Over the last few weeks we have been looking at the Wonderlic scores and their effect on an NFL prospect’s draft position and success or failure in the NFL. We analyzed the ten best scorers and the ten worst scorers. Below is a table of their scores and their years in the NFL.
The ten best and the ten worst Wonderlic scores for NFL propects.
Rank | Best | Wonderlic Score | Years in NFL |
| Rank | Worst | Wonderlic Score |
Years in NFL |
1 | Pat McInally | 50 | 10 |
| 1 | Morris Claiborne | 4 | 4 |
2 | Mike Mamula | 49 | 6 |
| 2 | Darren Davis | 4 | 0 |
3 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | 48 | 11 |
| 3 | Edward ‘Pig’ Prather | 5 | 0 |
4 | Benjamin Watson | 48 | 12 |
| 4 | Frank Gore | 6 | 11 |
5 | Kevin Curtis | 48 | 9 |
| 5 | Oscar Davenport | 6 | 0 |
6 | Greg McElroy | 43 | 3 |
| 6 | Vince Young | 6 | 6 |
7 | Jason Maas | 43 | 1 |
| 7 | Chris Leak | 8 | 1 |
8 | Blaine Gabbert | 42 | 5 |
| 8 | Sebastian Janikowski | 9 | 16 |
9 | Drew Henson | 42 | 4 |
| 9 | Jeff George | 10 | 16 |
10 | Calvin Johnson | 41 | 9 |
| 10 | Michael Bishop | 10 | 2 |
| | | |
| | | | |
Total | | 454 | 70 |
| | | 68 | 56 |
Average | | 45.4 | 7 |
| | | 6.8 | 5.6 |
So what do these results tell us? It appears that a higher score resulted in a longer NFL career by 1.4 years. However, in the worst category three players contributed the most to the NFL playing career average, so it appears that a high Wonderlic most certainly helps, but a low Wonderlic may not destroy your chances of playing in the NFL. Physical ability of course plays into this very much, but being smart and physically gifted doesn’t hurt.