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Game-Changing NFL Ball Tracking Data Will Be Shared League-Wide

Long before the 2018 NFL Draft, scouts and analysts all gushed over the raw arm strength of Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. The Browns were said to be torn between taking Allen or Oklahoma’s Heisman winner, Baker Mayfield, with the first overall pick. Based purely on throwing attributes, evaluators assumed Allen was the clearly superior choice.

Data collected at the Senior Bowl in January indicated that the story was not so clearcut. RFID chips from Zebra Technologies were embedded in the footballs used for every practice and at the game itself, just as they were in every NFL game ball last fall.