NFL combine 2013: Explaining player drills

I’m fascinated by media sessions at events like the NFL Combine. Beat writers don’t want to be asking the questions they have to ask, players (and coaches) don’t want to answer the questions they’re asked, you get more ‘Talk about ... ’ statements than you can count, and narratives are beaten so hard they can’t feel feelings anymore.

So naturally, we’re left with some real gems. Enter the beauty of NFL Draft Scout’s directory of media interviews from the 2013 NFL Combine. Packed in this text-based site tree (no frills here) are all the sessions from the coaches, GMs and players. You’re welcome to spend hours enjoying everything the site has to offer, but I’ve carefully curated some of my favorite questions and answers from the Combine.

Linebackers will be able to prove themselves in a variety of ways at the 2013 NFL Combine. The 40-yard dash, the bench press, the verticals and broad jumps, and the three-cone drill have become staples of the event because of how well they test speed, strength, explosiveness and agility. Every position has its unique drills, however, and one the most important to linebackers will be the pass-drop and hip rotation drill.

In a league that is becoming more pass-oriented, linebackers are being given greater and greater responsibility in coverage. The pass-drop and hip rotation drill is designed to determine whether or not a linebacker will be a liability in third-and-long situations, as Mike Mayock explains in his video series for NFL.com.

Defensive backs at the 2013 NFL Combine will go through the same standard battery of drills as everyone else to help determine their value at the next level. The 40-yard dash, the bench press, the three-cone drill, etc. are all used across positions to measure whether a player has the physical capabilities to compete in the NFL. The speed turn drill, however, is unique to defensive backs.

The drill gives scouts a chance to see how quickly and fluidly a defensive back can turn and run in coverage. Perhaps just as importantly, scouts see how well a defensive back is able to look back and locate a football in mid air. Finally, scouts are hoping to see that the defensive back can actually catch the dang thing. All of this is easier said than done, obviously.

It’s common knowledge that a disruptive pass rush is a crucial element in successful NFL defenses of today, and defensive line prospects are tested on how well they can attack the quarterback from the edge at the NFL Combine.

Through two techniques, the rip and swim moves, players are drilled in their pass-rushing skills. A video from NFL.com (under the “position drills” tab) shows how it looks in real-time.

For former athletes, the shuttle run is a familiar task. However, for those that haven’t done it before, it’s a short but exhausting drill that is used at the NFL Combine to put the prospects through their paces. Here’s how it works.

The shuttle run is a simple cone drill. A player starts in the middle in a three point stance, sprints five yards to his right, touches the ground and sprints 10 yards to the left. He then touches the ground again, and sprints five yards back to the middle, where he finished right where he started.

For most teams in today’s pass-happy NFL, the left tackle position along the offensive line is one of the most important.

At the NFL Combine, offensive line prospects have the ability to defend a pass rush coming around the edge tested in the kick-slide drill. A video from NFL.com (found under the “position drills” tab) paints the picture of this oft-used move in protecting a quarterback from defensive ends or corner blitzes.

Perhaps no combine drill is more misunderstood than the seemingly simple vertical jump. A player’s reach is measured before the jump and the prospect then jumps flat-footed to hit as many flags above them as possible. The player is then given a second opportunity to hit more flags and best his previous jump.

While jumping ability is nice and the ability to win jump balls in the end zone can depend on your natural jumping abilities, the true test of the vertical jump is to see how much lower body strength and explosion a draft prospect can generate.