Jan 7, 2022 - Sports

NFL eliminating Wonderlic test from draft process

Jeff Tracy

Illustration of a brain with football stitching across the side. — Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The NFL is eliminating the Wonderlic test from the pre-draft process, according to a memo obtained by the AP.

Why it matters: The IQ test has long been controversial given the lack of correlation between a player's score and his NFL success. Some also believe it has a built-in racial bias, like many standardized tests.

The backdrop: In 1936, E.F. Wonderlic developed a 12-minute, 50-question (multiple choice) test to measure cognitive ability in math, vocabulary and reasoning.

Soon enough, the U.S. Navy had adopted the test to help select candidates for pilot training and navigation.
In the 1970s, legendary Cowboys coach Tom Landry began using it to evaluate players. His team's success led others to follow suit until it became standard practice across the league.

Best/worst scores:

Best: Perfect 50 (P Pat McInally, 1975); 49 (DE Mike Mamula, 1995); 48 (WR Kevin Curtis, 2003; QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, 2005; TE Ben Watson, 2004)
Worst: 6 (QB Vince Young, 2006; RB Frank Gore, 2005; QB Oscar Davenport, 1999); 5 (S Ed Prather, 2001); 4 (RB Darren Davis, 2000; CB Morris Claiborne, 2012)

Take a sample Wonderlic and see how you fare.

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NFL eliminating Wonderlic test from draft process

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