Prospects Descend on Indy to Show Skills at NFL Combine

For prospects, the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off Thursday and runs through Sunday.

Since its inception in 1985, the combine has been the premiere event for potential NFL draft picks to showcase their elite athletic ability. Of the 3,000-plus draft-eligible players, 319 were invited to this year's combine -- an even that has been held in Indianapolis since 1987. NFL teams are trying to confirm the players they're scouting are worthy of being selected, and hoping they might find a diamond in the rough. Speed, strength, footwork, and ball skills are the main focus.

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Combine Drills

The 40-yard dash is the most notable and impactful test that the players will have. If you’re a skill-position player and you run 4.3 seconds (or faster), this can elevate your draft stock, as teams are looking for explosive players. Xavier Worthy, now a receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, set the combine record in the 40-yard dash in 2024 with a blistering 4.21-second time. 

The bench press is also considered must-see TV during the combine. Players are tested on how many repetitions they can do benching 225 pounds. Most linemen will do over 20 reps, while most skill guys are good for about 10-plus. The record is 51 reps, set by Eastern Kentucky defensive tackle Justin Ernest in 1999. (Ernest was later signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints, but never played a snap in the NFL.)

A player's position dictates the drills he will compete in. There are various cone drills, receiving drills, and other footwork drills that highlight a player's speed, mobility, and quick reflexes based on their position. Football is a game of precise movement, and this is an opportunity to see who has body control and elite footwork.

The combine also is where NFL teams can hold formal interviews with select players.  Elite players who are projected to be drafted high (top 5-10) may skip all of the physical testing, but show up to the combine just to meet with teams. 

NFL prospects famously were required to take the Wonderlic, long believed to measure an individual's aptitude for learning and problem-solving. The test required players to answer 50 multiple-choice questions within a 12-minute period, essentially the NFL’s version of an IQ test. The exam was discontinued in 2022 over controversy regarding its fairness and legitimacy. 

Combine Experience

I remember my father -- former five-time Pro Bowler Marvin Powell Jr. -- telling me about his best friend, Wesley Walker. Walker was a second-round pick by the New York Jets in the 1977 draft. When Walker arrived in New York after the draft, it was then the Jets found out for the first time that Walker was legally blind in his left eye.

 According to my father, it was common for college players to try to hide injuries from NFL teams ahead of the draft. Walker would end up in the Jets' Ring of Honor, so his limited eyesight was apparently a non-issue.

While the Jets got lucky with Walker, many teams used to draft damaged goods. Prior to 1985, teams had their own processes for scouting. The combine became an event in which all NFL teams could see the top players, conduct medical exams, conduct interviews with players, and do their due diligence on the players who would ultimately become big investments for them.

Like most draft-eligible players, I was not invited to the combine. Instead my opportunity came at the Pro-Day at USC, where I played fullback from 1995-1998.

Pro-days are held in March and April by nearly all major FBS and FCS college football programs and are conducted like mini-combines for the draft-eligible players from  each respective school. You do the same drills as you would in Indianapolis, and if a team has you listed on their draft board, they can interview you at your pro-day or set up a meeting in the city of the team.

In 1999, the Seattle Seahawks liked my performance at USC's Pro-Day and flew me to Seattle for a physical and to meet the coaches. Seattle did not end up drafting me, but thankfully things worked out for me as I signed with the Saints.

Considering that only 10 percent of draft-eligible players get invited to the combine, it should be considered an honor, and an opportunity. Ultimately your game film will have the biggest impact on your draft position, but if you can run a fast 40-yard dash, you have a chance to move up the draft board fast.

The NFL draft is fast approaching: the first round is set for Thursday night, April 23, with other rounds taking place April 24-25.

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