NFL Combine 2023: When and where to watch your favorite Georgia Bulldogs
It’s time for some Georgia Bulldogs to take the next step in their dreams of a professional football career at the 2023 NFL Combine.
With twelve Georgia football players scheduled to participate in the 2023 NFL Combine, Bulldog fans will be keen to see how their superstars start their path to the Draft.
The NFL Combine used to be a somewhat overlooked event on the NFL schedule, but as with most things related to the league, they’ve turned it into something fans can enjoy and the media can create a debate with.
If you haven’t watched the Combine before here are some key facts about the event and the process.
What is the NFL Combine?
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long event designed to allow NFL scouts, front office teams, and coaching staffs the opportunity to evaluate the college football invitees ahead of the NFL Draft.
The NFL Combine is an invite-only event decided on by a selection committee with the intention of having the top 250-300 players participate across a series of physical and mental tests. This year the selection committee has invited 319 players to the NFL Combine. The purpose of which is to allow NFL brass to evaluate the top players who have entered the NFL Draft.
Prior to 1982, NFL teams had to organize their own in-person sessions with players which was logistically challenging for all concerned. In 1982 Dallas Cowboys GM Tex Schramm proposed a format to the NFL which centralized the sessions and meant they were held at the same time and under the same roof. The Scouting Combine was born.
The tests which the players are put through are tough both physically and mentally and designed to give NFL scouting teams insight into how a player will react under the demands of the NFL and the limits of their physical and mental capacities.
The NFL Combine has become best known for its physical tests which include, the 40-yard dash, Bench press, Vertical jump, Broad jump, Three-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle, and 60-yard shuttle.
Players, specifically quarterbacks will also undergo the Wonderlic test, which is a mental aptitude test designed to ascertain how quickly a player can learn and problem-solve. The Wonderlic test scores can be the topic of great debate for years to come.
Where and when is the 2023 NFL Combine?
The first Combine was held in Tampa in 1982 and moved to Arizona and New Orleans before settling in Indianapolis in 1987, where it is still held to this day. The Combine this year will be held in Lucas Oil Stadium from February 27th February until March 5th. Positional group drills start on March 2nd and are scheduled until March 5th.
The schedule for positional groups is as follows:
All times are ET
March 2: Defensive line and Linebackers from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m
March 3: Defensive backs, Place-kickers and Special Teams from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
March 4: Quarterbacks, Wide receivers and Tight Ends from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
March 5: Offensive line and Running backs from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET)
How to watch your favorite Georgia Bulldogs at the NFL Combine
The Combine will be broadcast on the NFL Network with additional coverage across NFL+.
The full schedule is published on NFL.com and can be found here.
So now we know where, when, and how to watch the NFL Combine, but when will Georgia’s players be put through their paces? Times for individual players aren’t yet available but the Georgia invitees are scheduled to appear within these time slots:
March 2 (3 p.m. to 8 p.m): Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Robert Beal,
March 3 (3 p.m. to 8 p.m): Kelee Ringo, Christopher Smith, Jack Podlesny
March 4 (1 p.m. to 8 p.m): Stetson Bennett, Kearis Jackson, Darnell Washington,
March 5 (1 p.m. to 7 p.m): Broderick Jones, Warren McLendon, Kenny McIntosh
The 2023 Scouting Combine and the NFL Draft are sure to be another memorable if not historic period in the University of Georgia’s history. So settle in, grab a coffee, and watch those Dawgs go to work!
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