Is the NFL Combine Overblown as a Tool in Scouting?

The NFL Draft has become one of the major highlights of the NFL and the final draft order for 2024 has been released. The Scouting Combine is a factor in the decision making process of general managers, scouts, and coaches ahead of the draft. The question is, has the NLF Combine lost its significance as a tool in scouting for potential NFL players?

The former president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, Tex Schramm, was the man who first proposed a centralized method for evaluating players. At one point, there were three different player camps where NFL teams could go to assess NFL Draft prospects and when all three camps were merged into one, it became known as the NFL Scouting Combine. Interestingly, it has recently become popular to bet on the NFL Draft, with the number one pick market being a good example.

The NFL Draft can seem like a bit of a lottery to the casual observer and for those residing in Michigan, playing the lottery could be a better option. There is a Michigan Lottery promo code you can use when playing the lottery in the Great Lakes State. You could even combine this with a wager on the NFL Draft, if you are feeling confident about who could be the number one pick. Perhaps you have assessed the NFL Scouting Combine and believe you have spotted a player who could emerge as a top target in the NFL Draft. You can use an NFL Draft simulator to make your predictions.

The NFL Scouting Combine is a gruelling process for the young players involved. There are several workouts for the players to complete during the event, including the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, bench press, 3 cone drill, vertical jump, broad jump, and interviews. There are also position specific tests, with the quarterback position being a good example. The quarterback drills including short sprints and both and short throwing drills. The NFL Scouting Combine puts young players under huge pressure but that is the daily life of players in the NFL. If they are not under the microscope on the field, they are being followed in their private lives, with the sports news outlets always looking for the next big story to break.

However, some onlookers believe it is time to change the NFL Scouting Combine, with the NFL's executive vice president of football operations, Troy Vincent, having previously compared some of the things that happen at the Combine to a “slave auction”. Vincent talked about giving the players more “dignity” and changing some of the practices, including the medical tests and player interviews. This is a good point but there is a bigger step the NFL could take and that would be to put an end to the NFL Scouting Combine.

NFL team managers, coaches, and scouts have access to a huge amount of data. They will already know how quickly a player can run over 40 yards, how accurate a player can throw, how high a player can jump, and how much a player can lift. This is information that is available to every NFL team and college football player. Any player who shows signs of potential will be followed closely and assessed in every second of every game they play. No stone is left unturned and NFL teams will already have a clear picture of what a player can do in a game situation. Clearly there is a big step up between college football and the NFL but does throwing a ball or running 40 yards in a near-empty stadium prove anything?

One thing that must considered when discussing the NFL Scouting Combine is fans watching on television. Following the Super Bowl, there is a gap in the calendar where nothing major is happening for NFL fans. The NFL Scouting Combine fills that void nicely, so the NFL is unlikely to pull the event from the schedule purely based on the fact it is providing offseason entertainment to NFL fans. The event builds pre-draft excitement and you can join in the fun by using an NFL mock draft simulator and feel what it is like to be the general manager of an NFL team.

There is an argument that while the NFL Scouting Combine provides great television for fans, it is not the smoothest way to welcome future talent to the NFL. The NFL teams do not need to see players throwing, running, and jumping as they already have all that data to hand. That is not to say it is a poor scouting tool but perhaps it is time to refine the NFL Scouting Combine to make it a more comfortable experience for players and more useful to teams.