Many football players will earn money at the NFL Scouting Combine, but will it translate to the NFL?

Every year we have a player run a 4.2 forty and every team falls in love with him. Teams will draft a guy because he runs fast every year, but a lot of the times it does not translate to the NFL.

There have been many players who have absolutely crushed the NFL Scouting Combine and then ended up as free agents after a few years in the league. The NFL is a performance based company, and if you are not showing out on the field week in and week out, you can be cut. It is simple, and every year there are several Combine tests that will get teams fired up, but many of them end up being overrated.

Teams look at the numbers instead of the film.

Here are a few tests teams will get fired up over, and media will blow out of proportion.

40-Yard Dash

While speed is undoubtedly valuable in football, the 40-yard dash is often overemphasized. Straight-line speed doesn’t always translate directly to on-field performance, especially for positions where agility, change of direction, and football intelligence are more critical. Look at some of the greatest wide receivers ever, they are not burners. Jerry Rice was not fast but he was a great route runner.

Bench Press (225 lbs)

The bench press test measures upper-body strength endurance, but its relevance to on-field performance is limited for many positions. Football success often requires a combination of strength, power, and functional strength specific to the demands of the game, which the bench press alone may not fully represent.

Vertical Jump

While vertical explosiveness can be beneficial, especially for positions like wide receivers and defensive backs, its significance can be overstated. A high vertical jump doesn’t necessarily correlate with football skills like route-running, catching ability, or tackling.

Wonderlic Test

The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is used to assess cognitive aptitude and problem-solving skills. While intelligence is undoubtedly valuable, the correlation between Wonderlic scores and on-field performance is debatable. Football intelligence involves a complex set of skills beyond what the Wonderlic evaluates. We seen this last year with teams dogging CJ Stroud for his S2 Cognition Test, but it did not matter, because he looked pretty damn good!

Three-Cone Drill

This drill measures a player’s ability to change direction quickly and is particularly relevant for positions requiring agility, such as cornerbacks and running backs. However, its importance can be exaggerated, as success in football involves a combination of skills beyond just agility.

While these tests provide some insights into a player’s physical attributes and cognitive abilities, they should be considered alongside game tape, positional drills, interviews, and other factors to form a comprehensive evaluation of a prospect’s potential in the NFL. Remember TAPE IS EVERYTHING! WATCH THE TAPE, IT DOESN’T LIE!