Path to the draft runs thru Indy … Every year we make that statement referring to the fact that the scouting combine in Indianapolis is an indisputably a key element of the pre-draft process. Last year, for example, 86% of the 259 players selected at the 2023 draft participated in some way at last February’s event in Indianapolis. That is roughly the same as in 2022, but down ever so slightly from the figure in previous years. For the record, 35 players who were not invited to the combine did get drafted this past April-May, about the same as in 2022 when 36 non-combine participants were drafted.
It is also important to note, though, that while getting a combine invite is a really good start, it still does not guarantee that a player is selected. Last year, of the 300-plus players in Indianapolis, just under 70% were ultimately selected at last spring’s draft. Again, though, there are major differences in the likelihood different positions get drafted. Indeed, 13 of 15 (87%) QBs in Indianapolis last February were ultimately drafted, while the figure was 80% among TEs, 75% for defensive linemen, 67% for DBs, 65% among offensive linemen, 63% for LBs and 62% for WRs. In contrast, the only position below 50% were the RBs among whom just 13 of 27 combine participants were selected last April-May.
It is also true that players who were at the combine make up almost all of those selected in the early rounds. Indeed, every player selected in the first two rounds of the 2023 draft were at the combine; however, three non-combine players were selected in the third round including Sacramento State DB Matre Mapu who was chosen with the 76th pick overall by New England, while DTs Kobie Turner of Wake Forest, who emerged as one of the top defensive rookies in the league last fall, and Brodric Martin of Western Kentucky were selected with the 89th and 96th picks respectively by the LA Rams and Detroit. In contrast, just one non-combine invitee was selected as early as the 3rd round the previous year. However, the large majority of non-combine participants who end up getting draft are are selected in the later rounds. Last year, for example, 27 of the 35 drafted non-combine participants were not selected until the 6th or 7th rounds.
It is also interesting to note that defensive players made up the large majority of all non-combine participants who were ultimately draft. In fact, 25 of the 35 drafted non-combine participants played defence, while only 10 were offensive guys. Indeed, just four offensive skill position players – one each at QB, RB, WR and TE – had not been invited to the combine last year were drafted, while the figure was 86% among the OTs, OGs and Cs. In contrast, just 71% of DTs and 79% of defensive backs drafted last spring were at the combine, while the figures were 88% among LBs and over 90% among DEs and ERs.
