The NFL draft is about breaking the ties. It is about a roomful of opinionated, experienced, stubborn and vocal people separating one prospect from another, until the names are stacked and the picks are made.

To differentiate one player from another, there is a language to avoid split decisions.

"You want a consensus when you're done," said John Elway, the Broncos' executive vice president of football operations. "We have a lot of voices, scouts who have seen these guys all year, written the reports, and people can get passionate when you talk about them. You want that. You want honest discussion. There are a lot of words spoken in a lot of meetings to get there."

To get there requires a glossary to understand the language of scouts. Here's a sampling of compliments, insults and the quirky jargon of the scouting world.

Triangle numbers. They're the holy trinity of scouting: a prospect's height, weight and speed. Scouts who prefer prospects with good showings in each are "triangle guys."

JAG. Spelled out, it sounds harmless, but one with the deepest cut to an NFL future: Just A Guy. Not great. Not good. Just a guy, usually not long for the NFL.

Try-hard guy. He's a player who may not be as physically gifted as most but plays with consistently high effort. It's a compliment if the player has enough natural talent to make it. It is not a compliment if the player can't meet the minimum physical requirements for the job. A high-effort, highly talented player is a "high-motor guy."

Looks good getting off the bus/plane/bench. As in looks good, but plays not so well. It's a label players do not want, a player far better in appearance than performance. He's sometimes called "a looker."

Striker. Some also call this a quality finisher, but he is a player who tackles with purpose and doesn't surrender yardage after making first contact.

(Getty Images file)

Play speed. There are fast guys, as in Usain Bolt kind of fast guys, who can run with anyone when unencumbered with a helmet and shoulder pads — and the threat of contact. Often these players become ordinary in full gear with folks in pursuit.That is poor play speed. On the other hand, some players — Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is a shining example — don't time well in shorts and a T-shirt, but in games, no one can catch them from behind. That's good play speed.

Throws to all platforms. This is a quarterback, regardless of mechanics, who gets the completions any way he can — with the traditional over-the-top delivery, a three-quarters delivery or dropping down sidearm. This is a quirky phrase in that it can be a compliment about getting it done any way necessary, or a criticism about the lack a consistent throwing motion.

Alligator arms or, to some, T-Rex arms. This is a receiver who is more concerned about contact that catching the ball and doesn't extend fully for the ball in traffic. It also means a receiver who doesn't often make "out of frame" catches because he doesn't reach away from his body for the ball.

Catches with his fists. I have known two longtime scouts who use this one to describe a receiver who has difficulty catching the ball. A variation on the longtime "hands like feet" or a "body-catcher."

Gets through the wash. Some scouts, with a little more gray around the temples, would say he "gets through the trash." It's a defensive player who is adept at working through the pile of bodies along the line of scrimmage to get to the ball.Some offensive line coaches also talk about potential zone blocking linemen who are good at pushing "their guy into the wash."

Weaver. No, not baskets, dreams or pot holders, but usually an impending tackle for loss. A weaver is a runner who tries to run around a defender to avoid a tackle with pitter-patter feet and rounded movements. Teams want the "slasher," the decisive runner with sharp, quick movements.

Or, as former Broncos running backs coach, and current Redskins running backs coach Bobby Turner has long said: "If your name ain't Barry Sanders, then stick your foot in the ground and get up the field."

And finally, the exclamation point to the draft status of those who are on the receiving end ...

A slap. The full phrase includes slightly more saucy language, but scouts are a saucy group by trade. This is an umbrella designation for those players who won't make it, who are talented but unmotivated, or neither talented nor motivated.

Can also be a "slappy," a "jabroni" or, as one scout called it, "lint," as in "you flick it off and move on."

Jeff Legwold: or