I have to be honest, I’m not much for the NFL Scouting Combine.

Nothing against the basis of the event, but I just don’t buy into the hype surrounding what goes on at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis every late winter. The combine has become its own entity, and to the point where so many people who follow the NFL put a ridiculous amount of stock into what happens during the testing and evaluation periods.

Don’t get my message twisted, I feel the combine still has value, but it might not be as much as some might suggest. I believe a players’ film from prior seasons should always trump a workout, whether than be in Indianapolis or a team’s Pro Day.

But there is still a lot of learning to be done at these workouts, mainly to beware of the “red flags”.

When people think of “red flags” they tend to always talk about a player’s medical status. This is critical for a team about to invest in a player for at least four seasons. But there are so many other red flags which could cause a team to hold off on pulling the trigger and drafting a prospect.

When Caleb Williams went to the combine and not only didn’t test, but wouldn’t share his medial information with any teams, that’s a huge red flag. Maybe it was a rumor, but if true that’s a really bad look.

Any athlete who gets injured during testing is going to potentially risk their draft stock depending on the injury. When Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins injured his groin after running the 40-yard dash, it might cause some pause from teams who might be in the market for a cornerback.

Marvin Harrison Jr. showed up at the combine, but didn’t talk. Maybe it was due to him going through medical evaluations which went long, but if there was a logical reason for him not speaking to media, and it wasn’t made public, he should fire his agent/P.R. team immediately. Otherwise, guess who is going to paint a negative picture of him for the next two months leading up to the draft? The same media he didn’t speak with…

Just as there are red flags of concern, some flags are ones which alert teams of potential talent which went unnoticed. When an athlete runs, jumps, throws, or lifts more than anyone expected the to, boasting a huge Raw Athletic Score (RAS), it can cause teams to go back to the film and see what they missed. How could they have not seen this coming?

The combine is important, don’t get me wrong, but not to the point where people are talking about players jumping into the Top 10, while being a late Round 1 player, just because they ran in a straight line faster than their peers. There is more to football scouting than a 40-yard dash…at least there was the last time I checked.

So, what’s the moral of the story?

Enjoy the combine and take it for what it’s worth. A designed spectacle which helps shine light on both the good, and bad, of athletes who are preparing to take the next step in their career. Is it a life-changing event? I’ll never go that far, not for the combine. Instead, I’ll let the actual football film do the talking.

Time to start digging in…