2012 NFL Scouting Combine: 5 New Drills We Would Like to See

With the 2012 NFL scouting combine approaching, do you ever wonder what it'd be like if they added some new drills? 

You know, to liven things up a bit. 

Sure, it's a serious exhibition for the nation's top draft prospects, but there are a few drills that could make it more entertaining while giving these elite athletes the chance to showcase their incredible talent and overall skill. 

Medicine-Ball Toss

I've watched videos of prospects training for the draft where they perform a medicine-ball toss that starts between their legs while in a squatting position. 

Then, to display their explosiveness, they fire the ball over their head backwards—much like "keg toss" in the World's Strongest Man competitions. 

(I'm not advocating them using a keg, remember that. That could be a little dangerous.)

Have the players stand in front of a high wall, and see which player could launch the ball the highest.

I'd say some sculpted linebacker would "win."

Squats or Power Cleans

I've always wondered why the scouting combine doesn't feature a drill that allows players to show off their leg and overall body strength. 

The bench press is the most well-known event, but as we all know, most football players have tree trunks for legs and dedicate a lot of time in the gym to their lower body.

Make this an event. 

We'd see a ton of reps from the bigger prospects. 

Linemen Truck Pull

The bench press is the most macho event at the scouting combine and does give head coaches and general managers a good idea of how strong players are, but come on, how awesome would it be to watch beefy offensive and defensive linemen pull a Mack truck?

To make things fair, they wouldn't need to pull the biggest truck available, and I wouldn't expect quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs and defensive backs to take part. 

It'd be for the big boys—the monstrous guys in the trenches—to show off how strong they really are. 

Jump out of a Pool

A few years ago, Atlanta Falcons linebacker Coy Wire was one of the first guys to post a video on YouTube of himself jumping out of a pool. 

Since then, we've all tried it. 

Not easy. 

Some other draft prospects have shown their tremendous leg and core strength recently by recording this athletic stunt.

Jumping out of a pool would certainly be one of the more interesting drills to have at the scouting combine. 

They'd have to put some kind of rounded, soft edge on the pool to avoid the possibility of some pretty bad head/face injuries, but players would have another opportunity to put their strength on display. 

This could be a voluntary event. 

Some Kind of Speed Course

The one knock on the 40-yard dash is that—outside of wide receivers—NFL players seldom run 40 yards in a straight line.

The NFL could go about this two ways.

They could have one uniform "course" for all the players to go through that features a variety of sharp turns. It would make the athletes exhibit their ability to change directions. 

Or, they could construct a different course for each position—one that closely resembles the type of running each position has to do in a game. 

For offensive linemen, they could block a dummy, then run a few yards, hit another dummy and then sprint toward the finish line. 

Defensive linemen could run forward and then loop around as if they were tailing a running play. 

Quarterbacks could scramble to their strong side and then run toward the sideline. 

Running backs could be forced to run straight, make a cut and then burst toward the finish. The same goes for receivers in an attempt to simulate a specific route. 

Defensive backs and linebackers could start in a backpedal and on a whistle rotate and run full speed to the end of the course. (This drill already happens, but I don't think it's officially timed.)