NFL Combine, explained: How does it work, and what does it mean for the Patriots?

Only two weeks after they appeared in the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots have already set their sights on the first big item on the offseason calendar. It is time for the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.

Once again taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the event officially began on Sunday, Feb. 22, and will run through Monday, March 2. In between, draft prospects will go through a series of drills and interviews; team representatives will be available to talk to the media; agents will represent their clients with free agency coming up; and a lot more.

So, with all that in mind, let’s learn more about the Combine, what will happen over the course of this week, and what it all means for the New England Patriots.

What is the NFL Combine?

In the 1980s, the Combine was originally introduced to create a platform for teams to run college prospects through a series of standardized drills. Former Patriots executive and multi-time Pro Football Hall of Fame candidate Francis “Bucko” Kilroy was among the event’s founders.

Since then, the basics have remained the same even though the event has evolved quite a bit.

The first Combine-like showcase took place in Tampa in 1982. It was eventually re-named the NFL Scouting Combine and since 1987 is held annually in Indianapolis; the city’s location as well as its facilities were the main factors why (and why, despite years of speculation, it has not moved since). Originally only an event open to insiders, it is now a media spectacle that can also be attended by fans.

Who are the Combine participants?

Dozens of athletes at all positions are invited to the Combine annually. This year, a total of 319 players were invited to attend the event — including top prospects such as quarterback Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), wide receiver Carnell Tate (Ohio State), offensive tackles Spencer Fano (Utah). and Francis Mauigoa (Miami) as well as linebackers Arvell Reese (Ohio State) and Rueben Bain (Miami).

Even though they all have been invited for the full Combine experience, not all of them will take advantage of the opportunity. Some will skip parts either due to medical or personal reasons, f0r example. Of course, teams can still watch ceratin prospects at their schools’ respective Pro Days at a later point in the offseason.

For a full list of players invited to the 2026 Combine, please click here.

Which Patriots targets will participate?

Even though they are coming off a Super Bowl berth, the Patriots have several needs worth addressing in this year’s draft. A lot will obviously change over the coming weeks, but for now let’s list the following players worthy of our attention this week:

Wide receiver: Denzel Boston (Washington), Zachariah Branch (Georgia), K.C. Conception (Texas A&M), Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana), Malachi Fields (Notre Dame)
Tight end: Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon), Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt)
Offensive line: Chase Bisontis (Texas A&M), Gennings Dunker (Iowa), Monroe Freeling (Georgia), Caleb Lomu (Utah), Blake Miller (Clemson), Kadyn Proctor (Alabama), Max Iheanachor (Arizona State)
Defensive line: Cashius Howell (Texas A&M), Gabe Jacas (Illinois), Akheem Mesidor (Miami), Derrick Moore (Michigan), L.T. Overton (Alabama), T.J. Parker (Clemson), Zion Young (Missouri)
Linebacker: C.J. Allen (Georgia), Jake Golday (Cincinnati), Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas), Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech), Josiah Trotter (Missouri)

Obviously, there are a lot more prospects on the Patriots’ radar, but those are a few that could very well end up in New England on the first two days of the draft. For some more names worth watching, please visit Pat Lane’s first seven-round mock draft of the year.

What is being tested at the Scouting Combine?

Prospects undergo multiple different workouts and examinations to determine their physical and mental makeup two months before the draft. The Combine is only one piece of the puzzle, but it offers teams an opportunity to watch players perform compared to their peers and with the spotlight on them.

The following drills will take place at the event:

In addition to the workouts, prospects will also hold formal or informal meetings with teams, undergo medical examination and injury evaluation, and meet with the media.

What does the Combine schedule look like?

Sunday, Feb. 22

Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: Early arrival

Monday, Feb. 23

Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: Registration, Pre-Exam, Orientation, Team Interviews
Defensive backs, Tight ends: Early arrival

Tuesday, Feb. 24

Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: General Medical Exam, Pre-ordered Studies, Team Interviews
Defensive backs, Tight ends: Registration, Pre-exam, Orientation, Team interviews
Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: Registration, Orientation, Team interviews

Wednesday, Feb. 25

Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: Ortho exams, Media interviews, NFLPA meetings, Team interviews
Defensive backs, Tight ends: General medical exam, Pre-ordered studies, Team interviews
Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: Pre-exams, NFLPA meeting, Team interviews
Offensive linemen: Registration, Orientation, Team interviews

Thursday, Feb. 26

Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: Measurements, On-field workout
Defensive backs, Tight ends: Ortho exams, Media interviews, NFLPA meetings, Team interviews
Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: General medical exam, Pre-ordered studies, Broadcast interviews
Offensive linemen: Pre-exams, NFLPA meeting, Team interviews

Friday, Feb. 27

Defensive linemen, Linebackers, Kickers: Bench press, Broadcast interviews, Departure
Defensive backs, Tight ends: Measurements, On-field workout
Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: Ortho exams, Media interviews, Team interviews
Offensive linemen: General medical exam, Pre-ordered studies, Broadcast interviews

Saturday, Feb. 28

Defensive backs, Tight ends: Bench press, Broadcast interviews, Departure
Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: Measurements, On-field workout
Offensive linemen: Ortho exams, Media interviews, Team interviews

Sunday, Mar. 1

Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs: Bench press, Departure
Offensive linemen: Measurements, On-field workout

Monday, Mar. 2

Offensive linemen: Bench press, Departure

What is the broadcast schedule?

Whereas the Combine originally was spread out throughout the day, the schedule changed in 2022 to move some of the drills to prime time — seemingly to take advantage of the hype that has been generated around the event through the years. NFL Network and NFL+ will broadcast the Combine and in total air almost 40 hours of live coverage from Indianapolis.

On-field drills will be broadcast at the following times:

Thursday, Feb. 26, 3 p.m. ET: Defensive linemen, Linebackers
Friday, Feb. 27, 3 p.m. ET: Defensive backs, Tight ends
Saturday, Feb. 28, 1 p.m. ET: Quarterbacks, Wide receivers, Running backs
Sunday, Mar. 1, 1 p.m. ET: Offensive linemen

NFL Network will also show three-hour cutdown versions of the drills and show other draft-related content throughout the week. For a full broadcast schedule, please click here.

What else happens during Combine week?

The Combine is more than just a series of workouts. It also features media sessions with team representatives, including the Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf.

Vrabel will take the podium at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with Wolf set to kick things off a day prior with his 10 a.m. ET presser on Tuesday.

In addition, the Combine is seen as the unofficial start of free agency and the NFL trading period. While neither is set to open until March 11 at 4 p.m. ET, the Combine gives teams and agents alike a chance to get together and start off conversations about pending free agents and players potentially on the move.

Furthermore, the Combine will feature a closed-door meeting of the NFL competition committee — one that is now also including Mike Vrabel.

How can you follow the Combine on Pats Pulpit?

Pats Pulpit will have you covered all week, both right here on patspulpit.com as well as on social media. Please make sure to follow on Bluesky, Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram.

We also encourage you to subscribe to Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) and Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39), who will both be in Indianapolis to cover the event on the ground as credentialed members of NFL media and the Patriots beat.

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