Where and when is the NFL Combine 2022?
The NFL offseason is in full swing and the draft season is upon us with the first major event: the NFL Combine. 2022 is the first combine in two years since the 2021 event was canceled as a result of the COVID pandemic.
This year's event is set to be one of the most interesting in years, due to the fact that there is no consensus on where the top prospects will land, including who goes #1.
The 2022 NFL Combine has invited 324 prospects to take part in the event in Indianapolis this week. Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the Indianapolis Colts, has served as the stage for the combine since 1987.
The entire affair is split up over four days, starting on Thursday, March 3rd, and wrapping up on Sunday, March 6th. It will be televised exclusively on the NFL Network with the following schedule:
- Thursday, March 3trd - 4-11 pm EST - Tight ends, Quarterbacks, Wide receivers
- Friday, March 4th - 4-11 pm EST - Placekickers, Special Teams, Offensive linemen, Running backs
- Saturday, March 5th - 4-11 pm EST - Defensive linemen, Linebackers
- Sunday, March 6th - 2-7pm EST - Defensive backs
Players will be put through a series of drills and workouts over the weekend, including medical evaluations and interviews with front office personnel.
Some of the drills include a 40-yard dash, the bench press (max. reps at 225 pounds), vertical jump, three-cone drill and broad jump. Individual position groups have their own drills, such as running through gaunlets as well as specific agility and explosiveness testing.
We’re live from Indianapolis, where NFL teams will begin answering some remaining questions about the 2022 QB draft class at this week’s combine. @nflnetwork @gmfb https://t.co/sHnrHhmRd6
The NFL Combine is a tool for NFL teams to take a closer look at prospects a few weeks prior to the NFL Draft. The drills are designed to give scouts a sense of how players perform in a game without playing in one. General managers and coaches will also get the chance to speak with prospects over the weekend in an interview-like scenario.
They can chat about nearly anything, but the league has imposed a massive fine on anyone who is deemed to have disrespected a player or who has asked offensive questions. It can even result in the loss of a draft pick in certain situations.
NFL Combine Records
Players come to the NFL Combine to showcase their talents and show the NFL what they can offer. But it is still a competition and the guys are trying to post the best scores and performances in every drill. The most famous drill is the 40-yard dash and has been one of the most competitive as well.
Bo Jackson holds the unofficial record of 4.12 seconds but they timed the drill by hand back then. Running back Chris Johnson held the record for almost a decade with a 4.24 in 2008. Wide receiver John Ross is the current record-holder with a 4.22 in 2017 and even injured his calves in the process.
Last NFL Combine:
WR John Ross ran unofficial 4.22 40, breaking Chris Johnson's record!
https://t.co/0nKdsDZmkH
The Wonderlic Test is a real quiz with 50 multiple-choice questions, similar to a placement test in high school. The average score is around 20, making the Wonderlic Test tough to master. Wide receiver/punter Pat McInally from Harvard scored the only 100% in 1975.
The three-cone drill tests speed and agility and Jordan Thomas holds the record of 6.28 seconds set back in 2018. The defensive end from Oklahoma is a prime example of how a perfect score in the NFL Combine doesn't guarantee you fame in the league. Thomas ended up going undrafted.
Cornerback Byron Jones set the NFL Combine record and world record for the standing broad jump in 2015. The product from UConn jumped 12 feet and 3 inches, breaking the previous record by six inches. Jones went on to be a first-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys.
Four years later and people still can't believe cornerback @Byron31Jump's combine records... 😱
Tune into this year's #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork https://t.co/M8qcimlUeD
The bench press is dominated by linemen in the NFL Combine and defensive tackle Justin Ernest has held the record since 1999. With a weight of 225 pounds, Ernest had 51 reps as a prospect from Eastern Kentucky. However, he was undrafted and only played one season due to injuries.