Every year the NFl holds a combine in Indianapolis where a bunch of upcoming players try out new opportunities, and maybe even spots on an NFL roster. This year, the event took place between February 7 and March 2, 2025 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
What is the Combine?
The NFL Combine, or the Scouting Combine, is a collection of college football players all getting ready to go into the league. During the event, they run tests, such as a 40 yard dash and bench pressing, where they determine who is the fastest and strongest – both physically and mentally. These stats are then all put together to determine the expected picks for the upcoming season. For example, the fastest player in the combine will typically be perceived as a first round pick, while on the other side of the coin, the slowest player may be drafted in the fifth round. It really all depends on the player’s consistency throughout the combine and how well they perform overall.
There are a total of 10 drills and a bunch of interviews players must complete. Some more of these tests include the vertical jump, where they test how long your standing jump is by having you jump as high as you can in the air and trying to hit a bunch of tiny metal rods on a pole ;the broad jump, where they see how far you can jump forward by marking where you feet land; and the 3 cone drill, where they try to see how agile you are by having you move around to touch three cones. The rest of the drills can be found listed on ESPN.com.
The interviews are conducted to determine what kind of person a player is on and off the field. These interviews include questions like “How do you prepare for a game?” and “What are your strengths as a player?” These questions serve as a purpose for teams to gauge if they want to draft a player, and to determine what their strengths and weaknesses are so if they are drafted, the team knows what to work on with its new player.
This Year’s Combine
This year’s NFL Combine had a strong showing from the prospective drafts.
For starters, the fastest 40-yard dash was 4.28 seconds. This amazing feat was by Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston. This is one of the stronger combine performances, as a few combines have players finishing under 4.30 seconds.
Moving on to the bench press, the most reps was from Cincinnati offensive linemen Luke Kandra, with a staggering 33 reps. For comparison the average reps for a linemen is between 30-39, so Kandra is right on the mark, although comparing this to some other years, it may not set him apart.
Next, in the vertical jump, and the highest jump was 43 inches by South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori,. This was insanely impressive, as the highest jump ever in the combine is 46 inches. Not to mention, as a safety, he jumped that high while weighing 227 pounds.
Emmanwori also has the longest broad jump at 11’ 6”. The longest broad jump in combine history is 12 feet 3 inches by Byron Jones. The broad jump is arguably the most athletic event in the draft.
Lastly, in the 3-cone drill, the fastest time was by Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson, who finished the drill with a time of 6.65 seconds. The current record for the fastest 3-cone time is 6.28 seconds by Jordan Thomas. Although it may not show the height of the player’s athletic ability, the drill is very hard to run, so it is very easy to mess up.
This Year’s Draft
Check out all the stats from this year’s NFL Combine here, and make sure to tune into the NFL Draft starting on Thursday, April 24 – Saturday, April 25 on ESPN, ABC, and NFL channels and services.
