SCOTT T. MILLER

The Draft is here

And so is, for that matter, ESPN The Magazine’s NFL Draft Issue. Funny how that works out. But seriously, I think this is one of the best issues we’ve put out all year. Eli Saslow’s story on former LSU DB Tyrann Mathieu is an absolute must-read. And Ryan McGee’s profile on Marcus Lattimore will have you cheering for the former South Carolina running back who’s still recovering from one of the most gruesome knee injuries in recent memory.

I had two projects in the issue. The first of which was pretty standard: Our annual dueling mock drafts with ESPN experts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. (see pdf here or below). Regardless of the fluidity of draft prognostications, there are some really good tidbits of information in each of their mocks. The second project—a 1-32 ranking of the best-drafting NFL franchises since 1994 (see pdf here or below)—was something my colleague LaRue Cook and I have been wanting to do for awhile. The only problem: We weren’t quite sure the best way to devise such a ranking. Luckily, Neil Paine and the folks over at Pro-Football Reference are smarter than us and quickly used their vast statistical resources to give us a comprehensive—and statistically-sound—list. Enjoy! (Except for you, Browns fans. There’s not much to enjoy, is there?)

Bubba and The Masters

Bubba Watson, golf’s preeminent shot-shaper, used everything in his toolbox to win last year’s Masters. So, it seemed natural to use Bubba in some way for our 2013 Masters Preview (see pdf here or below). The shot he hit in the playoff on No. 10 is what everyone remembers from last year, but Bubba also fit four near-perfect approach shots on Nos. 13-16 to become the first winner to ever birdie all four of those holes in the final round. I talked to Bubba and his caddie, Teddy Scott, about those shots, and also enlisted a few of our ESPN experts, Curtis Strange and Paul Azinger, to detail the challenges of playing Augusta’s Hallelujah Stretch. 

The Left Tackle and Another “Scout Takes”

In ESPN The Magazine’s Photo Issue, I edited David Fleming’s story on the left tackle position, which led the Playbook section (see pdf here or below). This is a story we’ve been talking about for awhile, and now seemed like the perfect time to roll it out. The left tackle was once considered an essential building block for successful franchises. But now? The Miami Dolphins just let Jake Long, their former No. 1 overall pick and franchise left tackle, leave for St. Louis in free agency without too much resistance. Plus, two, maybe three, LTs will soon be picked in the top-10 top of the NFL Draft—even though since 2004, only three of the 12 left tackles selected in the top 10 have won a playoff game. It’ll be interesting to see how the position continues to evolve in the coming years.

Also in Playbook of The Photo Issue: Another “Scout Takes” to which I contributed some reporting. This one is on Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson (see pdf here or below).