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The next step in the 2015 NFL Draft process starts this week; it's almost time for the 2015 NFL Combine. Draft prospects start arriving to Indianapolis, Indiana on Tuesday in preparation for the on-field workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium which start on Friday. More than 300 invitees, including 74 underclassmen, will show off their skills to scouting staffs of all 32 NFL teams.
Defensive backs arrive on Friday, Feb. 20. Nearly 80% of Eagles fans think cornerback is the team's biggest need while safety is obviously a concern as well. This will be a position group to watch. The quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs arriving on Wednesday also bears mentioning considering Eagles fans identified QB as the team's second biggest need. It'll be interesting to get a look at Chip Kelly's former college quarterback Marcus Mariota. You may have heard of him.
Also at the NFL Combine this week many GMs and coaches speak to the media. The Eagles won't be speaking this week. Perhaps more interestingly, however, GMs and coaches from different teams also speak to each other. This is a time of year where some NFL rumors tend to pop up in advance of free agency.
Prepare yourself for this year's NFL combine with everything you need to know.
2015 NFL Scouting Combine Schedule:
| Day 1 Arrivals | Group 1 (PK, ST, OL)/Group 2 (OL)/Group 3 (TE) |
| Tuesday, 17 February | Registration, Pre-Exam, X-Rays, Orientation, Interviews |
| Wednesday, 18 February | Measurements, Medical Examinations, Media, Interviews |
| Thursday, 19 February | NFLPA Meeting, Psych Testing, PK/ST Workouts, Bench Press, Interviews |
| Friday, 20 February | On-field workouts (timing, stations, skill drills) |
| Day 2 Arrivals | Group 4 (QB, WR)/Group 5 (QB, WR)/Group 6 (RB) |
| Wednesday, 18 February | Registration, Pre-Exam, X-Rays, Orientation, Interviews |
| Thursday, 19 February | Measurements, Medical Examinations, Media, Interviews |
| Friday, 20 February | NFLPA Meeting, Psych Testing, Bench Press, Interviews |
| Saturday, 21 February | On-field workouts (timing, stations, skill drills) |
| Day 3 Arrivals | Group 7 (DL)/Group 8 (DL)/Group 9 (LB) |
| Thursday, 19 February | Registration, Pre-Exam, X-Rays, Orientation, Interviews |
| Friday, 20 February | Measurements, Medical Examinations, Media, Interviews |
| Saturday, 21 February | NFLPA Meeting, Psych Testing, Bench Press, Interviews |
| Sunday, 22 February | On-field workouts (timing, stations, skill drills) |
| Day 4 Arrivals | Group 10 (DB)/Group 11 (DB) |
| Friday, 20 February | Registration, Pre-Exam, X-Rays, Orientation, Interviews |
| Saturday, 21 February | Measurements, Medical Examinations, Media, Interviews |
| Sunday, 22 February | NFLPA Meeting, Psych Testing, Bench Press, Interviews |
| Monday, 23 February | On-field workouts (timing, stations, skill drills) |
How To Watch
TV Coverage: NFL Network
Start Time: 9 AM EST daily
Online Streaming: NFL Combine Live on NFL.com.
On-field workouts:
Friday, Feb. 20: Specialists, offensive linemen, tight ends
Saturday, Feb. 21: Quarterbacks, running backs wide receivers
Sunday: Feb. 22: Defensive linemen, linebackers
Monday, Feb. 23: Defensive backs
Complete list of 2015 NFL Combine invites
Bleeding Green Nation Coverage
BGN will have you fully covered through this year's event. Preview threads will be posted in the morning while drill results will be posted in the evenings. Stay tuned for the BGN Radio Combine edition podcasts and more.
Eagles Speaking Schedule
Unfortunately, the Eagles will not be represented at the combine. Neither head coach Chip Kelly nor vice president of player personnel Ed Marynowitz will address the media.
Workout Drills
Courtesy of good friend Invictus at Big Blue View, here are the drills the players will participate in. Mike Kaye has written a standalone piece on the importance of a certain workout.
40-yard dash: Measures straight line speed over a distance. Not very important for non-skill position players, but coming from the 40-yard dash is the "10-yard split." That is the time it takes to travel the first 10 yards of the event and gives a measurement as to the player's explosion and first step. Very important for defensive and offensive linemen. Dontari Poe had a 10-yard split of 1.7 at 330 pounds, which is decent for a linebacker. Bruce Irvin at 235 pounds had a 10-yard split of 1.57, which is a good number for a defensive back. Both help push those players into the middle of the first round.
Bench press: Fairly simple, it measures upper body strength. Moreso it shows if you have stayed in good condition over the offseason. Poor numbers here possibly indicate not working hard enough.
Vertical and Broad jump: Another measurement of explosion and lower body strength. Also important for wide receivers and defensive backs to show off their leaping ability.
3-cone drill: Essentially a change of direction drill. Most important for skill position players. Shows off lateral agility and ability to accelerate out of a turn. One of the drills that translates best on the field. A good score in the 3 cone is often a marker for a high draft pick.
20/60-yard shuttles: Shows the ability to come to a complete stop and accelerate. Obviously important for any position and a good score here is indicative of explosion and body control. As you can see, explosion is a big factor here and one that the NFL is keen to see.
Position-specific drills: Each position has specific drills that test for many different attributes. Change of direction and hip swing for defensive backs, hands skills for wide receivers during the "gauntlet," kick slide drills for the offensive linemen, power for the defensive linemen in hitting bag drills and accuracy for quarterbacks in throwing drills.
SB Nation Coverage
SB Nation's NFL draft site, Mocking The Draft, will be covering the NFL combine from Indianapolis. Follow @MockingTheDraft on Twitter for live updates.