2017 NFL Combine: When does it start?
By John Buhler
We’re getting to that part of the year where the NFL calendar flips over. When does the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis officially begin?
The NFL calendar will turn the page to 2017 when the NFL Scouting Combine is under way. Every year, all 32 NFL franchises and many of college football’s best upperclassmen meet in Indianapolis for this nationally televised media spectacle.
The NFL Network has full coverage of the combine from Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the AFC South’s Indianapolis Colts. This part of the NFL season usually begins in the last weekend in February, but the NFL has opted to push it back a week for 2017.
The 2017 NFL Scouting Combine will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 28 when the first three groups of players arrived in Indianapolis. Groups 1-3 will be composed of primary special teams players, offensive lineman, and running backs.
They will arrive in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 28 to begin their orientation for their four-day stint at the scouting combine. These first three groups will complete their itinerary by Friday, March 3.
Day one is mostly about registration, medical, and a few interviews in the evening. The second day of the combine features body measurements, some more medical examinations, and more interviews. Day three is where players will begin to show their physical strengths, most notably the bench press. The final day in Indianapolis for each group will feature the field work with cone drills and the ever-popular 40-yard dash.
The NFL has wisely staggered the players coming to the combine with a few groups of players arriving in stages throughout the first four days. Quarterbacks, wideouts, and tight ends arrive in Indianapolis on Wednesday, Mar. 1.
Defensive lineman and linebackers come to the scouting combine on Thursday, Mar. 2. The defensive backs are the fourth group arriving in Indianapolis on Friday, Mar. 3.
Next: Every NFL Team's Best Draft Pick Of All-Time
Overall, the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine runs from Tuesday, Feb. 28 when the special teasers arrive and runs until Monday, Mar. 6 when the defensive backs get done running their 40-yard dashes.