The preparations for the NFL draft have officially begun. The players are getting ready to put on a show at the NFL Combine and pro days to showcase their talents. This is a chance for the college players to impress the scouts.
Irrespective of the college performances, the players who perform well during the NFL combine will be looked at and the performances at the combine will be taken into consideration.
Here is everything we know so far about the 2024 NFL combine.
NFL Combine Schedule
The 2024 NFL Combine will take place from Thursday, February 29 through Sunday, March 3. The 41st edition of the NFL Combine will be taking place at the Lucas Oil Stadium in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. The mega event will be nationally televised on NFL Network.
The city of Indianapolis has been hosting the NFL Combine for the past 36 years, since 1987. While initially the city wasn’t guaranteed to host the event, it was eventually decided to be the host city.
Part of the reason why Indianapolis was chosen over Dallas and Los Angeles for 2023 and 2024 was the review from the Fan Engagement & Major Events Advisory Committee, and the National Invitational Camp staff, said Peter O’Reilly, who is the NFL’s executive vice president of club business and league events.
| Date | Combine Experience | Inside Look | Drills Start Time | Position Groups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, February 29, 2024 | Gates Open: 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Gates Open: 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm | 3:00 pm ET | Defensive Line and Linebackers |
| Friday, March 1, 2024 | Gates Open: 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Gates Open: 1:00 pm – 8:30 pm | 3:00 pm ET | Defensive Backs and Tight ends |
| Saturday, March 2, 2024 | Gates Open: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm | Gates Open: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm | 1:00 pm ET | Running Backs, Quarterbacks, and Wide Receivers |
| Sunday, March 3, 2024 | Gates Open: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm | Gates Open: 11:00 am – 6:30 pm | 1:00 pm ET | Offensive Line |
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Who is eligible to attend the NFL Combine?
Any and every player cannot attend the NFL Combine. There are eligibility criteria that have to be matched for the player to be invited to the combine. Here are the criteria:
All college seniors will be eligible immediately after their final year of eligibility.
Any underclassmen who declare for the NFL draft beforehand and satisfy all NCAA and NFL requirements
Any athlete who isn’t playing at the college level may qualify under a special circumstance. They must be entering the year where they’ll be draftable if they were playing college football.
If the player is seeking eligibility under such, then he must first check with the Player Personnel Department at the NFL Office in New York.
Read more about NFL Draft Order.
NFL Combine Test and Evaluations
The NFL Combine is a place where college players will have to demonstrate their physical and mental skills to the scouts of the NFL teams. The players will be evaluated by the teams before they make a final decision on whom to pick. Here are the tests and evaluations that take place every February at the NFL Scouting Combine.
40-yard dash
Bench pressing of 225 pounds
Vertical jump
Broad jump
20-yard shuttle
3 cone drill
60-yard shuttle
Position-specific drills
Interviews
Physical and injury evaluations
Drug screening
Cybex test
Wonderlic test
Read more about How NFL Draft Location is Selected?
FAQs
A. There are certain criterias (mentioned above) that have to be matched for a player to be able to attend the NFL combine.
A. The NFL Combine is televised on NFL Network.
A. The 2024 NFL Combine will be happening in Indianapolis, which has continued to be the host since 1987.
A. The weight for the bench press in the NFL combine is 225 pounds (102 kgs).
A. Tom Brady ran a 5.28-second 40-yard dash in the 2000 NFL combine, which is the slowest among all the quarterbacks in that draft class.
