The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is the premiere off-season event that is used by NFL personnel departments to assess the raw athletic skill and abilities of the 329 prospects invited to Indianapolis. Over the course of four days, these prospects will be measured, interviewed, given a series of tests, undergo thorough medical evaluations, participate in timed or measured drills, and perform on-field drills related to their position group. All 32 NFL teams have brought large staffs of coaches, scouts, administrators, doctors, and medical staff to assess the top prospects in an event that has been coined the “Underwear Olympics.” And although there will be no contact or direct football-related activities observed this coming weekend, how these college athletes perform on the field and during team interviews will influence their immediate professional future immensely.
NFL Combine Schedule
Specialists, Defensive Lineman (EDGE/IDL), Linebackers
Measurements and on-field workout: Thursday, Feb. 27
Bench press: Friday, Feb. 28
Defensive Backs (CB/Safeties), Tight Ends
Measurements and on-field workout: Friday, Feb. 28
Bench press: Saturday, March 1
QBs, Running Backs, Wide Receivers
Measurements and on-field workout: Saturday, March 1
Bench press: Sunday, March 2
Offensive Linemen (OT/IOL)
Measurements and on-field workout: Sunday, March 2
Bench press: Monday, March 3
NFL Combine Coverage – All four days of the Combine will be broadcast live on NFL Network and streaming on NFL+ from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Thursday, February 27: 3 pm to approximately 8 pm ET
Friday, February 28: 3 pm to approximately 9 pm ET
Saturday, March 1: 1 pm to approximately 9 pm ET
Sunday, March 2: 1 pm to approximately 5 pm ET
NFL Combine Drills
40-yard dash
o The premiere event for fans is observing the 40-yard dash times and seeing if anyone can set a new standard for speed. The current record holder is Xavier Worthy (Chiefs) who ran a 4.21 40 at last year’s combine.
o The leading candidates to be the fastest man at this year’s combine include:
§ Marcus Yarns / RB / Delaware
§ Trevor Etienne / RB / Georgia
§ Brashard Smith / RB / SMU
§ LaJohntay Wester / WR / Colorado
§ Jimmy Horn / WR / Colorado
§ Travis Hunter / CB-WR / Colorado
§ Savion Williams / WR / TCU
§ Tez Johnson / WR / Oregon
§ Arian Smith / WR / Georgia
§ Azareye’h Thomas / CB / Florida State
§ Quincy Riley / CB / Louisville
o Although it may seem counterintuitive, the 40-yard dash time is a critically important measurement for offensive and defensive linemen. More specifically, the 10-yard split is key for assessing the quick twitch and explosiveness of linemen and is closely scrutinized and analyzed by scouting personnel.
Bench Press
o Each participant benches 225 pounds to test strength and endurance. The worth of this drill is debated since it only measures upper body strength and does not factor in core and lower body strength. But it does provide a baseline for comparison purposes.
o The bench press record of 49 reps was set by Oregon State DT Stephen Paea in 2011.
Vertical Jump
o The VJ measures leaping ability and explosiveness and is an important measurement tool for any player who is expected to play the ball in the air or in space – e.g. WRs and DBs.
o The vertical jump record is held by North Carolina DB Gerald Sensabaugh who recorded a 46-inch vertical jump at the 2005 NFL Scouting Combine.
Broad Jump
o Similar to the vertical jump, the broad jump measures explosiveness and burst. It is a drill that is most closely evaluated for WRs and DBs who are required to make plays in space.
o The broad jump record at the NFL Scouting Combine is the rare event anywhere in the world that uses this drill. It used to be an Olympic event but has been dormant for over 50 years. It is assumed that the (unofficial) world record for longest broad jump was recorded by UCONN’s Byron Jones of 12 feet, three inches at the 2015 combine.
Three Cone Drill
o This drill is used as a tool to assess fluidity, agility, change of direction, and movement skills. It allows an insight into the prospect’s hip fluidity, feet, and ankle flexion and is used in assessing RBs, WRs, LBs, CBs, and Safeties.
o The combine record is 6.28 seconds generated by Oklahoma CB Jordan Thomas in 2018. A rule of thumb in determining what a good three cone drill time is taking the 40-yard dash time and seeing if the three-cone drill is within 150% of the 40 time. For example, a prospect who runs a 4.4 40 would ideally run the three-cone drill in 6.6 seconds or less.
Short Shuttle (20 yards)
o The short shuttle in a similar manner to the three cone drill measures agility and change of direction skills. It allows assessment of fluidity and movement skills in space.
o The combine record is 3.73 seconds established by Iowa WR Kevin Kasper in 2001.
Long Shuttle (60 yards)
o The long shuttle in a similar manner to the three-cone drill and short shuttle drill and it measures agility and change of direction skills. It allows assessment of fluidity and movement skills in space.
o The combine record is 10.71 seconds established by West Virginia WR Shelton Gibson in 2017.
NFL Measurements
All prospects have their height, weight, arm length, hand size, and wingspan (the distance measured from one stretched out hand to the other) taken and this makes up their official measurements. The NFL has desired size specifications for every position group and although not checking all of these “boxes” does not exclude a player from consideration, every box checked only enhances a prospect’s chances to play in the NFL.
For example, an NFL QB should meet the following specifications:
6’1”- 6’5” / 210-225 lbs / 9” Hands
On the defensive side of the field, for example, an EDGE should meet the following specifications:
6’4” – 6’8” / 255 – 280 lbs / 33” Arms / 80” Wingspan
On-Field Drills
Each position group gets about 45-60 minutes of on field work to showcase their athleticism in simulated football movement drills. The prospects do not wear pads and there is no physical contact. But from a scout’s perspective, this is where the value of the combine presents itself. The drills provide the ability to compare top rated prospects side by side and see how each player stacks up physically, how they move in space, and how well they take to coaching from NFL position coaches they will play for next season. There is only so much that can be gleaned from watching football players running around in shorts, and the majority of SNS’ evaluations will be based on how these players performed on Saturdays during the fall. But the combine gives a clue to how a player handles a condensed schedule, including team interviews each evening, and the stress of being under the microscope of the world’s most observed job fair.
Prospects Opting Not to Work Out
The NFL Scouting Combine is a high stakes endeavor where job applicants are candidates for jobs that start off in the millions of dollars so normal rules regarding interviewing do not apply. Every year several high profile prospects refuse to work out, taking their agent’s advice, and show up to conduct team interviews and get their official measurements recorded. As of this writing, three likely top 10 picks have stated they will not work out –
· Shedeur Sanders / QB / Colorado
· Ashton Jeanty / RB / Boise State
· Abdul Carter / EDGE / Penn State (recovering from shoulder injury suffered during the college football playoffs but is expected to be ready to work out at his pro day)
In addition, Shavon Revel / CB / East Carolina, who tore his ACL in October, is recovering ahead of schedule and should be fully cleared this summer. Revel will complete his medical evaluation and team interviews this weekend in Indianapolis.
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