What was T.J. Watt's NFL Combine record like? Revisiting Steelers LB's performance

The 2025 NFL Combine's on-field exercises are set for Thursday to Sunday. Many consider the event to be one of the most significant phases in the NFL draft process, and it has a significant influence on where a candidate will be selected during the draft.

Before they became well-known in the pros, many of the best players in the NFL also went to the combine. T.J. Watt, the standout edge rusher for the Pittsburgh Steelers, participated in the 2017 NFL Combine, but how did he fare at the pre-draft event? Let's find out.

A look at T.J. Watt’s NFL Scouting Combine performance

T.J. Watt officially declared for the 2017 NFL draft following his outstanding 2016 collegiate football season at the University of Wisconsin. Being among the best defensive players in his draft class, he was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and participated in all of the drills.

Watt had the opportunity to display his massive frame. He measured 6-foot-4, 252 pounds, with an arm length of 33 1/8 inches and a hand span of 11 inches. Scouts and assessors were able to quickly identify from Watt's measurements that he was sufficiently sized to be successful in the NFL.

The physical tests at the combine that year also allowed Watt to showcase his agility. He performed admirably in several drills, such as the vertical leap, three-cone drill and broad jump, despite his 4.69-second performance in the 40-yard dash and 21 bench press repetitions considered relatively weak.

Watt recorded a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-8 broad jump in addition to running a 20-yard shuttle in 4.13 seconds and a three-cone drill in 6.79 seconds. He tied for first place in both the broad jump and the short shuttle, and second in his position in the vertical jump and three-cone drill.

Watt was selected by the Steelers with the 30th overall pick after putting on a good display at the 2017 NFL Combine. During his debut season, he started 15 games and finished with 54 total tackles, seven sacks and an interception.

Watt has since emerged as one of the NFL's top defensive players, having been selected to seven straight Pro Bowls. He was also named to the first-team All-Pro four times and won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021.