NFL Considers Changes To Scouting Combine

National Football Scouting, Inc., which runs the NFL combine, is establishing a committee of NFL executives, scouts, coaches, athletic trainers, team physicians and others to review all phases of the annual event, which begins this week in Indianapolis, according to company president Jeff Foster. 

NFL Considers Changes To Scouting Combine

“Our first focus is to look at what we do currently and making sure that that’s relevant,” Foster told USA TODAY Sports. “And if it is, great, we’ll continue to do it, because historical comparison is really important to the evaluation process. But if we believe that there’s something that’s not relevant, then what can we replace it with that will help us evaluate the players?”

Although evolving technology and sports science are being taken into account for the decision of a possible overhaul, not everything is set in stone yet. For example, a quarterback’s throwing session on the field will not be replaced by one in a virtual reality environment anytime soon. However, extensive, months-long training for tests like the 40-yard dash, vertical leap and bench press – sometimes mocked as the “Underwear Olympics” – could potentially come to an end.

Many NFL coaches and members have criticized combine preparation as a waste of development time, among them New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Commissioner Roger Goodell has toured STRIVR Labs Inc.’s virtual reality facilities as part of his annual Silicon Valley tour in July.

On Wednesday, the league will hold its first football performance and technology symposium, which will feature speakers that include Dr. Marcus Elliott, founder and director of P3, which has evaluated NBA combine participants the past two years in a 3D motion analysis lab.

“Everybody wins when you do these things,” said Elliott, a onetime physiologist and injury prevention specialist to the Patriots. “You start choosing players that are slotted more correctly based on their real physical tools, and you also have insight into injuries they’re at risk for, so you can help them prevent those injuries.”

The NFL combine did add a functional movement screen several years ago, as well as baseline neurological testing and the Player Assessment Tool, a psychological test developed as a supplement to the Wonderlic Test, a cognitive ability test used to evaluate the aptitude of prospective employees for learning and problem-solving in a range of occupations. However, most aspects of player training, particularly tests and drills on the field, will remain unchanged.

Foster has also stated that a greater emphasis will now be placed on psychological and medical evaluations in addition to physical evaluations.

“We want to make sure that we’re using the technology that’s available,” Foster said.

NFS is also looking into fitting players with devices to record data during on-field drills at the combine, as many NFL teams do during regular training, and into utilizing motion-capture technology as well, Foster said.

Furthermore, some of these changes could translate to not only better information for clubs and players, but a more compelling spectator event as well.