The National Football League just wrapped up its 2023 Scouting Combine. And the week-long activities certainly did their part in exciting fans and franchises with the best footballing prospects in the country ahead of the upcoming draft next month. A lot of young athletes showed their talents on the fields during Combine in order to give a glimpse of what they can accomplish in the future. But, what is this NFL Scouting Combine?

With the NFL deciding to shift the venue of the combine to the highest bidders from next year, this might be the end of the 35+ years historic Indianapolis Combine run. Here are some of the top college come-outs this year from the showdown in Indy.

NFL Scouting Combine 2023: All the top participants and history created

This year’s Combine in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium was special, not just because of the talented batch of athletes coming through, but also because of the thread of free agents connecting all 32 teams of the NFL. This includes some heavy names like Derek Carr, Jalen Ramsey, and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

However, the focus remained on the top quarterback prospects of the class, including Ohio State’s C J Stroud, Alabama’s Bryce Young, and Florida’s Anthony Richardson, who impressed the team scouts the most. Richardson clocked a 4.43-second 40-yard dash while Stroud put on a throwing show connecting on every dime he threw.

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Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba came out as the top receiver, flawlessly executing his on-field drills, and displaying otherworldly flow when paired up with Buckeyes teammate C J Stroud. Tight end Darnell Washington, after describing himself as the “most unique tight end in the draft,” didn’t disappoint, as he posted the 4th fastest 40-time and second-longest broad jump since 2003.

Among the future pass blockers, Georgia’s Broderick Jones and North Dakota’s Cody Mauch stood out. Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey recorded the fastest 40-yard dash since 2003, with edge rusher Nolan Smith posting the second-fastest 40-time for a defensive lineman since 2003.

History of the NFL Combine and The Founding Combine Organizations

The Scouting Combine goes way back to the eighties. The National Football Scouting Inc. (NFS) held the first-ever Invitational Camp in 1982 in Tampa Bay with 163 athletes. Before that, the teams had to visit the players individually and get the requisite tests and drills done. It was the former President and GM of the Dallas Cowboys, Tex Schramm, who first suggested the centralized workout process to the NFL competition committee.

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In the 1960s, it was the Lions, Eagles, and Steelers Talent Organization (LESTO) that later became the BLESTO after the Chicago Bears joined. As the years rolled on, the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, and Miami Dolphins also joined. The other forces in the field were the Browns, Green Bay Packers, and the Arizona Cardinals who formed the CEPO (Central Eastern Personnel Organization), which later became the National Football Scouting in 1983 and just The National, eventually.

The Cowboys, 49ers, and the Los Angeles Rams formed the Troika in 1964. When the New Orleans Saints joined in 1967, they renamed Troika to Quadra.

In 1985, The National, BLESTO, and Quadra merged their camps to have one centralized evaluation workout. This massively cut costs and also helped teams collect more intel on the physical, medical, and psychological aspects of all the prospects from the combined houses.

All the tests performed during the Combine

Each year, around 300-335 of the top footballing prospects in the country showcase their years of hard work in front of their future teams. And the drills and tests are designed to test the physical and mental makeup of the athletes. Here are the tests performed at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The 40-yard dash is undoubtedly the most popular Combine workout. It is designed to measure the player’s top speed and their burst of acceleration. The fastest 40-yard in the electronically recorded age since 1999, has been Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver John Ross, who ran a 4.22 in the 2017 Combine.

The Bench Press measures the athlete’s ability to lift 225 lbs, with the highest repetitions counting for the best record. Justin Ernest holds the NFL Combine record with his 51 reps from the 1999 Combine.

Next comes the vertical jump and the standing long jump or the broad jump, for those critical times when a catch or an interception makes all the difference. The broad jump also measures the players’ exertion abilities. These are extra helpful in pointing out who can be beneficial in the exhausting ending minutes of the game.

The 20-yard shuttle checks on the players’ ability to change directions while running. Just to check if the receiver can dodge the backs and keep running for the end zone. After the 20, the players repeat the same process twice over 40 and 60 yards to complete the 60-yard shuttle.

Interviews and Mental Tests

The prospects prove their agility with the 3-cone drill. Here, they have to navigate in different ways, bending and sprinting between three cones.

Besides these taxing physical examinations, the teams also interview players that they are potentially interested in for the NFL Draft. And franchise executives use this time to do a proper background search and one-on-one chats with the candidates for maximum clarity.

Also, the players have to pass the league-mandated drug screening to prove the non-usage of performance-enhancing drugs. After the Combine workouts are done, the players go through The Cybex Test to test the overall status of their bodies, primarily their joint movements.

And lastly, there’s The Wonderlic Test, which is used to check how well players perform under pressure. The Wonderlic Test involves the athletes answering 50 questions in under 12 minutes in a classroom environment. However, the athletes cannot prepare for this test beforehand, putting the emphasis back on handling the pressure.

Where can fans watch the Combine?

For the first twenty years since 1982’s inaugural National Invitational Camp, the NFL combine didn’t allow cameras during the workouts. However, all that changed with the arrival of the NFL Network in 2003. They started detailed coverage of every segment of the Combine, with the event eventually becoming a prime-time television spot.

ESPN took it a step further when they started providing live coverage alongside NFL Live commentary of the broadcast. This also included a special two-hour segment on ABC dedicated to the popular quarterback and wideout drills at the Combine.

Tips on getting invited to the Combine

Years of sweat culminate in the Scouting Combine every year as the athletes strive to excel in fitness, technique, and tactical awareness. Out of the 300-335 prospects, anyone who has completed their three years of college after high school gets an automatic invitation. And this comes to around 250. The other 50 invitations go to the special talents who are entering the draft without completing their 3-year eligibility.

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Getting a high school and college graduation diploma definitely helps. Also, playing football at the collegiate level will certainly better the prospect’s chances of getting an invitation. And, of course, there’s the movement mechanics, the early mornings, the gruelling hard work, and finally declaring for the NFL Draft.