NFL Rumors: Scouting Combine Drills to Move into Afternoon and Prime Time

The NFL will shift on-field drills to the afternoon and prime time at the scouting combine, beginning in the 2020 season.

Judy Battista of NFL.com reported the event will remain in Indianapolis through at least 2021, though the league could begin exploring additional cities. A move to prime time is no doubt a ploy to get more viewers to tune into the combine and make it a television ratings draw.

The NFL found success in turning its draft into a traveling prime-time show, so it's likely the league will want to use the combine as a "preview" to allow fans get to know players. The levels of participation vary; top-level draft picks often sit out of drills or the on-field portion of the event to preserve their value.

It'll be incumbent upon the NFL to find a way to incentivize top prospects to participate in the combine. That's particularly the case for quarterbacks, the majority of whom choose to wait until their pro day to throw rather than doing so at the combine.

The NFL may also want to find more engaging drills for the athletes to make it more viewer friendly. The current product does not provide much in terms of entertainment value, aside from the 40-yard dash. There is also only so much that can be done in terms of scouting takeaways from the combine, so finding a way to make it more fun could benefit everyone.

Either way, shifting the combine to prime time will make it easier for people who do want to watch, even if there are no structural changes.