Man it's so weird.....It's been a trend I've noticed the last few years...
The real reason some rookies skip out on the NFL Combine
As the NFL Combine approaches this week, several standout college athletes won’t be participating, but there’s a good reason for that.
Jennifer BubelEnglish_AS
Update: Feb 24th, 2025 20:01 EST
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Kirby LeeUSA TODAY Sports
The NFL scouting combine is held just once a year in Indianapolis. The four-day event gathers the
top prospects from college football and puts their talents to the test in front of NFL coaches, managers, and scouts. It gives the players a chance to increase their draft stock and the NFL directors a chance to evaluate the players.
Why some rookies choose to skip the NFL Combine
So why would a player choose to skip out on that kind of opportunity? In fact, it’s quite common.
While some players might choose not to attend at all, many will choose to attend, but not participate in the physical part of the tests, opting instead to just conduct interviews and meet with teams. There are a few reasons for that.
While the NFL Combine puts all the top talent together in one place,
many players prefer to save their efforts for their school’s Pro Days, which is similar in design to showcase the player’s skills, but will be shown to far fewer scouts. However, it
gives the player much more control over what they show off. For example, at Pro Days, they can design their own workouts, whereas in the Combine, the NFL designs them and they have to do them to their best ability. Pro Days also put the player around other players and staff that he’s already comfortable with, allowing him to perform better and with less pressure.
Another factor at play here is that
many of the players invited to the Combine have already proven themselves by that point and don’t really
need to attend the event to further cement their talent. It’s often not worth it to risk getting injured ahead of the NFL Draft and actually decrease draft stock.
So, it’s
typically the players who’ve already solidified their status as the cream of the crop who skip out on the Combine. Those who are expected to be drafted after the first two rounds have much more to prove and reason to show up.
Notable rookies skipping out on the 2025 NFL Combine
Of those invited to the 2025 NFL Combine, there have already been some
notable rookies who’ve decided to skip out on the workouts portion of the Combine.
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback
Shedeur Sanders, who is expected to be a top pick in the NFL Draft this April, will attend the Combine, but will not throw. Instead, he will
focus on interviews with the teams, and will throw again at Colorado’s pro day (date TBD).
Boise State running back
Ashton Jeanty is expected to be the first running back off the board in the NFL Draft this year, so it’s not like his draft stock is going to get much better than that.
Jeanty will still go through the interviews and medical tests, but he will not work out. Like Sanders, he’ll show off what he’s got at his school’s Pro Day.
Penn State defensive end
Abdul Carter is projected to be a top-five pick in the draft, and has chosen not to work out during the Combine either. Carter is still recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered in the school’s Fiesta Bowl. He’ll sit out the workouts but will participate in the physical exams and interviews in hopes to be well enough to play at Penn State’s Pro Day on March 28.