Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Separating the Men From the Boys

Wednesday marks the start of the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. Three of the biggest names in the draft — Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Vince Young — will not work out for teams, choosing instead to participate only in psychological examinations and individual team interviews. But for the other players, these will be the biggest days of their lives. Even one-tenth of a second difference between prospects could mean millions of dollars. And what would a combine be without the mysterious Wonderlic test? Here's an example of what the test is all about. A tip of the hat for our coverage goes to Ben Maller, who has been the leader since day one in combine coverage. We appreciate the links he has provided. Oh, and by the way, the NFL draft is April 29-30.

Gil Brandt, NFL.com: Tennessee has had the most players selected in the past 10 drafts (64). USC has the most players at this year's combine (14).

Draft Board Insider: A breakdown of who is attending the combine and what tests players at each position will go through. A terrific site.

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska players taking part in the combine have wisely sought counsel from former Cornhusker Fabian Washington, who used the event to become a first-round pick.

Mike Garafolo, Newark Star-Ledger: Rutgers, coming off its first bowl appearance in 27 years, had 18 players eligible for the combine, but none were invited. The news didn't go over well with the Scarlet Knights.

Mark Maske, Washington Post: Maryland tight end Vernon Davis could see his stock soar at the combine (registration).

Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Toledo quarterback Bruce Gradkowski proved the critics wrong at Toledo. Now he has to do it all over again at Indianapolis.

Steve King, Cleveland Browns.com: A look at the history of the combine, which got its start nearly 30 years ago.

No comments: