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The NFL Draft Combine has long been a major point of contention for teams and participants.
While teams see it as an opportunity to evaluate draft prospects in a neutral setting, NFLPA president DeMaurice Smith called for the event to be abolished entirely.
Now it appears that he may well get his way if the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft are any indication.
Top Prospects Opting Out Of NFL Combine And Changing Draft Process Entirely
Quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Jaylen Daniels are each considered among the top 10 prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. As is wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Each of the players could well go in the top five of April’s NFL Draft.
But none of the three will take full part in the combine.
Neither Williams nor Daniels will throw at the combine, instead opting to wait until their respective pro days to throw and work out for scouts.
USC’s pro day is set for March 20, while LSU has announced one for March 27.
That’s not all that uncommon. Several top quarterback prospects have opted not to throw at the combine in recent years.
But what Harrison Jr. is doing completely breaks the mold.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports that the Ohio State superstar will skip the combine altogether. But that’s not all. He also isn’t hiring an agent and it appears he may not work out at Ohio State’s Pro Day either.
His plan is entirely unprecedented.
But when you’re the best wide receiver in college football for two years running, you can do that.
Harrison Jr. is almost assuredly a lock for the top five of the 2024 NFL Draft. The only thing that could change that is likely an injury.
So the rationale makes plenty of sense.
But it makes you wonder if his approach will change what star prospects do in the future. And if it does, what does it mean for the combine as a whole?