Beware of the Combine Warrior

Over the last 15 years some of the greatest blunders in the NFL Draft have been due to teams getting suckered by the (NFL Scouting) combine warrior (CW). The CW has exceptional speed for his position and wows scouts in the high jump and broad jump. BUT BEWARE! The CW may look like Tarzan but he plays like Jane.

One of the problems with the combine is that it does not measure football talent and instincts. It measures only athletic ability. Athletic ability is only a small part of what makes a great football player.

The best tool against CW infatuation is watching game tape. Either a guy can play or not. As a coach I could care less how fast a Wide Receiver was because if he couldn't catch a cold standing at the north pole in a bathing suit, the speed didn't matter.

So what value is the combine? When used wisely, it helps to rank players with a position. If you have 3 WR prospects rated about even going into the combine, then speed can be the deciding factor to rank them.

The interviews are essential to the decision process. The interviews include the player proving his knowledge of the game on the chalkboard. The interviews also help to determine which players have the football IQ to make it in the league.

The combine is also valuable in evaluating things that don't show up clearly in game tape. Does a CB have fluid hips? Several of the drills will prove hip fluidity. Can a college DE change direction quickly enough to play outside linebacker in the NFL? The five cone speed drill provides timing numbers that separate those that can play the position.

Plus, as NFL Draft Dog’s Robert Bryant pointed out. NFL Teams tend to focus too much on the Players That Were Invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and ignore the ones that weren’t. Every year some excellent players Fail to Get an Scouting Combine Invitation. Also, just because you weren’t invited to the combine doesn’t mean you won’t get drafted; a few prospects (10-20) who aren't invited to the combine get drafted each year and many more will make NFL clubs as free agents. Also, approximately one-third of the players who were invited to the combine don't even drafted.

Hopefully when you watch the combine you will have a little better understanding of what the pro scouts are looking for—except those of the Browns and the Bengals. They hope to find a Tarzan.

That's what I think. Tell me what you think.

By Bill Smith