Do Preseason Grades Matter? Historical Analysis of National and Blesto Scores
It’s that time of year again when preseason grades for upcoming draft prospects hit the streets and the takes start firing off on social media.
The NFL employs two preseason scouting services—staffed by young scouts for each team—called BLESTO and National Scouting. The grades are so secretive each summer that scouts have been fired for sharing them and agents have been sued for leaking them to NFL media members.
But they are hardly kept under lock and key. In fact, we’ve already seen this year’s copy. But do they matter? What does a grade of a player before their final year of play mean? And are the scouts doing the legwork worth their salt?
Instead of giving you our opinion, we’re looking at facts. Let’s take a look at last year’s grades versus the first round and see how they held up as predictive scores.
2025 NFL Draft
1.1 Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Blesto: 5th Round | National: 5th/6th Round
1.2 Travis Hunter, WR, Colorado
Blesto: Top of 1st Round | National: Top of 1st Round
1.3 Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: Top of 1st Round
1.4 Will Campbell, T, LSU
Blesto: Top of 1st Round | National: Early/Mid 2nd Round
1.5 Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.6 Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Blesto: Mid 2nd Round | National: Late 2nd Round
1.7 Armand Membou, T, Missouri
Blesto: 6th Round | National: N/A
1.8 Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: Mid 2nd Round
1.9 Kelvin Banks, T, Texas
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.10 Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.11 Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: Mid 2nd Round
1.12 Tyler Booker, G, Alabama
Blesto: Day 3 | National: N/A
1.13 Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.14 Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Blesto: 3rd Round | National: 3rd Round
1.15 Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.16 Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.17 Shemar Stewart, DE, Texas A&M
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.18 Grey Zabel, G, North Dakota State
Blesto: 7th Round | National: 7th Round
1.19 Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Blesto: Mid 2nd Round | National: Late 2nd Round
1.20 Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
Blesto: Mid 4th Round | National: Mid 2nd Round
1.21 Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.22 Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
Blesto: Mid 2nd Round | National: Late 2nd Round
1.23 Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.24 Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State
Blesto: Mid 3rd Round | National: Early 2nd Round
1.25 Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Blesto: Mid 4th Round | National: Early 3rd Round
1.26 James Pearce, DE, Tennessee
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.27 Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: Early 2nd Round
1.28 Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
Blesto: Late 1st Round | National: Mid 2nd Round
1.29 Josh Conerly, T, Oregon
Blesto: 3rd Round | National: Mid 2nd Round
1.30 Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.31 Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: N/A
1.32 Josh Simmons, T, Ohio State
Blesto: Not Graded (underclassman) | National: Late 2nd Round