NFL reporter reveals why teams aren't likely to volunteer for 'Hard Knocks' in the future

Reporting and social media cues seem to have cracked Giants' color-coded draft board, which appeared during an episode of 'Hard Knocks' featuring the Giants.

May 23, 2024; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) warms up during organized team activities at Halas Hall Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Codes are as much a part of the NFL as pigskin and chalk lines. Most times, they're indecipherable, leaving fans to marvel in their complexity and laugh at their idiocy. But when teams leave enough breadcrumbs laying out, their codes can be cracked. That appears to be what Dan Duggan, a Giants reporter with The Athletic, along with several social media sleuths have done recently, involving a color-coded chart listing every player selected during the 2024 NFL draft.

Any takeaways on this Dan? May be worth a question at the next press conference pic.twitter.com/TNMrh1Opj3

— toffeeTruth (@BlueBrand244) July 31, 2024

One fan on X (formerly known as Twitter) asked Duggan if he could make hide or hare with the list, which was shown during the finale of the Giants' appearance on the offseason version of the show. It was a trending topic on all social media this week, as fans looked at what appeared to be the presence of a standard white highlight around most names, with different colors marking distinctions on a few others. He pointed to one particularly ambitious user, who provided an excellent guide to interpreting the chart.

A full look at the color coding system for the Giants' 2024 draft board

Blue: all-around good leader, teammate, person
Red: medical concerns
Purple: character concerns
Pink: ?
Grey: ?
Yellow: (Milton 6-193): ? pic.twitter.com/ipb5M148mZ

— Doug Analytics (@Doug_Analytics) July 31, 2024

Was planning to dig into this today, but seems like @Doug_Analytics already nailed it. Here’s his interpretation:

• Blue: A+ character
• Red: Medical concerns
• Purple: Character concerns
• Pink: Measurement/size concerns
• Grey: Position flexibility
• Yellow: Potential… https://t.co/YmAA3AMB3G

— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) July 31, 2024

Per Duggan, the colors and distinctions are:

Blue: A+ character
• Red: Medical concerns
• Purple: Character concerns
• Pink: Measurement/size concerns
• Grey: Position flexibility
• Yellow: Potential position change

The accuracy of this will likely never be confirmed, but Duggan's best point might be what he noted at the end, "no team will ever volunteer for this show again."

He might have written that to be humorous, but he could also be telling the truth.

'Hard Knocks: Training Camp' with the Bears will begin Aug. 6, and will feature top pick Caleb Williams (no highlight), Rome Odunze ("A+ Character Guy," per the "Doug Analytics Chart") and others.

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