Athletes First is directing its NFL Draft prospects not to participate in any cognitive testing in the pre-draft evaluation process this year. One of the leading agencies representing NFL players, Athletes First emailed NFL teams last month to notify them of the decision.
Three executives for two different NFL clubs confirmed that they received the email.
“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 email read.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is not mentioned by name, but this new directive is a clear response to Stroud’s experience last spring. In April, veteran NFL writer Bob McGinn, a former contributor to The Athletic, reported Stroud scored an 18 out of a possible 100 on the S2 test, one of several cognitive tests that NFL teams request players take in the pre-draft process.
Stroud, who is represented by David Mulugheta of Athletes First, was eventually picked No. 2 before winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and leading Houston to the playoffs.
“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 email 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.
“While our clients are happy to participate in the standard pre-draft physical activities and any football-based interviews or film review, we will not subject them to the wide variety of psychological tests.”
As of publication, multiple Athletes First agents had not responded to The Athletic’s request for comment. A representative from S2 declined to comment.
The S2 cognition test was first used by NFL teams before the 2016 draft; the Nashville-based company is currently under contract with half of the league’s 32 teams. The test has risen in prominence in recent years, touted for its ability to measure a player’s cognitive ability — specifically, quarterbacks.
A nine-part battery of tests, the S2 — unlike its Wonderlic predecessor — doesn’t measure an athlete’s intelligence but instead their processing speed, reaction time and ability to digest information and respond under duress. It lasts around 45 minutes, and it’s completed using a specially-designed gaming laptop and response pad that tracks pattern recognition and impulse control. In 2022, the NFL announced it would stop administering the Wonderlic.
Athletes First represents 29 prospects in the 2024 class, including players like Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner, LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas, Oregon tackle Taliese Fuaga, Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton, Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson and Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean. The agency does not represent a top quarterback in this year’s draft class.
The Athletic reached out to agents for two other major player agencies, and each said their agencies had not issued any blanket ban similar to Athletes First.
— Zak Keefer contributed to this report.
Required reading
(Photo: Perry Knotts / Getty Images)
This article was originally published by a theathletic.com . Read the Original article here. .