NFL descends upon Indianapolis for combine, networking

The entire NFL world will make its annual pilgrimage to Indianapolis this week for the scouting combine.

While the pandemic wiped out the event last year, this will be the 35th year it has been held in the Midwestern city. But the 2023 and 2024 combines are up for bid with Dallas and Los Angeles making pushes to host it, meaning that string could be broken.

Indianapolis will roll out the red carpet this week, however, with coaches, scouts and front office executives from all 32 teams eager to get an extended look at some of the top prospects in this year’s draft.

A total of 324 NFL hopefuls will participate. They will be put through a series of drills to test speed, strength and agility. Perhaps more important are the medical exams and face-to-face meetings where teams are able to examine the bodies and minds of players they may select when the draft takes place in April.

What once was a relatively tedious process for NFL organizations has become a made-for-TV event.

NFL Network will utilize more than 40 broadcasters to put more than 50 hours of live coverage on the air throughout the week, with coverage of on-field workouts running from Thursday through Sunday.

Quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends will take center stage with seven hours of prime coverage on Thursday night.

While this is generally seen as a down year for quarterback prospects, with a possibility of none going in the top 10, the wide receivers are quite intriguing.

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on a conference call that this will be a “great wide receiver draft.” He added the overall depth is very good this year, making the case the difference between the 15th- and 60th-best prospect is as narrow a gap as he can remember.

They will get the chance to start separating themselves over the next week.

The on-field action will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts and the site of Georgia’s national championship game win over Alabama.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for 14 Bulldogs who will participate in the combine, the most of any school. Alabama is tied with Oklahoma for second-most with 11 participants each.

Unsurprisingly, the SEC leads the way with 82 players invited to the combine. The Big Ten is next with 54.

Fourteen players from the Mountain West were invited, though none from UNLV. UNR quarterback Carson Strong did get an invite and will be a name to watch.

But while the focus used to be squarely on the players, the real action is now in the coffee shops, bars and restaurants around Indianapolis. With nearly every power player in the league gathered in one small downtown area, the combine has become a de facto convention for the league.

Meetings between agents and team executives, both planned and coincidental. happen at all hours around town.

Even though free agency is not yet open and tampering is technically forbidden, many key decisions will be discussed and even made throughout the week.

With rumors circulating about major quarterback movement this offseason, even the most innocuous conversations between team officials will be scrutinized.

Did that general manager just order another round of drinks for the table or agree to trade his quarterback for two future first-round picks?

Let the games begin.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.