It’s no secret that the NFL draft draws worldwide interest. In fact, next to the Super Bowl, it is the most watched football-related event of the year. Now, it’s true that some of this mass appeal can be attributed to scheduling: its late April arrival each year serves as an oasis of sorts to the average football fan in the barren emptiness that separates the end of the Super Bowl and the start of training camp. Plus, it is the one true event that merges the collegiate and professional levels–thus, unifying two enormous pools of fans. So, this is all to say that I fully understand the inherent appeal of the system. The yearly NFL Combine, however, I believe to be an entirely different animal.

