INDIANAPOLIS — Football fans see the NFL’s annual scouting combine as merely a numbers game that comes down to the times, jumps and drills they witness on television.
INDIANAPOLIS — Football fans see the NFL’s annual scouting combine as merely a numbers game that comes down to the times, jumps and drills they witness on television.
NFL executives are more interested in getting behind-the-scenes answers through medical checks and personal interviews.
It’s a delicate balancing act.
“When we finally get the measurables on the underclassmen, when we find out where they are medically, where they are physically, where they are with the interviews, then we’ll have a better idea (of where they rank),” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said on a conference call with reporters Monday, one day before the first players begin arriving in Indianapolis.
Sure, the workouts matter.
Chris Johnson’s draft skyrocketed after breaking the combine record with a 4.24-second 40-yard dash in 2008. Cornerback Byron Jones jumped up draft boards — literally — after a record-breaking broad jump of 12 feet, 3 inches last February. Both wound up being first-round picks.
The ramifications for those who underperform or sit out can be damaging, too.
In 2014, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater decided not to throw in Indy, then had a less-than-stellar pro day at Louisville. The result: A player thought to be in the running as the No. 1 overall pick was still available at the end of the first round, a plummet that cost Bridgewater big bucks.
He led the Minnesota Vikings to the 2015 NFC North title this season.
The most costly mistakes come when teams miss red flags.
Two years after Cleveland took Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, his off-the-field problems have led to wide speculation the Browns will release their once future franchise quarterback. San Diego and Oakland found themselves in similar dilemmas with Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell through the years.
That’s why longtime NFL decision-makers, such as Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian, insist the most essential component during combine week is what nobody actually sees — real answers to some basic questions from the more than 300 players who show up each February, especially from players who have histories of injuries or off-the-field troubles.