NFL Draft hopefuls are in Indianapolis this week to showcase their skills.
Only two weeks after the Super Bowl and the official start of the offseason for all 32 teams, the first big item on the calendar has already arrived. The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is taking place this week.
The league’s “Underwear Olympics” will again be held in Indianapolis, its home of more than three decades. The Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium will host the event which officially started on Sunday, Feb. 23, and will run through Monday, March 3, which is when the last group of players is scheduled to leave town again.
Draft prospects, agents, team representatives, and the media have all traveled to Indiana for one of the biggest events of the offseason. So, let’s find out what the Combine is, what will happen over the course of this week, and what it all means for the New England Patriots.
What is the Scouting Combine?
The Combine was originally introduced in the 1980s to create a platform for teams to run college prospects through a series of standardized drills in what is essentially a vacuum setting. Former Patriots executive Francis “Bucko” Kilroy was among the founders of the event.
The first Combine-like showcase took place in Tampa in 1982. The workout was eventually re-named the NFL Scouting Combine and since 1987 is held annually in Indianapolis; the city’s location and state-of-the-art (at least at the time) stadium, RCA Dome, were the main factors why it is taking place in Indiana. Originally only an event open to insiders, it has since evolved into a media spectacle that can also be attended by fans.
Who is participating in the Scouting Combine?
Dozens of athletes at all positions are invited to the Combine annually. This year, a total of 329 players were invited to attend the event — including top prospects such as defensive lineman Abdul Carter (Penn State), cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter (Colorado), and quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) and Cam Ward (Miami).
Even though they all have been invited for the full Combine experience, not all of them will take advantage of the opportunity. Some such as Carter or offensive tackle Josh Simmons (Ohio State) will skip parts either due to medical or personal reasons. Teams can still watch prospects at their school’s respective Pro Days at a later point in the offseason.
For a full list of players invited to the 2024 Combine, please click here.
Which Patriots targets will participate?
Coming off a second straight 4-13 season, the Patriots have needs all over their roster. As a consequence, they will take a close look at several of the top prospects available, including the following:
- Wide receiver: Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State), Tet McMillan (Arizona), Luther Burden (Missouri), Travis Hunter* (Colorado)
- Tight end: Tyler Warren (Penn State), Colston Loveland (Michigan), Bryson Nesbit (North Carolina)
- Offensive line: Will Campbell (LSU), Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas), Armand Membou (Missouri), Josh Simmons (Ohio State)
- Defensive line: Abdul Carter (Penn State), Mason Graham (Michigan), Mykel Williams (Georgia), James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee), Mike Green (Marshall)
- Linebacker: Jalon Walker (Georgia), Jihaad Campbell (Alabama)
- Defensive backs: Travis Hunter (Colorado), Will Johnson (Michigan) Jahdae Barron (Texas)
Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter enters the Combine as a two-way player, capable of lining up at both wide receiver and cornerback. He will, however, go through defensive back drills in Indianapolis — a potential sign of his plans heading toward the NFL.
What is being tested at the Scouting Combine?
Prospects undergo various workouts and examinations to determine their physical and mental makeup two months before the draft. The Combine is only one piece of the puzzle, but it offers teams an opportunity to watch players perform compared to their peers and with the spotlight on them.
The following drills will take place at the event:
- 40-yard dash
- 20-yard shuttle
- 60-yard shuttle
- 3-cone drill
- Vertical jump
- Broad jump
- Bench press
- Position drills
- Team interviews
- Medical examination and injury evaluation
One test previously run at the Combine is no longer part of the event. The controversial Wonderlic test, which aimed at measuring cognitive abilities, was scrapped in 2022.
What does this year’s schedule look like?
Sunday, Feb. 23
- Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: Early arrival
Monday, Feb. 24
- Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: Registration, Pre-Exam, Orientation, Team Interviews
- Defensive backs, Tight ends: Early arrival
Tuesday, Feb. 25
- Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: General Medical Exam, Pre-ordered Studies, Team Interviews
- Defensive backs, Tight ends: Registration, Pre-exam, Orientation, Team interviews
- Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: Registration, Orientation, Team interviews
Wednesday, Feb. 26
- Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: Ortho exams, Media interviews, NFLPA meetings, Team interviews
- Defensive backs, Tight ends: General medical exam, Pre-ordered studies, Team interviews
- Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: Pre-exams, NFLPA meeting, Team interviews
- Offensive linemen: Registration, Orientation, Team interviews
Thursday, Feb. 27
- Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: Measurements, On-field workout
- Defensive backs, Tight ends: Ortho exams, Media interviews, NFLPA meetings, Team interviews
- Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: General medical exam, Pre-ordered studies, Broadcast interviews
- Offensive linemen: Pre-exams, NFLPA meeting, Team interviews
Friday, Feb. 28
- Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: Bench press, Broadcast interviews, Departure
- Defensive backs, Tight ends: Measurements, On-field workout
- Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: Ortho exams, Media interviews, Team interviews
- Offensive linemen: General medical exam, Pre-ordered studies, Broadcast interviews
Saturday, Mar. 1
- Defensive backs, Tight ends: Bench press, Broadcast interviews, Departure
- Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: Measurements, On-field workout
- Offensive linemen: Ortho exams, Media interviews, Team interviews
Sunday, Mar. 2
- Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: Bench press, Departure
- Offensive linemen: Measurements, On-field workout
Monday, Mar. 3
- Offensive linemen: Bench press, Departure
What is the broadcast schedule?
Whereas the Combine originally was spread out throughout the day, the schedule changed in 2022 to move some of the drills to prime time — seemingly to take advantage of the hype that has been generated around the event through the years. NFL Network and NFL+ will broadcast the Combine and in total air more than 50 hours of live coverage from Indianapolis.
On-field drills will be broadcast at the following times:
- Thursday, Feb. 27, 3 p.m. ET: Defensive linemen, Linebackers
- Friday, Feb. 28, 3 p.m. ET: Defensive backs, Tight ends
- Saturday, Mar. 1, 1 p.m. ET: Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs
- Sunday, Mar. 2, 1 p.m. ET: Offensive linemen
NFL Network will also show three-hour cutdown versions of the drills and show other draft-related content throughout the week. For a full broadcast schedule, please click here.
What else happens during Combine week?
The Combine is more than just a series of workouts. It also features media sessions with head coaches and general managers, including Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf.
Vrabel will take the podium at 10:15 a.m. ET on Tuesday, followed by Wolf at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
In addition, the Combine is seen as the unofficial start of free agency and the NFL trading period. While neither is set to open until March 12, the Combine gives teams and agents alike a chance to get together and start off conversations about pending free agents and players potentially on the move.
Furthermore, the Combine will feature a closed-door meeting of the NFL competition committee.
How can you follow the Combine on Pats Pulpit?
Pats Pulpit will have you covered all week, both right here on patspulpit.com and on social media. Please make sure to follow on Bluesky, Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram.
We also encourage you to subscribe to Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) and Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39), who will both be in Indianapolis to cover the event on the ground as credentialed members of NFL media and the Patriots beat.