Playing football at the NFL level requires size, speed, strength, agility, a high skill level and explosive athletic ability. In addition to excelling as high school and college players, the NFL covets the athleticism of players who have aspirations of playing at the pro level. Players who can show their speed, agility and quickness in a favorable light have a chance to be drafted and play at the next level.
Speed
The NFL tests all prospects in the 40-yard dash to see whether they have the speed to play with the other players in the league. A good time for a skill-position player running back or wide receiver will be considerably faster than the time of a lineman or a linebacker. However, if the average time of a defensive lineman is 5.2 in the 40 and a defensive end prospect can run 40 in 4.9, he will be graded highly as a fast defensive lineman. A running back who runs the 40 in 4.5 will be only slightly faster than average, and that may not be good enough to get drafted.
Three-Cone Drill
The three-cone drill is one of the primary exercises that the NFL uses at its annual draft test called the combine. The NFL invites all qualified players who are graduating from college or who have announced they are leaving school to come to Indianapolis to put their physical skills on display. Agility is tested with the three-cone drill. In this test, players start in a three-point stance in front of three cones that are set up in an L shape, with each cone 5 yards apart. They sprint to the first cone and back, then run to the second cone, go around it and sprint to the third cone. The players circle back to the second cone and then back to the starting point. This drill helps teams evaluate how fast a player can change direction and overall agility.
20-Yard Shuttle
This drill helps teams evaluate a player's speed, quickness and balance. Three cones are set up every 5 yards. The player starts off at the cone in the middle and sprints 5 yards to his right and then quickly reverses field and sprints 10 yards to the end cone. At that point he turns again and sprints 5 yards to the cone in the middle.
Considerations
Before the draft, many players look at test results from the combine to determine whether a player is draft-worthy. However, the most important information for teams is how well players have performed in college. There are some great college players who may get overlooked because they don't test well, and others who have impressive 40 times and do well on the other tests but play poorly. "We sometimes lose sight of how good the player is when he's on the field," said Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy. "The physical tests at the combine can provide good information, but the most important thing is how well the player has done on the field."
Member Comments