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It's a tool - just a part of the process. Does a low score mean they are dumb players? Not really.
But take someone who blows a personal interview. When asked about their college scheme they come up with nothing usefull. But they were making plays everywhere. Combine all of that with a low Wonderlic score and it could be a pretty strong indication that they are not that smart and will have trouble picking up an NFL scheme. They may have been getting by in college based on athletic advantages. That isn't enough in the big league.
Again, it's just a piece of the puzzle. My day job (when not playing amateur GM) is research. Most of the time there is no perfect answer that can be measured. So I look at a bunch of different things and see what direction they are pointing. If I look at 10 things and 8 are telling me the same story then I generally have an answer. I'm sure it's the same thing with NFL teams.
But take someone who blows a personal interview. When asked about their college scheme they come up with nothing usefull. But they were making plays everywhere. Combine all of that with a low Wonderlic score and it could be a pretty strong indication that they are not that smart and will have trouble picking up an NFL scheme. They may have been getting by in college based on athletic advantages. That isn't enough in the big league.
Again, it's just a piece of the puzzle. My day job (when not playing amateur GM) is research. Most of the time there is no perfect answer that can be measured. So I look at a bunch of different things and see what direction they are pointing. If I look at 10 things and 8 are telling me the same story then I generally have an answer. I'm sure it's the same thing with NFL teams.