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Performing well at the NFL Combine is one of the most important things a draft prospect can do in the time between their last college football game and the time their name is called on the big stage in late April.
The annual testing by NFL executives and scouts during the February event includes prospects showing off both their athleticism and their smarts.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the entire group that attended the 2016 NFL Combine showed enough of the latter to avoid a major red flag on their scouting report.
For the first time in recent memory, NFL has notified all 32 teams that no player tested positive at February combine, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2016
Schefter, who is as connected as anyone covering the NFL, reports that this is the first time in a long time that there has been no positive drug test at the annual NFL workout.
That’s news that can be taken one of two ways.
Either this is an exemplary group of draft prospect who scouts will point to as a sign that NFL prospects really can avoid the pitfalls of performance enhancing and/or recreational drugs, or someone has found a way for players to “beat” the current drug testing system.
The conclusion to be drawn is likely determined by whether you are a glass half-full or glass half-empty type of person when it comes to the NFL.
The 2016 NFL Draft begins on Thursday. As many as 12 SEC players could be first-round draft choices.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
