This site is not associated or affiliated in any way with Wonderlic, Inc.

NFL Wonderlic Test Scores

This is what 80% of test-takers are doing.

The Bottom Line For NFL Wonderlic Test Scores

While the Wonderlic was original designed as a screening exam for employers hiring new staff members, it’s widely known for its use in the NFL draft. Though not all reports can actually be verified, the NFL Wonderlic test scores released every season stir up a frenzy among football fans.

So, why does the NFL insist on administering a standardized exam to new athletes, and, perhaps more importantly, does the exam actually provide us with any useful information? We have all your answers right here. We’ll explain what Wonderlic is, why it’s used, and how accurately it can predict success on the field.

Why Does the NFL Use the Wonderlic?

As alluded to above, the Wonderlic was meant to function as a simplified I.Q. test for companies looking to hire new employees. According to many modern psychologists, a high level of intelligence is one of the best signs of future success. While personality, work ethic, and ambition all play an important role in shaping someone’s professional trajectory, cognitive ability is underrated important.

Clever employees, more often than not, pick up new concepts and ideas more quickly than their peers, and they’re more likely to take on leadership roles. While NFL players don’t work in an office, they use many of the same skills on a regular basis.

On the field, football players need to make good judgment calls, react to changing circumstances, solve complex problems and think clearly while under pressure. Football requires an immense amount of concentration, spatial reasoning, and resourcefulness, all skills tested on the Wonderlic.

When a quarterback is in the middle of a play and his opponents are closing in on him, he needs to quickly evaluate the situation and decide how best to proceed. When there’s a change of plans–the weather is bad, a player gets injured, his rivals react unexpectedly–a quarterback needs to be able to adapt and make use of what resources he has at hand.

Wonderlic scores won’t necessarily affect an athlete’s chances during the draft, but they can supply a team with the information they wouldn’t have known from a resume or list of statistics.

As alluded to above, the Wonderlic was meant to function as a simplified I.Q. test for companies looking to hire new employees. According to many modern psychologists, a high level of intelligence is one of the best signs of future success. While personality, work ethic, and ambition all play an important role in shaping someone’s professional trajectory, cognitive ability is underrated important.

Clever employees, more often than not, pick up new concepts and ideas more quickly than their peers, and they’re more likely to take on leadership roles. While NFL players don’t work in an office, they use many of the same skills on a regular basis.

On the field, football players need to make good judgment calls, react to changing circumstances, solve complex problems and think clearly while under pressure. Football requires an immense amount of concentration, spatial reasoning, and resourcefulness, all skills tested on the Wonderlic.

When a quarterback is in the middle of a play and his opponents are closing in on him, he needs to quickly evaluate the situation and decide how best to proceed. When there’s a change of plans–the weather is bad, a player gets injured, his rivals react unexpectedly–a quarterback needs to be able to adapt and make use of what resources he has at hand.

Wonderlic scores won’t necessarily affect an athlete’s chances during the draft, but they can supply a team with the information they wouldn’t have known from a resume or list of statistics.

Do Wonderlic Test Scores Really Predict Success in the NFL?

Yes and no.

The Wonderlic, like any other test, is not perfect. There is a debate among psychologists as to whether or not the exam can accurately measure I.Q. However, the mixed results show us fairly clearly that, while it may help in certain cases, it cannot predict success with any degree of consistency.

Plus, test results are not always accurate anyway. Many people are simply bad test takers. Whether they struggle from anxiety or fail to apply themselves, some very bright, capable individuals receive low scores and then go on to perform brilliant feats.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, a Harvard graduate, received an impressive 48 on the Wonderlic Personnel Test before going on to lead what you could generously call a middling career. A 48 on the Wonderlic is extremely rare and far higher than most engineers and doctor’s score, but his high score simply did not translate into success on the field.

Fitzpatrick wasn’t picked until the seventh round of the draft, and since then, the journeyman quarterback has traveled from state to state serving on seven different teams. While he’s had plenty of good moments and even good games, Fitzpatrick is extremely inconsistent. He throws a lot of interceptions and often makes poor decisions throwing when or where he shouldn’t. Sometimes, it seems like he just throws the ball randomly and hopes for the best. He’s been the luckiest backup quarterback ever. He plays more than he otherwise would because his starters always manage to get themselves injured.

On the other hand, Morris Claiborne, who received a lowly score of 4, went on to have an outstanding career. On Wonderlic, someone who receives a score lower than 10 is considered illiterate.

Even though Claiborne couldn’t even answer 10% of the questions correctly, he was one of the first ten players selected in the 2012 draft, after which he went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys for five great seasons. During his rookie season alone, Claiborne deflected 8 passes and completed 55 tackles, 43 of which were solo.

Average Wonderlic Scores By Position:

Below, you’ll find the average Wonderlic scores listed according to the position. As you can see, the average score for NFL players overall is about a 20, so despite their reputations, football players, on the whole, aren’t any more or less intelligent than the general population.

You should also notice how there is a wide range in scores. There is a whopping 10-point difference in score between the average halfback and offensive tackle. The data shows that the more offensive the position, the higher the score. While it must take a lot of skill to play defense, the numbers show that offensive plays need considerably more focus and creativity.

More interesting still, offensive tackles, and centers generally score higher than quarterbacks even though it seems as if the quarterback does a lot of the decision-making. As it turns out, centers and offensive tackles are crucial to a team’s success.

The center knows the playbook just as well as the quarterback. After all, he needs to tell each of his linemen which player to target. It’s him that puts his teammates in a position to score and sets the quarterback up for success. Oh, and he also needs to know how to move quickly enough to defend himself from a 350-pound rushing defender.

Offensive tackles consistently receive the highest Wonderlic scores. Once seen as faceless shields, offensive tackles have become some of the most highly sought-after players in the NFL. Responsible for covering anyone the guard does not when the tight end goes out for a pass, offensive tackles need to have a sharp eye and a quick mind.

As Michael Lewis explains in his book The Blind Side, the salary of these players skyrocketed in the ’90s when coaches began to realize how crucial these players were to the team’s overall success.

  1. Offensive Tackle: 26
  2. Center: 25
  3. Quarterback: 24
  4. Guard: 23
  5. Tight end: 22
  6. Safety: 19
  7. Linebacker: 19
  8. Cornerback: 18
  9. Wide Receiver: 17
  10. Fullback: 17
  11. Halfback: 16

NFL Wonderlic Hall of Fame (The Best and Worst):

Top players
SCORE NAME COLLEGE POSITION
50 Pat McInally Harvard University Punter
49 Mike Mamula Boston College Linebacker
48 Ryan Fitzpatrick Harvard University Quarterback
48 Quarterback Alabama Quarterback
48 Benjamin Watson Georgia Tight End
48 Kevin Curtis Utah State Wide Receiver
46 Matt Birk Harvard University Offensive Lineman
43 Jason Maas Oregon Quarterback
43 Eric Decker Minnesota Wide Receiver
42 Blaine Gabbert Missouri Quarterback
42 Drew Henson Michigan Quarterback
Worst players
SCORE NAME COLLEGE POSITION
4 Darren Davis Iowa State Running Back
4 Morris Claiborne LSU Cornerback
5 Ed Prather Mississippi State Defensive Back
6 Oscar Davenport North Carolina Quarterback
6 Frank Gore Miami Running Back
6 Vince Young Texas Quarterback
7 Kelvin Benjamin Florida State Wide Receiver
7 Tavon Austin West Virginia Running Back
7 Terrelle Pryor Ohio State University Quarterback
8 Bobby Wagner Utah State Linebacker
8 Vince Evans USC Quarterback
8 Chris Leak Florida Quarterback

Last Thoughts on NFL Wonderlic Scores:

While drafts’ Wonderlic scores will continue to cause a lot of noise every year when they’re released, they’re generally not all that reliable. Though it may be very exciting to discuss prospects and compare results, unfortunately, Wonderlic hasn’t been able to predict success on the football field with any degree of accuracy.

Player Wonderlic Profiles

SCORE NAME COLLEGE POSITION
35 Aaron Rodgers University of California, Berkeley Quarterback
25 Baker Mayfield University of Oklahoma Quarterback
21 Cam Newton University of Florida, Blinn College, Auburn University Quarterback
20 Deshaun Watson Clemson University Quarterback
27 Jameis Winston Florida State University Quarterback
28 Peyton Manning University of Tennessee Quarterback
48 Ryan Fitzpatrick Harvard University Quarterback
33 Tom Brady University of Michigan Quarterback

The Rapid Wonderlic Mastery Prep™

  • Only 3 hours for study and practice
  • Perfect for ALL Types of Wonderlic tests

Include

  • 17 Video Modules with Transcripts
  • 15 Focused Quizzes for distinct question types
  • 3 full-length practice tests
  • Personality and Motivation prep
  • 500 Practice questions with explanations
*This Offer Lasts — 11H : 48M : 40S
7-Day Money
Back Guarantee
Secured
Payment
24/7 Customer
Support
Immediate
Access

Real Reviews from Students

Discover what our students said about this course.

5.0

Great study guide!

Juliet

Definitely worth the money! There are a lot of free practice tests out there but they actually don't have the right questions or structured the same way as the real test. This guide takes you through each sub-section that is on the test with great tips and tricks, plus lots of practice questions after each sub-section with 3 full practice tests that are same as the actual test (including layout). So you know what you are getting into. I don't think I could have done well without this guide.

Juliet

5.0

AMAZING

David P.

The Rapid Wonderlic Mastery Course is an absolute steal and it quickly prepared me to fly through the course and achieve excellent results. I was well-prepared by taking this, and if I hadn’t taken it the outcome wouldn’t have been strong because I wouldn’t have know what to expect and would have made stupid mistakes just out of ignorance of understanding the test and strategies to perform well. I highly recommend anyone to BUY THIS NOW AND STUDY HARD! Even 12-36 hours advance is plenty to prepare you. THANK YOU!! A VERY grateful user.

David P.

5.0

GREAT COURSE!

Vanessa F.

This course is very good! Helped me cover all topics in a efficient manner. I was confident and prepared to answer the questions in my Wonderlic Test - which I found easier, by the way. I didn't get my score yet, but I would recommend this site for anyone seeking a successful result and encouragement. Thank you for helping me!

Vanessa F.

3.0

i make mistake, actually, I

i make mistake, actually, I will take react behavior test and want to buy materiel to it.I think i bought wrong material. thank

jie c.

5.0

Great review

Jesica A.

Took the course before taking the wonderlic. Great prep! Very similar to the real questions!

Jesica A.

4.0

Great prep tool

The modules did a great job helping me understand the types of questions I would encounter and to provide strategies for quickly solving them. Ultimately the practice tests were significantly harder than my real test.

Evan V.

5.0

Great course

Katherine S.

I kept running into jobs requesting this type of assessment, I found I was over thinking and spending too much time on questions, but I like the way they explain each module and things just click now.

Katherine S.

5.0

GREAT PREP TOOL

JOSE M.

This was a game changer. The test prep settled me with confidence to take on the challenge. I passed with flying colors

JOSE M.

5.0

Super helpful!

Alexis K.

Really helped me prepare and make smart decisions on the actual test. Would definitely recommend, especially if you’ve been out of testing scenarios for a bit!

Alexis K.

5.0

Very helpful

Very helpful

Jyothi B.