Several Vanderbilt players, including Earl Bennett, are in Indianapolis participating in the NFL Combine this week. While the 40-yard dash and vertical leap tests may prove a lot about a player’s physical ability, how much stock should scouts and GMs place on the Combine? Our writers discuss.

Although it may seem like only six days of drills, interviews and 40-yard dashes aren’t enough to significantly change the minds of the coaches and scouts who have been watching players perform for years, recent history suggests the NFL Combine is a prime opportunity for players to increase their stock and dramatically alter their expected draft position.

There is no better example of this than Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams. In 2006, a Heisman Trophy-winning running back by the name of Reggie Bush had just finished a record-setting career at USC and was widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Williams used a stellar performance at the Combine to get Houston’s scouts thinking more about defense than offense, including running an impressive 4.73 40-yard dash and doing 35 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press. Two months later, he was the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Most of all, the NFL Combine is the time where players show they can compete with the best. Only the elite college players merit an invitation to this event, and if they’ve truly got what it takes to play professional football, the Combine is where they prove it.

--David Rutz, Asst Sports Editor

The media coverage at the NFL Combine almost borders on psychoanalysis. Top players are not just scrutinized on speed, vertical leap and pure strength, but also on physical characteristics such as hand size, wingspan and intelligence. All day long I heard about how Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long has “the biggest hands of this year’s draft class.” I’m sorry, but I think what makes Long a top-five pick has more to do with his fantastic footwork and upper body strength than whether his pinkie is 1/8 of an inch longer than someone else’s.

Despite the over-saturation of information on potential first-round picks, the Combine provides a huge opportunity for players who are fighting just to be drafted in the first place. University of San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson has proven to be the most athletic quarterback at the Combine with the absence of injured Oregon signal-caller Dennis Dixon. With his outstandingnumbers at the Combine, Johnson may have improved his draft position by an entire round or two.

While Chris Williams, Earl Bennett and Jonathan Goff are almost locks to get drafted, defensive linemen Theo Horrocks and Curtis Gatewood have a lot more to prove in order to get their name called on April 27. The Combine provides them with a great opportunity to showcase their physical abilities with scouts and GMs carefully watching.

--Andrew Hard, Sports Editor

When you think of the differences between NFL and college football, a few important things come to mind, namely the enhanced speed and strength of the game. The most important thing about the NFL Combine is that it strips the program, conference affiliation or number of bowls won in college and puts a lot of the big name college football players in the same arena to be compared. The interview session provides a chance to gauge the attitude and mindset of each potential draft pick. And the drug test has pretty obvious merit.

The overall importance of the NFL Combine, however, is pretty questionable. First of all, none of the tests will measure an athlete's football instincts. You can have all the speed in the world, but if a rookie linebacker doesn't know where to be on the field, he won't make many tackles. Likewise, if a running back with all the measurable characteristics can't find his holes, which close up a lot quicker in the pros, he won't last long. Just as importantly, it's impossible to predict how an individual will behave once they receive the millions of dollars that come with playing in the NFL. So it means something, but not nearly as much as the media frenzy would seem to indicate.

--Will Gibbons, Senior Sports Reporter