Do multi-sport athletes have an edge during draft process?

Competing with an enormous pool of college prospects to be one of the more than 250 players selected during the NFL Draft is a daunting task.

Athletes are always looking for a competitive advantage, and during a recent appearance on “Good Morning Football,” former Kansas City Chiefs general manager-turned-NFL Network and CBS analyst Scott Pioli stated one way to gain that edge, which scouts pay attention to, is by being a multi-sport athlete. 

“One of the things to me that was so important is if you play another sport, you have a different type of athletic intelligence and understanding and ability really to make on-field, in-competition [decisions] and problem solving,” Pioli said. “… I believe being a multi-sport athlete does have value.”

Some of the more successful players in the NFL have been multi-sport athletes. Pioli specifically mentioned Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, who he met when he was a pro personnel assistant with the Cleveland Browns in the early 1990s.

Brown, a nine-time All-Pro, eight-time NFL rushing leader and three-time NFL MVP, was a two-time All-American lacrosse player at the University of Syracuse. He also lettered in basketball and track and field.

“Jim talked about how important (being a multi-sport athlete) was for him and how much it helped him in terms of his decision making on the field,” Pioli added. “Even though the sports (he played) were vastly different, it was training his mind to be able to make in-competition decisions.”

In addition to Brown, Pioli pointed to 10-time All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis, nine-time All-Pro offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden and three-time Super Bowl champion guard Stephen Neal as players he personally scouted that found NFL success as a multi-sport athlete.

Two of the top prospects in the 2024 draft — Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman — were dual-sport athletes in college. Both played football and basketball at their respective universities.

Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill (football, track and field), Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (football, baseball) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (football, baseball) were all multi-sport athletes when they were drafted.