Understanding RAS: The Essential Draft Metric Explained

Relative Athletic Score (RAS) is a popular metric in the NFL draft that quantifies a player's athleticism compared to their position. It combines various categories measured at the NFL Combine and contextualizes them against other athletes of the same position. The metric was created by Kent Lee Platte, a lifelong Detroit Lions fan with a passion for math and metrics. The New York Jets had the highest average RAS in the 2023 NFL Draft, followed closely by the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. Ryan Poles, the Bears' football operations head, used RAS in his draft choices, with all ten of his picks registering over 8.0.