The NFL Combine offers NFL Draft prospects a chance to demonstrate their athleticism to a global audience. However, not all drills carry the same level of importance. Each position has specific drills that are more closely associated with success in the NFL. Let’s examine which NFL Combine drill is most crucial for each position.
Which NFL Combine Drill Is the Most Important to Each Position?
Quarterback
- Most Important Drill: Throwing Drills
None of the traditional testing drills at the NFL Combine really matter for quarterbacks. It is one of the reasons why you see so many opt out of athletic testing competitions and the event altogether. However, the on-field events are the most important for those in attendance.
The nature of the combine allows quarterbacks to show that they have stronger arms and better ball placement than their counterparts.
Running Back
- Most Important Drill: 3-Cone Drill
The 3-cone drill is the most significant drill for running backs at the NFL Combine. The drill allows rushers to showcase their movement skills, where their change of direction, speed, and agility are measured. It is the most translatable drill to the NFL landscape and is replicated in a running back’s ability to navigate tight spaces and make defenders miss.
Wide Receiver
- Most Important Drills: 3-Cone and 40-Yard Dash
The most crucial trait that wide receiver prospects showcase at the NFL Combine is fluid movement. It is about showing scouts how to separate at the next level. The 3-cone drill allows receivers to demonstrate how fluid their athleticism and body control is.
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Meanwhile, the 40-yard dash enables teams to visualize if they have translatable speed (representative of their weight bracket) in the NFL.
Tight End
- Most Important Drills: Vertical Jump and 40-Yard Dash
More than any position, NFL production is most closely linked to overall athleticism and explosive movement for tight end. Therefore, the vertical jump becomes paramount for prospects as it demonstrates how explosive their mobility is and how they can compete in contested catch situations.
Furthermore, the 40-yard dash showcases to teams how you can be used at the next level and if you can create separation and mismatches.
Offensive Line
- Most Important Drills: 3-Cone Drill and 20-Yard Shuttle
Big men running always creates highlights, but in the NFL, you will never see an offensive lineman running 40 yards downfield. Whereas the 3-cone drill allows offensive linemen to illustrate their agility and balance, the 20-yard shuttle shows how clean a prospect’s footwork is and how their lateral mobility translates.
Defensive Line
- Most Important Drills: Vertical Jump and Broad Jump
For defensive linemen, explosive movement drills are crucial. The best indicators of this are the vertical jump and the broad jump, which showcase how explosively powerful a player is and measure how quickly a prospect can burst out of his stance at the snap.
Linebacker
- Most Important Drill: 20-Yard Shuttle
The 20-yard shuttle allows linebackers to demonstrate their lateral movement and change-of-direction ability. It also shows a prospect’s range and how quickly he can cover ground. This most translatable drill indicates a linebacker’s corrective athleticism and anticipation.
Defensive Back
- Most Important Drill: 40-yard Dash
Speed. Defensive backs need lots of it. If you are a corner who runs a 4.6 and you need to cover a receiver who runs a 4.3, it usually isn’t going to end well.
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The 40-yard dash is critical for measuring the speed of corners and safeties who need to cover ground quickly.
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