How to Watch the NFL Combine
The NFL Combine is a great way to see how the top college football prospects measure up against each other. Here’s how you can watch it.
What is the NFL Combine?
The NFL Combine is an annual event where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of NFL coaches, general managers, and scouts. The event is important for players who want to be drafted into the NFL, as it can help them improve their draft stock. The combine is also a great way for fans to get a first look at the next crop of NFL stars.
What is the purpose of the NFL Combine?
The primary purpose of the NFL Combine is to allow NFL personnel executives an up-close look at some of the best college football players available for the upcoming NFL Draft.
During the Combine, players go through a series of tests that measure their physical and mental attributes. These tests include the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 3-cone drill and shuttle run. The results of these tests are then compared against other players at their position to give teams an idea of where they stand relative to their peers.
In addition to the on-field workouts, players also undergo extensive medical testing and interviews with team personnel. This gives teams a chance to get to know the players not only as athletes, but as people as well.
The NFL Combine is a valuable tool for teams as they prepare for the draft, but it’s just one part of the process. Players’ game film from their collegiate career is still the biggest factor in where they’ll be drafted.
When is the NFL Combine?
The NFL Scouting Combine is an annual week-long showcase of the best college football players eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft. Held every February at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, the week-long event features more than 300 draft-eligible prospects going through a series of physical and psychological tests in front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams.
The combine typically runs from Tuesday through Sunday, with different position groups working out on different days. The workouts are televised live on NFL Network, and the event is also open to the public.
How to watch the NFL Combine?
The NFL Combine is a national event that happens every year. It’s where the top college football players come to show off their skills in front of NFL coaches and scouts. If you’re a big fan of the NFL, you might be wondering how you can watch the Combine. Here’s everything you need to know.
NFL Combine on TV
The NFL Combine will be televised on NFL Network.
NFL Combine on the NFL Network
You can watch the NFL Combine on the NFL Network.
NFL Combine on NFL.com
The National Football League Combine is a week-long showcase of the best college football players eligible for the NFL Draft. Through a series of physical and mental tests, interviews, and on-field drills, NFL coaches and scouts evaluate the athleticism, size, strength, speed, and intelligence of these prospects to try to determine which ones have thepotential to be successful at the professional level.
Each year, the NFL Combine takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The event is closed to the public, but fans can watch all of the action live on NFL.com or on the NFL Network.
What to expect from the NFL Combine?
If you’re a fan of the NFL, or just interested in the draft process, the NFL Combine is a great event to watch. Every year, the top college football players gather in Indianapolis to showcase their skills in front of NFL coaches, GMs, and scouts. While the event is mostly about the players, it’s also a chance for NFL teams to get a closer look at the prospects.
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is the marquee event at the NFL Scouting Combine. It’s one of the many tests used to evaluate potential prospects, but it’s the most popular and perhaps the most important.
While the combine has been around since 1987, it wasn’t until 2000 that electronic timing was used to officially record a player’s 40-yard dash time. Before that, hand-timed results were used, which introduce a margin of error.
Now, every player’s official time is listed to the thousandth of a second and is widely publicized. Players who run fast 40-yard dashes tend to see their draft stock rise, while those who don’t run as well may slip down draft boards.
The 40-yard dash is simply measuring how fast a player can run 40 yards. It’s not an indicator of football speed or quickness, but it’s still an important measure for scouts and coaches because it shows a prospect’s raw athleticism.
Players start from a standing start and are timed until they cross the finish line 40 yards later. They are not allowed to start running until they hear the starting gun go off, sofalse starts are common and can be costly for prospects trying to improve their draft stock.
Prospects usually run two or three times, with their best time being used as their official result.
Bench press
The bench press is one of the most infamous events at the NFL Scouting Combine. It’s simple — each player lies down on a bench and presses a weighted bar up into the air as many times as they can.
The amount of weight on the bar is different for each position. For example, quarterbacks and running backs will have less weight than offensive and defensive linemen.
The combine record for the bench press is 51 reps of 225 pounds.
Vertical jump
The vertical jump is one of the most important tests at the NFL combine. It measures a player’s explosiveness and lower body strength. A good vertical jump can help a player excel at position-specific tasks, like a wide receiver jumping for a high pass or a defensive lineman getting off the line quickly to make a tackle.
Players will stand flat-footed next to a vertical measuring device and then jump as high as they can, reaching up with both hands to touch the highest point on the device. The height of the jump is recorded and used to compare players.
In order to prepare for this test, players will often do plyometric training, which involves quick, explosive movements that help improve power and coordination.
Broad jump
The broad jump—or standing long jump—is one of the most important combine drills for NFL hopefuls. The goal is simple: see how far you can jump in one burst. Because the broad jump is a measure of lower-body explosiveness, it’s often used as a predictor of success in sports like football and basketball.
Players line up at the edge of a platform and take a running start before jumping forward as far as they can. The distance is measured from the spot where the player first landed to the spot where his heels touched down on the landing surface.
3-cone drill
The 3-cone drill is used to measure a player’s ability to change directions quickly. The drill consists of five cones placed in an “L” shape. The player starts by running around the outside of the first cone, then weaves through the remaining four cones, before running back to the start/finish line.
Players are timed to see how quickly they can complete the drill, with shorter times being better. This drill is especially important for defensive players, as they often have to change directions quickly while chasing down plays from the opposing offense.
Offensive players can also benefit from having quick feet and being able to change directions quickly, as it can help them elude defenders when they have the ball in their hands.
20-yard shuttle
The 20-yard shuttle is a drill that tests an athlete’s ability to change directions quickly. It is also known as the 5-10-5 drill. The player starts in a three-point stance, then proceeds to run five yards to his right, 10 yards to his left, and then back to the starting point. The entire drill is timed, and scouts will be looking for a time of four seconds or less.
60-yard shuttle
The 60-yard shuttle is a test of change of direction speed and agility. It is completed by running five yards, touching the line, turning and running 10 yards to the opposite side, touching the line, turning and running back 10 yards to the original side, touching the line, turning and running 20 yards to the opposite side, touching the line, turning and running back 20 yards to the original side, and continuing this pattern for a total of 60 yards.
