Some call it the underwear Olympics because it involves guys running around in tight-fitting clothing, getting timed, measured and analyzed. The NFL Combine is the first chance to see the future draft class of 2014.
For the players, the combine can help or hurt their draft stock.
Teams looking for speed might over-draft a player who runs a fast 40-yard dash time. Many believe you can coach a guy up, but you can't coach speed.
While it is true that you are either born with speed or not, you can't always coach a guy into being a football player. Just ask Raider fans about Darrius Heyward-Bey. He has more than enough speed and should be a game-breaking wide receiver, but Bey doesn't run routes well, and he drops the football. Oakland valued his speed over his football abilities.
On the other hand, a player can have a terrible combine and end up with a hall of fame career. Go watch the documentary "The Brady 6" to see Tom Brady's combine film; nothing in it would make you think we'd come to know him as one of the best quarterbacks of all time.
This year we saw several players who impressed, and others who will need a good pro day (a workout in front of scouts on their college campus), plus one player who got some divine advice.
One player whose combine performance could get him drafted higher than expected is Kent State running back Dri Archer. Archer's 40-yard dash was a near-combine-record 4.26, which is really fast. And remember, you can't coach speed.
Michael Sam should find all his on-the-field combine tape and burn it. Sam was projected as a third- to fifth-round pick before the combine. Watching him on the field, he looked like a fifth-round pick to undrafted free agent to me. Game film shows Sam can play, but he needs a good pro day to confirm that.
San Diego State running back Adam Muema wants to the Seattle Seahawks to draft him. The former Aztec said he received divine advice that not taking part in the combine would help him get to Seattle, so Muema got on a plane and hasn't been heard of since he left Indianapolis. I'm sure plenty of teams will have questions about that choice.
More like this story
More stories by this author
Support our reporting -- Follow the MFP.
