The NFL Scouting Combine is finally here. It’s one of the premier offseason events that happens in annually for a week in downtown Indianapolis. The events will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indianapolis Convention Center, and the surrounding hotels and restaurants. There you’ll find 300-plus draft eligible prospects, NFL team personnel, and plenty of media members.
Player workouts don’t begin until Thursday afternoon. Those will run through Sunday, where there will be individual athletic tests and position drills. Some may scoff at the testing scores this week, but, yes, athleticism matters in athletics.
History suggests there are baseline numbers that these players must reach to last in the NFL:
There are 1,920 players on NFL rosters currently who posted a #RAS.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 27, 2023
Of those, 81.35% are rated 5.00 or above, with only 18.65% rated below average.
A whopping 45.21% are above 8.00, in that elite range for athletic ability when compared to their peers. pic.twitter.com/t3OPsFyYxN
The athletic testing is critical, but what we won’t hear about this week means even more. Medical examinations to check for any significant injury-related issues along with extensive interviews with teams will determine where a player is drafted.
Jordan Elliott, Jason Aponte, and myself will be on the ground providing coverage all week. Here’s a look at the schedule.
2023 NFL Combine Schedule
All times listed below are ET.
Tuesday
- 10:00 AM — 6:30 PM PT: Head coach & general manager press conferences
- 2:00 PM — 49ers GM John Lynch speaks
Thursday
- 8:30 AM — 12:00 PM: Defensive Backs & Specialists media interviews
- 3:00 PM — 8:30 PM: Linebackers & Defensive Linemen workouts & drills (live TV broadcasts on NFL Network & NFL+)
Friday
- 8:00 AM — 11:30 AM: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, & Tight Ends media interviews
- 3:00 PM — 8:30 PM: Defensive Backs & Special Teams workouts & drills (live TV broadcasts on NFL Network & NFL+)
Saturday
- 8:00 AM — 11:30 AM: Offensive Linemen & Running Backs media interviews
- 1:00 PM — 8:00 PM: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, & Tight Ends workouts & drills (live TV broadcasts on NFL Network & NFL+)
Sunday
- 1:00 PM — 8:00 PM: Running Backs & Offensive Linemen workouts & drills (live TV broadcasts on NFL Network & NFL+)
Athletic Testing Drills
- 40-yard dash
- Vertical jump
- Broad jump
- 3-cone drill
- Shuttle drill
- Bench press (max reps at 225 pounds)