Latest news on NFL Combine, also known as the NFL Scouting Combine or simply the Combine, with combine results, 40-yard dash times, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, measurements, medical checks, interviews, risers and fallers, pro days and NFL Draft prospects.
The NFL Scouting Combine is the league's annual pre-draft showcase, held each winter in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center. More than 300 top college players are invited to be examined and interviewed by all 32 teams. They complete medical checks, interviews and standardised tests, including the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill and shuttle runs. Strong numbers can lift a player's draft stock, which is why risers and fallers dominate the coverage.
Participation is a growing talking point. In recent years, many top prospects have skipped some or all on-field drills, saving their testing for college pro days while still attending medical checks and interviews. Agility drills have seen the steepest drop-off, and some head coaches and general managers now stay away. The league has also moved the event closer to the start of free agency, prompting debate about contract talks during Combine week.
Critics question how much drills reveal about on-field ability. Some outstanding testers fail in the NFL, while modest testers become stars, and many scouts argue that game film matters more than a stopwatch. Medical privacy and the treatment of prospects have also drawn scrutiny, and the league has threatened fines and lost draft picks for teams that conduct inappropriate interviews.
Beyond the stopwatch, the Combine is a human story. Players from smaller programmes use it to prove they belong, and landmark numbers become football folklore. Xavier Worthy's 4.21-second 40-yard dash in 2024 beat John Ross's mark from 2017, while Justin Ernest's 51 bench press repetitions in 1999 are still quoted, even though he never played in the NFL. Live television coverage and free fan events in Indianapolis have turned it into a festival for supporters.
The Combine began in 1982 as a National Invitational Camp in Tampa, run by National Football Scouting, after Dallas Cowboys executive Tex Schramm urged teams to centralise prospect evaluation. Rival scouting services ran their own camps until the groups merged in the mid-1980s under the NFL Scouting Combine name. Indianapolis, home to National Football Scouting, has hosted it since 1987, and its deal has been extended through at least 2028.
Our NewsNow feed on the NFL Combine gathers the latest headlines on results, drills, measurements, interviews, medical updates, risers and fallers, pro days and NFL Draft prospects from reliable sources. Whether you are following one prospect, your team's needs or the wider draft class, it keeps you informed throughout Combine week and beyond.