Pats Pulpit
NFL Draft hopefuls are in Indianapolis this week to showcase their skills.
Only two weeks after the Super Bowl and the official start of the offseason for all 32 teams, the first big item on the calendar has already arrived. The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is taking place this week.
The league’s “Underwear Olympics” will again be held in Indianapolis, its home of more than three decades. The Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium will host the event which officially started on Sunday, Feb. 23, and will run through Monday, March 3, which is when the last group of players is scheduled to leave town again.
Draft prospects, agents, team representatives, and the media have all traveled to Indiana for one of the biggest events of the offseason. So, let’s find out what the Combine is, what will happen over the course of this week, and what it all means for the New England Patriots.
The Combine was originally introduced in the 1980s to create a platform for teams to run college prospects through a series of standardized drills in what is essentially a vacuum setting. Former Patriots executive Francis “Bucko” Kilroy was among the founders of the event.
The first Combine-like showcase took place in Tampa in 1982. The workout was eventually re-named the NFL Scouting Combine and since 1987 is held annually in Indianapolis; the city’s location and state-of-the-art (at least at the time) stadium, RCA Dome, were the main factors why it is taking place in Indiana. Originally only an event open to insiders, it has since evolved into a media spectacle that can also be attended by fans.
Dozens of athletes at all positions are invited to the Combine annually. This year, a total of 329 players were invited to attend the event — including top prospects such as defensive lineman Abdul Carter (Penn State), cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter (Colorado), and quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) and Cam Ward (Miami).
Even though they all have been invited for the full Combine experience, not all of them will take advantage of the opportunity. Some such as Carter or offensive tackle Josh Simmons (Ohio State) will skip parts either due to medical or personal reasons. Teams can still watch prospects at their school’s respective Pro Days at a later point in the offseason.
For a full list of players invited to the 2024 Combine, please click here.
Coming off a second straight 4-13 season, the Patriots have needs all over their roster. As a consequence, they will take a close look at several of the top prospects available, including the following:
