NFL Draft and the combine

Does the NFL combine predict future playing performance?

The NFL draft happens later this month- for geeks like me it is quite exciting to see who the Green Bay Packers recruit.

As a coach it is amazing to see how much emphasis is put on the combine results and the fitness scores that happen there.

The furore around the NFL combine bench press record is an example. Physical tools can be trained and developed, Players who are winners and make great plays under pressure at college level are harder to find. I know who I would rather have in my team.

There is a lot of money to be made from camps and workshops to help improve combine scores – this is the physical equivalent of “cramming for the test“.

What is worrying is how many of these draft choices become “busts” despite a massive amount of research going into their background, video tape analysis and interviews. Remember these are 20-22 year olds with an extensive playing background, and it is still difficult to predict who is going to make it.

Now, try telling me that as a regional coach you can safely say that the 14 year old in your squad is, or is not ever going to make it.

I doubt if Brett Favre has ever scored highly on any fitness tests, but it does give the S&C coaches something to do and to justify their position within an organisation.