The season is over and the Path to the Draft is well and
truly underway. We have had the All-Star Games now it’s time to take the pads
off and put the Gym shorts on as we head towards the NFL Scouting Combine. It’s
important to note the key in the name, Scouting Combine. You’ll see NFL coaches
running the drills and NFL coaches watching from the stands. But this even is
all about the Personnel guys, the scouts and GMs. For the coaches, this will be
the 1st time they have seen many of these players live. For the
scouts, it’s when they get too see really how fast/strong/athletic they are
compared to everyone else.
The Combine is a huge event spanning 7 Days. It can be a
real slog for the Scouts and Coaches, but for the players is a 4 day process
that has them tested in all areas. The Players are split into 4 Sets made up of
11 Groups. These groups will consist of mainly of 1 Positional group, with a
few groups being made up of complimentary Positions (eg. QBs and WR workout
together and are split between 2 groups.). By having plenty of smaller groups,
they can get as many players through the test and drills as possible.
The Schedule
The Players schedule is the main process of the combine.
Most Scouts/Coaches/GMs only focus on a few areas of the combine. The players
are the only people to experience the entire process.
Day 1
After arriving at the facility, the players will be
registered and go through all the ‘boring’ stuff. They will be medical pre-examination
and X-rays taken. They will go through an orientation process as well as have
Interviews with teams.
The Interviews
There is no point me talking about the medical side of the 1st
day as it what it is. Doctors checking the players are fit to take part in the
week and check the healing process of any previous injuries. The interview
process, now that’s what the GMs are all about. These interviews are a maximum
of 15 mins long and a team is only allowed 60 of them over the 7 days. It’s
important that a team gets to interview the guys they want, and it can end as a
free for all. You hear stories of teams poaching players from other teams so
they can interview them first, or hiding players so other teams can’t get to
them. You might think is an unimportant part of the week, but these interviews
are run by the guys who ultimately decide if/where the players will get
drafted. Players need to interview well and impress or they could find
themselves falling down draft boards (losing money) because of it. There are
different strategies by different teams, but what they all want is the same,
they want to know the personality of the player. Does he love the sport? Can he
handle pressure? Can he control himself in stressful situations? Etc. A player
with a bad rap sheet can help himself by interviewing well, with see Jameis Winston.
Day 2
The players will spend even more time in interviews, as well
as getting measured up and have a full physical. They will also be opened up to
the media on the second day. Nothing too strenuous.
Day 3
More backroom stuff for the players. The NFLPA have a
meeting with the players. Helping them ease into the process, some key players
are normally around to talk to the players through the week as a people they
can talk to about the Draft etc. There will be more interviews, some
Psychological testing as well as the 1st physical activity for the
players, the Bench Press.
Bench Press
Is what it says on the tin. Players trying to make as many
reps as possible to impress coaches. It’s all about strength and determination.
It’s the most macho part of the process and the atmosphere can be amazing. It’s
a great supportive area that is great to watch. You wouldn’t believe what some
players could rep out at unless you saw it.
Day 4
This is where is starts getting good for the scouts and
coaches in attendance. On Field Workouts start. This is the part everyone
thinks of when it comes to the Combine. The 40 Yard dash, Vertical Jump, Broad
Jump, 3 Cone Drill, Shuttle Drill as well as the Position Specific Drills. This
is where the hype beings for the ‘Workout Warriors’. To talk you through every
drill would take all day so I am going to speak to you about my favourite
drills to watch at the combine and why I love them. I have already mentioned
the Bench Press so here are the rest.
3 Cone Drill
This drill is the best drill going when it comes to agility
and short range quickness. My love for this drill knows no bounds as it can
help evaluate almost every position on the field.
To see players fly through this nicely designed drill is a
sight to behold.
QB Route Tree
This drill I love, but its seams the top prospects hate.
Players have the wrong idea about this drill. They think it’s all about
completing passes to guys they have never thrown to before, so they don’t
bother. They save it for their Pro Day with their old teammates running routes.
The Scouts and Coaches couldn’t real care less about completed passes in this
drill, as long as the ball is close you could miss every pass and impress them.
They want to see 3 things from the players. They want to see the footwork, 3
Step, 5 Step, 7 Step Drops. A lot of the QBs have only played out of the
Shotgun so seeing how they can handle a more pro-style drop from under center
is important. Secondly, they want to see
how the QB carries the football. Is it high and tight to the body were the
coaches like it, or is it away from the body or down low. There are 2 reasons
for this, 1. The starting point of the football effects the throwing motion. If
the ball starts off low it adds time to the motion. If the ball is away from
the body, it can add a loop to the motion, again adding time. 2. Ball away or
low can make it easier for Pass Rushers to strip the ball out. Takin a sack can
be bad enough for a QB, but if you naturally give up fumbles on sacks, that’s a
whole lot worse. The Final thing a coach/scout wants to see is Arm Strength.
They want to see the ball ‘jump’ out the QBs hand. Does this guys have the arm
strength to make it in the NFL? The 1 thing I like to add for myself is ‘Can he
make all the throws?’ What does the ball look like on those out routes, Corner
Routes and Fade? Does the ball come out nicely on those deeper throws that
require a bit of touch? You tick all 3 (4) of these things, and a coach could
care if you have 0 completions. Cause he’s already looking to see when your Pro
Day is.
Hip turn Drill
There are many names of this drill I call it the hip turn as
it is want it says on the tin. It’s a DB drill that starts the Player off
backpedalling, then the will open their hips one way, but staying in a straight
line. The coach will then tell them to open up the other way, still staying
straight. Before releasing them out on a Zone turn or Speed Turn and catching a
ball. As a DB Coach and an Ex-DB, I love all the drill they do but this one is
my favourite to watch with a Scouts hat on. The get to see almost everything
you want from a DB. Are they comfortable in a Backpedal? Is the footwork smooth
in transition? Can they recover when a WR changes leverage? Can they turn both
ways, Both styles? Recovery speed out of the breaks? And Can they catch the
football at the highest point? So much love for this drill.
The Gauntlet
I have a Love/Hate relationship with the Gauntlet. As a
Coach, I hate the drill. Should be nowhere near a practice field. As a Fan and
someone who likes the scouting side of the game, I love the thing to the point
of I have gone out of my way to watch it live. The main problem I have with the
drill as a coach is ball security. To be successful in this drill you have to
drop the ball as quickly as possible to be ready to make the next catch. You
tuck the ball away like your coach want you to, and you will miss the next
pass. So why do they run this drill? Hands. Scouts want to see the WR’s catch
footballs. This drill gets players catching multiple balls in a short space of
time. And the way you need to catch balls is again key. You have to catch the
ball with your hands! A ball caught with the body will make it harder to catch
the next pass. Scouts and Coaches rave about ‘Natural Hands Catchers’. Think
Alshon Jeffery on those back shoulder throws, catching the ball away from his
body with just his hands.
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