The NFL Combine 2023 provides the football world with an opportunity to examine the future of the sport. Fans, scouts and coaches will see the next wave of Hall of Famers, All-Pro selections, Super Bowl winners and eventual draft busts all trying to prove themselves.
This is a life-changing opportunity for many of the top prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. A strong showing at the scouting combine can elevate someone’s draft stock by multiple rounds, the difference between millions of dollars and fighting for a roster spot.
Related: NFL mock draft
While some of the top prospects might skip specific drills and even some head coaches will bypass the NFL Combine, this is one of the most important events on the offseason calendar.
Keeping that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
What is the NFL Combine?
The NFL Combine is a four-day event where some of the top prospects in the upcoming draft class are allowed to showcase their skills in front of all 32 NFL teams. As perfectly described by the league itself, this is an invite-only event that offers young football players with a shot to prove themselves on the biggest stage.
Related: NFL Combine records
“The National Invitational Camp (NIC) is the Super Bowl of the player development process. Also known as the NFL Scouting Combine, this four-day, invitation-only event allows NFL scouts to evaluate that year’s top draft-eligible college players on a variety of medical, mental and physical criteria. Only 300 or so players attend each year.”
NFL’s expalnation of the NFL Scouting Combine
Players will experience a wide variety of things at the NFL Combine. They have sit-down interviews with coaches and general managers to discuss their personal background, schemes, and transitioning to the NFL and can address any off-field or character concerns. Prospects also go through exhaustive medical testing, with their physical, medical and mental health reviewed.
Related: 2023 NFL Draft rumors
On top of that, they put their physical skills on display and get to meet with NFL reporters for the first time. The four-day event is essentially a gauntlet of activities that keep them busy and has a profound impact on each player’s future.
When is the NFL Scouting Combine 2023?
The NFL Combine is from Thursday, March 2 – Sunday, March 5 and it is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. While the league has made numerous changes to the NFL Scouting Combine every year, it has been held in Indianapolis since 1987.
- Where is the 2023 NFL Combine? Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
Fans are welcome to buy tickets to the NFL Scouting Combine. While spectators are welcome, they will be kept separate from the NFL teams and draft prospects who are working out inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Meetings with team officials are held in hotels located in downtown Indianapolis.
NFL Combine participants – How many players go to NFL Scouting Combine?
A total of 319 prospects were invited to the 2023 NFL Combine. While some prospects will decline the invitations, there will be approximately 300 draft-eligible players staying in Indianapolis for the event.
Here’s a full breakdown of the 319 participants invited. Of note, 13 Alabama players were invited to the NFL Combine and 12 Georgia Bulldogs received invites. TCU (nine), Ohio State (eight) and Michigan (nine) were among the schools with the most invites.
2023 NFL Combine participants – Offense
- Quarterbacks
- Bryce Young, Alabama
- C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
- Anthony Richardson, Florida
- Will Levis, Kentucky
- Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
- Stetson Bennett, Georgia
- Tyson Bagent, Shepherd
- Malik Cunningham, Louisville
- Max Duggan, TCU
- Jake Haener, Fresno State
- Jaren Hall, BYU
- Tanner McKee, Stanford
- Aidan O’Connell, Purdue
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
- Clayton Tune, Houston
- Tight End
- Davis Allen, Clemson
- Payne Durham, Purdue
- Noah Gindorff, North Dakota State
- Dalton Kincaid, Utah
- Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State
- Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion
- Sam LaPorta, Iowa
- Cameron Latu, Alabama
- Will Mallory, Miami
- Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
- Luke Musgrave, Oregon State
- Kyle Patterson, Air Force
- Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
- Brenton Strange, Penn State
- Leonard Taylor, Cincinnati
- Travis Vokolek, Nebraska
- Darnell Washington, Georgia
- Blake Whiteheart, Wake Forest
- Josh Whyle, Cincinnati
- Brayden Willis, Oklahoma
- Wide Receivers
- Jordan Addison, USC
- Ronnie Bell, Michigan
- Jake Bobo, UCLA
- Kayshon Boutte, LSU
- Jalen Brooks, South Carolina
- Jason Brownlee, Southern Mississippi
- Jacob Copeland, Maryland
- Jalen Cropper, Fresno State
- Derius Davis, TCU
- Tank Dell, Houston
- Dontay Demus Jr., Maryland
- Demario Douglas, Liberty
- Josh Downs, North Carolina
- Grant DuBose, Charlotte
- Zay Flowers, Boston College
- Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia
- Antoine Green, North Carolina
- Jadon Haselwood, Arkansas
- Malik Heath, Mississippi
- Elijah Higgins, Stanford
- Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
- Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
- Andrei Iosivas, Princeton
- Kearis Jackson, Georgia
- Rakim Jarrett, Maryland
- Michael Jefferson, Louisiana
- Jaray Jenkins, LSU
- CJ Johnson, East Carolina
- Quentin Johnston, TCU
- Charlie Jones, Purdue
- Malik Knowles, Kansas State
- Matt Landers, Arkansas
- Marvin Mims Jr., Oklahoma
- Jonathan Mingo, Mississippi
- Puka Nacua, BYU
- Joseph Ngata, Clemson
- Trey Palmer, Nebraska
- A.T. Perry, Wake Forest
- Jayden Reed, Michigan State
- Rashee Rice, SMU
- Tyler Scott, Cincinnati
- Justin Shorter, Florida
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
- Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
- Mitchell Tinsley, Penn State
- Tre Tucker, Cincinnati
- Parker Washington, Penn State
- Jalen Wayne, South Alabama
- Dontayvion Wicks, Virginia
- Michael Wilson, Stanford
- Running Back
- Bijan Robinson, Texas
- Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh
- Devon Achane, Texas A&M
- Tank Bigsby, Auburn
- Chase Brown, Illinois
- Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
- Travis Dye, USC
- Tiyon Evans, Louisville
- Zach Evans, Mississippi
- Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
- Eric Gray, Oklahoma
- Evan Hull, Northwestern
- Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota
- Roschon Johnson, Texas
- Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State
- DeWayne McBride, UAB
- Kenny McIntosh, Georgia
- Kendre Miller, TCU
- Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina
- Cam Peoples, Appalachian State
- Deneric Prince, Tulsa
- Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kentucky
- Tyjae Spears, Tulane
- Tavion Thomas, Utah
- SaRodorick Thompson, Texas Tech
- Sean Tucker, Syracuse
- Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State
- Offensive Linemen
- Alan Ali, TCU
- Jake Andrews, Troy
- Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Oregon
- Steve Avila, TCU
- Henry Bainivalu, Washington
- TJ Bass, Oregon
- Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse
- Earl Bostick Jr., Kansas
- Anthony Bradford, LSU
- Nick Broeker, Mississippi
- McClendon Curtis, Tennessee-Chattanooga
- Braeden Daniels, Utah
- Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland
- Emil Ekiyor Jr., Alabama
- Mark Evans II, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
- Alex Forsyth, Oregon
- Blake Freeland, BYU
- Jon Gaines II, UCLA
- Connor Galvin, Baylor
- Richard Gouraige, Florida
- Jovaughn Gwyn, South Carolina
- Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
- Ryan Hayes, Michigan
- Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
- Broderick Jones, Georgia
- Dawand Jones, Ohio State
- Jaxson Kirkland, Washington
- Brent Laing, Minnesota-Duluth
- Tashawn Manning, Kentucky
- Cody Mauch, North Dakota State
- Warren McClendon, Georgia
- Jordan McFadden, Clemson
- Wanya Morris, Oklahoma
- John Ojukwu, Boise State
- Olu Oluwatimi, Michigan
- Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame
- Asim Richards, North Carolina
- Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion
- John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
- Juice Scruggs, Penn State
- Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
- Sidy Sow, Eastern Michigan
- Tyler Steen, Alabama
- Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas
- Joe Tippmann, Wisconsin
- O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida
- Andrew Vorhees, USC
- Dalton Wagner, Arkansas
- Carter Warren, Pittsburgh
- Darnell Wright, Tennessee
- Luke Wypler, Ohio State
2023 NFL Combine participants – Defense & Special Teams
- Defensive Lineman
- Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
- MJ Anderson, Iowa State
- Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
- Habakkuk Baldonado, Pittsburgh
- Robert Beal Jr., Georgia
- Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
- Bryan Bresee, Clemson
- Jalen Carter, Georgia
- Jerrod Clark, Coastal Carolina
- Keondre Coburn, Texas
- Brenton Cox, Florida
- DJ Dale, Alabama
- Gervon Dexter, Florida
- YaYa Diaby, Louisville
- Ikenna Enechukwu, Rice
- Viliami Fehoko Jr., San Jose State
- Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
- Ali Gaye, LSU
- Nick Hampton, Appalachian State
- Zach Harrison, Ohio State
- KJ Henry, Clemson
- Dylan Horton, TCU
- Siaki Ika, Baylor
- Thomas Incoom, Central Michigan
- Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
- Tyler Lacy, Oklahoma State
- Isaiah Land, Florida A&M
- Will McDonald IV, Iowa State
- Isaiah McGuire, Missouri
- Mike Morris, Michigan
- Caleb Murphy, Ferris State
- Myles Murphy, Clemson
- PJ Mustipher, Penn State
- Moro Ojomo, Texas
- Zacch Pickens, South Carolina
- Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan
- Jalen Redmond, Oklahoma
- Tavius Robinson, Mississippi
- Jaquelin Roy, LSU
- Nesta Jade Silvera, Arizona State
- Mazi Smith, Michigan
- Nolan Smith, Georgia
- Dante Stills, West Virginia
- Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
- Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
- Keion White, Georgia Tech
- Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
- Colby Wooden, Auburn
- Byron Young, Alabama
- Byron Young, Tennessee
- Cameron Young, Mississippi State
- Specialists
- Anders Carlson, K, Auburn
- Christopher Dunn, K, N.C. State
- Jake Moody, K, Michigan
- Jack Podlesny, K, Georgia
- B.T. Potter, K, Clemson
- Chad Ryland, K, Maryland
- Alex Ward, LS, UCF
- Bryce Baringer, P, Michigan State
- Paxton Brooks, P, Tennessee
- Adam Korsak, P, Rutgers
- Brad Robbins, P, Michigan
- Michael Turk, P, Oklahoma
- Linebackers
- Yasir Abdullah, Louisville
- Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
- Jeremy Banks, Tennessee
- Micah Baskerville, LSU
- Jack Campbell, Iowa
- Andre Carter II, Army
- SirVocea Dennis, Pittsburgh
- Jalen Graham, Purdue
- Derick Hall, Auburn
- Daiyan Henley, Washington State
- Nick Herbig, Wisconsin
- Shaka Heyward, Duke
- DJ Johnson, Oregon
- Andre Jones Jr., Louisiana
- Cam Jones, Indiana
- Eku Leota, Auburn
- Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska
- Ventrell Miller, Florida
- Isaiah Moore, N.C. State
- BJ Ojulari, LSU
- Anfernee Orji, Vanderbilt
- DeMarvion Overshown, Texas
- Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
- Owen Pappoe, Auburn
- Lonnie Phelps, Kansas
- Drew Sanders, Arkansas
- Noah Sewell, Oregon
- Trenton Simpson, Clemson
- Noah Taylor, North Carolina
- Charlie Thomas, Georgia Tech
- Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama
- Tyrus Wheat, Mississippi State
- Dorian Williams, Tulane
- Dee Winters, TCU
- Defensive Backs
- Alex Austin, Oregon State
- Deonte Banks, Maryland
- Jordan Battle, Alabama
- Jakorian Bennett, Maryland
- Mekhi Blackmon, USC
- Lance Boykin, Coastal Carolina
- Brian Branch, Alabama
- Julius Brents, Kansas State
- Myles Brooks, Louisiana Tech
- Cam Brown, Ohio State
- Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State
- Sydney Brown, Illinois
- Arquon Bush, Cincinnati
- Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville
- Chamarri Conner, Virginia Tech
- Trey Dean, Florida
- Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
- Mekhi Garner, LSU
- Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
- DeMarcco Hellams, Alabama
- Ronnie Hickman Jr., Ohio State
- Brandon Hill, Pittsburgh
- Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
- Jordan Howden, Minnesota
- Anthony Johnson, Iowa State
- Anthony Johnson Jr., Virginia
- Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
- Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M
- Nic Jones, Ball State
- Tyreque Jones, Boise State
- Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame
- Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford
- Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama
- Jartavius Martin, Illinois
- Kaevon Merriweather, Iowa
- Cameron Mitchell, Northwestern
- Riley Moss, Iowa
- Gervarrius Owens, Houston
- Clark Phillips III, Utah
- Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
- Eli Ricks, Alabama
- Kelee Ringo, Georgia
- Jammie Robinson, Florida State
- Darius Rush, South Carolina
- Daniel Scott, Cal
- JL Skinner III, Boise State
- Cam Smith, South Carolina
- Christopher Smith II, Georgia
- Terell Smith, Minnesota
- Tyrique Stevenson, Miami
- Jason Taylor II, Oklahoma State
- Rashad Torrence II, Florida
- Cory Trice Jr., Purdue
- DJ Turner II, Michigan
- Carrington Valentine, Kentucky
- Jay Ward, LSU
- Garrett Williams, Syracuse
- Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
- Rejzohn Wright, Oregon State
2023 NFL Combine participation tracker: Who is skipping the combine?
For many of the top draft prospects, there is nothing to be gained from participating in the NFL Scouting Combine. As a result, they show up to Indianapolis to simply go through medicals and meet with teams.
Here are the prospects who won’t be full participants at the 2023 NFL Combine.
- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama – Not throwing at NFL Combine
- Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech – Not taking part in NFL Combine drills (fractured foot)
- Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia – Not participating in combine drills
- Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss – Not participating in combine drills (hamstring)
- Will Anderson Jr, EDGE, Alabama – Limited on-field work
- Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee – Not taking part in combine drills (torn ACL)
- JL Skinner, S, Boise State – Not participating in combine drills (torn pec)
- Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU – Not participating in combine drills (hamstring)
Who is throwing at the NFL Combine 2023?
- CJ Stroud, Ohio State
- Anthony Richardson, Florida
- Will Levis, Kentucky
- Tyson Bagent, Shepherd
- Malik Cunningham, Louisville
- Max Duggan, TCU
- Jake Haener, Fresno State
- Jaren Hall, BYU
- Tanner McKee, Stanford
- Aidan O’Connell, Purdue
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
- Clayton Tune, Houston
2023 NFL Combine schedule – Day-by-day guide
Here is a breakdown for the entire NFL Scouting Combine schedule, with a day-by-day guide for which position groups will practice at what days and times.
- Thursday, March 2
- Positions: Defensive Lineman and Linebackers
- Time: Drills start at 3 PM ET
- TV: ESPN, NFL Network
- Friday, March 3
- Positions: Cornerbacks and Safeties
- Time: Drills start at 3 PM ET
- TV: ESPN, NFL Network
- Saturday, March 4
- Positions: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
- Time: Drills start at 1 PM ET
- TV: ESPN, NFL Network
- Sunday, March 5
- Positions: Running Backs and Offensive Linemen
- Time: Drills start at 1 PM ET
- TV: ESPN, NFL Network
What are the drills at the NFL Scouting Combine?
The 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, 3-cone drill and broad jump are among the most important drills at the NFL Combine for teams. Of course, each drill holds a varied significance to each position.
40-yard dash
Using both electronic and hand times, NFL teams have players run 40 yards to determine their speed. While a 40-yard time isn’t necessarily important for linemen, the 10-yard split shows how explosive they are. For skill players, the 40-yard dash shows their long speed and max speed.
Bench Press
The bench press at the NFL Combine measures how much upper-body strength a draft prospect has. The bench press requires each participant to lift a 225-pound barbell as many times as possible. While the drill is losing its importance to evaluators, it remains popular for fans watching on television.
Related: NFL salary cap tracker
Vertical Jump
The vertical jump is one way NFL teams measure an athlete’s explosiveness. Standing flat-footed, each participant must jump as high as they can and touch as many of the elevated flags as possible. A stick is then brought in to measure how many inches the athlete jumped, with the number helping show how much initial explosiveness a player offers.
Broad Jump
Similar to the vertical jump, the broad jump tests an athlete’s explosiveness and lower-body strength with an emphasis on the hips and ankles. Standing flat-footed, the athletes jump forward as far as they can and they must land balanced on two feet and hold it for the measurement to count. It’s a valuable drill for running backs, wide receivers and pass rushers.
3-Cone Drill
The 3-cone drill at the NFL Combine measures an athlete’s change-of-direction ability and hip fluidity. It’s important for positions like cornerback, wide receiver and running backs. You can watch an example of it below.
