NFL Combine 2023 live updates: Results, measurements, latest news and analysis

Auburn EDGE Derick Hall was Dane Brugler’s No. 46 overall prospect to enter the combine (No. 9 EDGE).

Hall was one of four SEC players to have at least 6.0 sacks each in the past two seasons.

The NFL Scouting Combine remains an essential step in the NFL draft process, for both teams and prospects. Although player medicals are the most important part of the combine week, the interview process ranks a close second, while on-field testing ranks third. The formal and informal interviews offer prospects the opportunity to meet personally with NFL head coaches and general managers.

319 players have been invited to this year’s Combine, each of whom will spend six days in Indianapolis. This year’s schedule for measurements and training on the field (each group’s bench press takes place on the following day):

• Thursday, March 2: Defensive Line and Linebacker (3 p.m. ET)
• Friday, March 3: Defensive Backs and Special Teams (3 p.m. ET)
• Saturday, March 4: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, and Tight Ends (1 p.m. ET)
• Sunday, March 5: Offensive Line and Running Backs (1 p.m. ET)

The tape is – and always will be – the most important part of a player’s rating, but the combine helps fill in the gaps. On the offensive side of the ball, here’s a position-by-position roundup of potential candidates who should stand out when auditioning for NFL teams.

(Photo: USA Today)

Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack stood with his hand on a railing in the hallway of the Downtown Indianapolis Westin and chuckled.

The question was whether he was married to the idea of ​​Jonah Williams as a left tackle or his potential move to the other side. The question was legitimate.

But what was a two-year process of assessing, replacing and repairing the attacking line, which was the club’s biggest strain, never seems clear in February.

“I’m laughing because I’ve been in this league long enough to say we’re not married to anything,” Pollack said. “Tomorrow everything could change and who knows where everyone will be? That’s just the nature of the league. Everyone understands that.”

Read more here.

Nolan Smith’s performance today has earned him 99th percentile points in the 40-yard dash, 99th percentile in the vertical jump, and 96th percentile in the long jump among edge rushers since 2000.

Official preparation for the Falcons’ third season under general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith begins this week at the NFL Combine, making it the perfect time to reflect on what a successful 2023 could look like.

We’ve asked that question to Fontenot and Falcons owner Arthur Blank in exclusive interviews over the past two weeks, and both have preached patience.

“Terry and Arthur have a plan that they shared with me when they were hired. They are working on their plan and are making good progress with their plan,” Blank told The Athletic. “Now if we went on with 7-10 for two more years, I would say that really wasn’t the plan. For the first two years, that was exactly the plan. Win as many games as possible, but we need to change the line-up.”

Read more here.

Some background information on one of today’s eye-catchers on the combine harvester:

• Ran an unofficial 4.44 40-yard dash (would rank 99th percentile among EDGE prospects since 2000).
• 41.5″ Vertical Jump Posted (Ranked 99th percentile among EDGE prospects since 2000.)
• Overall view #19 in Dane Brugler’s Top 100 before combining (#5 EDGE)
• On October 29 (eight game of the season), he suffered a season-ending chest injury
• Had team-high 16 QB rushes at the time of injury
• 38.8% of his tackles were lost in 2022
• Five Star Prospect Leaving High School in 2019 (#4 Overall Prospect in 247Sports Composite)

I was told that Ohio State EDGE’s Zach Harrison suffered a minor hamstring strain and is unfortunately not training today.

He plans to complete all of the tests on OSU’s Pro Day

The NFL Scouting Combine 2023 is in full swing. Behind the scenes, prospects began Tuesday with the all-important team interviews and medical exams. Measurements and on-field workouts will open Thursday with the Defensive Line and Linebacker groups.

Earlier this week, The Athletic’s draft guru Dane Brugler laid out what’s at stake for some of the key players on offense and defense. What will the other members of our design team be observing in Indianapolis over the coming days? We asked Nick Baumgardner, Diante Lee and Nate Tice what they think.

(Photo: USA Today)

Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith runs an unofficial 4.44 40-yard dash that has ranked in the 99th percentile among EDGE prospects since 2000.

Lost 38.8% of Smith’s tackles in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury on October 29.

Northwest DT Adetomiwa Adebawore ran an unofficial 4.54-yard dash for 40 yards that would be the fastest with a defensive tackle since 2000. Adebawore also had vertical and long jumps that ranked in the 99th percentile among positions.

Depending on your point of view, the NFL Scouting Combine serves different purposes.

For a member of a coaching or staff staff, the week provides official height and weight measurements for prospective clients, as well as full physical exams and a place for intense (and important) face-to-face interviews. For players, this is one of the first opportunities to present themselves without wearing their college colors. There isn’t a sports information director in Indianapolis to divert or slap away the press during media sessions. So what you hear from prospects is usually a reflection of the training and preparation (or lack thereof) of their inner circle.

And for fans, the part of the process that they can consume is in the on-pitch measurements and drills. These workouts – should a player choose to participate – still serve as an important data point in understanding what type of athlete each prospect is and can be.

But what is the most important thing? What does all this mean in a prospect’s evaluation? As the defensemen and linebackers begin practice on Thursday, the athlete is here to help you understand what you’re seeing on the defensive side of the ball, with a quick guide on how to gauge how these prospects are behaving.

The Cowboys have no interest in finding a new quarterback. Dak Prescott has two years left on the four-year, $160 million deal he signed in March 2021, and Dallas are looking to extend the 29-year-old’s contract.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said this week at the annual NFL Scouting Combine that they have a plan to wind up Prescott’s contract, but as of Tuesday they hadn’t spoken to Prescott’s agents in Indianapolis.

“I bet it’s not talked about much,” Jones said. “We’ll wake up one day and it’ll be done.”

Read more here.

(Photo: USA Today)

Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith’s 41.5 inch vertical jump is in the 99th percentile for an EDGE rusher at the combine since 2000.