFL draft was covered from a college football perspective. The theory is simple: since every draft pick is not the same value -- that's the entire point of the ordeal, in fact -- so they should not be treated the same. And so rather than simply counting which schools had the most players selected, we debuted the Selection Points formula to provide context to the conversation.
The formula is achingly simple: the first pick is worth 250 points, the second is worth 249, and on and on it goes, all the way to one.
Though they did not get it done on the field in Houston back in January, Washington defeated Michigan for the most impressive draft class in 2024. The Huskies' 10 picks, three of them in the top 20 and seven in the top 100, outperformed Michigan's 13, four of those coming in pick 240 or after.
Texas, a 7-round program record with 11 picks and six coming in the top 101, also surpassed the cumulative value of Michigan's 13 picks.
Georgia, Oregon, LSU, Ohio State and North Carolina also had stronger performances than the raw numbers indicated.
The Selection Points formula also adds nuance to historical debates.
No 2024 draft class cracked the top 10 of the century (Alabama's 2023 class with 10 picks and 1,727 Selection Points, checks in at 11th) but we did see movement in the all-time standings.
With 10 selections (including eventual transfers Adonai Mitchell and Jermaine Burton), 2021 Georgia has now produced 35 draft picks and 5,476 Selection Points, moving those Bulldogs into the top five most talented national champions of the century. This means roughly 40 percent of that team was drafted, and the average position those players were drafted in was the late third round.
The 2020 Alabama team cemented itself as Nick Saban's third most-talented champion (with room still to grow) and, while Michigan's draft class did not take home the 2024 title, it was enough on its own to surpass the draft performance of the entire 2010 Auburn national championship roster.