The NFL Combine is considered the crown jewel of the offseason. Fresh, new talent is coming into the league of elite players that we know and love. How will their college profiles translate to the next level? The general population loves to pit their evaluation skills against the efficient market of the NFL Draft. Here are the keys to getting the most from NFL Combine week:
Official Measurements
For many of the NFL Combine participants this is the first chance we have to know their real height, weight, hand size, etc. Before the on-field drills even begin, the official measurements are a key checkpoint.
Be Skeptical of Listed Height-Weight
Rarely are they spot on from the college team website or online. Educated guesses or from the optimistic mouth of the player themselves? Probably. Possessing thickness is important, as well as hand size for pass-catching positions.
Be Extra Skeptical for Small School Prospects
The tendency for small school players is to be thinner and less athletic than their major conference positional peers. A great production profile through their college seasons can be doused with ice water if they come in 10+ pounds lighter and log a sluggish collection of drill measurements.
Watch the Players
Sounds simple, but the network coverage can quickly shift from valuable neutral playing field comparisons of the players on the field to commentary about a few well-known names. When the drills are going on, especially the position-specific ones, keep your eyes on the screen or better yet, record the channel to fast-forward to the important action later on.
Be Patient with Official Times
I am one of the biggest offenders in terms of wanting to take the times that pop up on the screen during the combine and treat like the law. What commonly happens is those blistering times that make for great in-the-moment broadcasting correct to slower official times later. While we all want to be raving on twitter about speed scores or explosion scores the moment they happen, those will likely be changing by the end of NFL Combine week.
Keep the Tape
There will be film of the positional drills floating around the web after the event. However, it can be tough to find exactly what you may want. Allocate some DVR space for the NFL Combine, set it to record for hours on end, then one can peruse the tape days and weeks later. Some common things to mine from the NFL Combine at each skill position include:
Quarterbacks
- Unfamiliar Environment
- Variety of Throws
- Footwork
- Consistency of Dropbacks
- Arm Strength
- Under Center
- Football Carriage-Posture-Ball Handling
Running Backs
- Initial Burst
- Change of Direction
- Reaction Speed
- Balance
- Receiving Acumen
Wide Receivers-Tight Ends
- Catching Technique
- Route Running
- Concentration
- Coordination
- Vision
- Ball Recognition
Want More Tips?
There is an outstanding collection of videos from Mike Mayock over at NFL.com for each position and the NFL Combine overall.
