SMWW Football Scouting Apprenticeship
Learn to Scout Football Like an NFL Exec – Online in 16 Weeks

Key Focus: Foundational scouting philosophy + how to “think like a scout”

• Dane introduces his background and what students should expect over the 16 weeks.
• Emphasis on evaluating traits vs. production – scouts must look beyond box scores.
• Explanation of grading vs. ranking players.
• Identifying transferable traits from college to the pros (e.g., body type, athleticism, mental makeup).
• Discusses how pro scouting departments organize and assign responsibilities.

Takeaway Quote:
“Scouting is about identifying what a player can become—not just what they are today.”

Key Focus: Understanding offensive structure and its impact on evaluation

• Overview of offensive personnel groupings (11, 12, 21, etc.) and how they impact scheme.
• How offensive philosophy (spread, pro-style, RPO-heavy) changes what to look for.
• Discussion of alignment, motion, shifts, and play design.
• Dane emphasizes learning to contextualize a player's role within their system before evaluating them.
• Introduction to how scouting departments share terminology and communicate internally.

Takeaway Quote:
“You can’t scout in a vacuum. You have to understand how the offense is using that player.”

Key Focus: Scouting the most important position in football

• What NFL teams look for: arm strength, accuracy, timing, decision-making, poise, leadership.
• Dane walks through QB evaluation traits using All-22 film clips.
• Introduces concepts like “anticipatory throws,” “functional mobility,” and “off-script creation.”
• Breakdown of evaluating QB footwork and processing speed.
• Common scouting mistakes with quarterbacks (e.g., overvaluing stats, ignoring context).

Takeaway Quote:
“You’re betting your job on these guys—so you better know what makes them tick.”

Key Focus: Evaluating versatility, vision, and impact beyond the box score

• Traits to scout: burst, balance, vision, contact courage, hands, blocking ability.
• Differences between zone vs. gap scheme runners.
• Evaluation of third-down backs and special teams contributors.
• How fullbacks are used differently across systems—and why they’re still valuable.
• Role of size vs. skill and how to weigh physical traits against performance.

Takeaway Quote:
“RBs get used up quickly in the league—you’re looking for guys who can contribute early and do multiple things.”

Key Focus: Evaluating WR traits, separation ability, and role fit

• Key traits: release off the line, route running, separation quickness, hands, and catch radius
• Differences between X, Z, and slot receiver roles
• Dane breaks down how to evaluate WRs in timing-based vs. vertical passing schemes
• Evaluating YAC (yards after catch) ability and how physicality plays into scouting
• Recognizing traits that project well to NFL usage (e.g., versatility, contested catches)

Takeaway Quote:
“The best WRs aren’t just fast—they’re technicians. They win before the ball is even thrown.”

Key Focus: Hybrid position that demands versatility in both the pass and run game

• Breakdown of Y vs. F roles (in-line blocker vs. move TE)
• How to scout functional strength, hand placement, and leverage in blocking
• Traits for evaluating pass-catching ability: burst off the line, route discipline, ball tracking
• Importance of alignment versatility (can they split out? play H-back?)
• Dane emphasizes how tight ends are evolving in today’s game and what that means for evaluations

Takeaway Quote:
“The more ways a tight end can be used, the more valuable he becomes to a coordinator—and to you as a scout.”

Key Focus: Scouting footwork, pass protection, and edge control

• Identifying traits like balance, bend, anchor strength, and hand timing
• Foot speed vs. body control when mirroring rushers
• Differences in left vs. right tackle responsibilities in different schemes
• Dane provides All-22 examples showing good vs. bad tackle technique
• How to assess recoverability after initial losses (a major pro projection trait)

Takeaway Quote:
“Good tackles don’t panic. They redirect, recover, and keep their QB upright.”

Key Focus: Center and guard evaluation in zone vs. gap schemes

• How to scout leverage, hand usage, footwork, and mental processing (especially for centers)
• Evaluating pull movement, reach block ability, and blitz pickup
• The importance of communication and pre-snap awareness
• Dane compares OL traits across successful NFL guards and centers
• Special focus on combo blocks and double teams—how interior OL create movement

Takeaway Quote:
“Interior guys don’t have to be flashy—they just need to be smart, tough, and technically sound.”

Key Focus: Understanding defensive schemes and how they affect player evaluation

• Introduction to base fronts (3-4 vs. 4-3) and hybrid defenses
• Overview of gap responsibilities, alignments, and how fronts affect second- and third-level defenders
• Dane explains how to factor scheme into your scouting reports—what fits in one system might not in another
• Importance of identifying a player’s mental processing, communication, and positional versatility

Takeaway Quote:
“Scheme fit can make or break a player's career. Great scouts know how to project beyond the system they’re in.”

Key Focus: Evaluating nose tackles, 1-techs, and 3-techs

• Traits to scout: initial quickness, pad level, hand usage, anchor strength
• Gap discipline and ability to play vs. double teams
• Differences in skill set between a 0/1-tech space-eater vs. a disruptive 3-tech penetrator
• Dane walks through film clips to show IDL executing stunts, absorbing blockers, and collapsing pockets
• How to identify DL who can rush the passer from inside (a premium trait)

Takeaway Quote:
“Interior guys who can stop the run and rush the passer—that’s where value explodes.”

Key Focus: Identifying premier traits in pass rushers and edge-setters

• Key traits: first-step explosiveness, bend/flexibility, length, hand combat, motor
• 4-3 DE vs. 3-4 OLB responsibilities
• How to evaluate pass-rush plan, counters, and ability to set the edge vs. the run
• Dane shows edge players winning reps through technique vs. raw athleticism
• How to project college edge defenders into NFL alignments and sub-packages

Takeaway Quote:
“Great edge rushers have two things: a plan—and the traits to execute it when it matters most.”

Key Focus: Scouting modern LBs in the era of spread offenses

• Traits to evaluate: read/react speed, block shedding, tackling, coverage instincts
• Role of LBs in zone drops, man coverage, and blitz packages
• Dane discusses the importance of movement patterns, play recognition, and finishing
• Breakdown of differences between MIKE, WILL, and SAM roles in different schemes
• Emphasis on scouting for positional versatility (e.g., can the LB cover a slot WR or TE?)

Takeaway Quote:
“The modern linebacker has to play in space. If he can’t run, he can’t stay on the field.”

Key Focus: Scouting cover skills, footwork, and route anticipation

• Key traits: fluid hips, recovery speed, ball tracking, press technique, tackling ability
• Differences between man and zone responsibilities and how to evaluate each
• Dane walks through film showing transitions, hand placement, and mirror technique
• Understanding how alignment, leverage, and cushion impact a DB’s performance
• Emphasis on instincts and how quickly a CB can process the route and adjust

Takeaway Quote:
“Corners need confidence and short-term memory. One false step at the wrong time and it’s six points.”

Key Focus: Scouting versatile defenders in deep and box alignments

• Single-high vs. split-safety systems and what traits fit each
• Evaluation of range, closing speed, angles, tackling form, and ball skills
• How to assess communication and leadership (safeties are often the QB of the defense)
• Dane uses examples to show good vs. bad pursuit angles and decision-making
• Discussion of hybrid safety/LB types and how NFL defenses value versatility

Takeaway Quote:
“A safety who can play deep, in the box, and cover tight ends—he’s a weapon in today’s game.”

Key Focus: Evaluating kickers, punters, long snappers, and returners

• What scouts look for in specialists: consistency, mechanics, operation time, trajectory
• Identifying special teams players with NFL traits—gunners, jammers, and returners
• Dane discusses how specialists are graded differently from position players
• Emphasis on mental toughness and how to evaluate clutch performance
• Role of punter hang time, directional ability, and field control

Takeaway Quote:
“You don’t hear about specialists—until they win or lose the game.”

Key Focus: Final reflections, scouting professionalism, and breaking into the industry

• Recap of major scouting themes across all positions
• Tips for writing polished scouting reports and assembling a portfolio
• How to brand yourself as a professional scout
• Q&A session with Dane about his path through the NFL and advice to aspiring scouts
• Next steps: resumes, networking, internships, and real-world applications of what was learned

Takeaway Quote:
“This apprenticeship is just the beginning. Now you have to put yourself out there.”