By Vincent Wang, Staff Writer
River Hill High School, like many high schools across the U.S., finds itself attracted to this year’s NFL Draft Combine. This is where the promise of future NFL superstars unfolds. For River Hill students like senior Steven Lofft the combine “isn’t just a series of drills,” it’s a look into athletes they might soon be cheering for on Sundays. For some students like junior David Carr, the combine serves as a “source of inspiration” to get to “that level of play.” There’s also a lot of anticipation to see if athletes can break any combine records.
A casual fan might ask what is the combine? It’s a week-long showcase where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of NFL coaches, general managers, and scouts. The main goal is to provide “how athletic they are before the NFL draft,” remarked Steven.
The combine’s origins trace back to the 1980’s. Players who choose to participate in the combine go through various drills, including the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, and 3-cone drill, they also undergo medical examinations. The “performances at the combine can significantly affect a player’s draft stock” expressed by David. The 2025 NFL Combine highlighted a trio of athletes who significantly helped their stock. Shemar Stewart (EDGE, Texas A&M) delivered a truly dominant performance, showcasing a rare blend of size and athleticism. Matthew Golden (WR, Texas) showed his elite speed. Finally, Ty Robinson (DI, Nebraska) had exceptional athleticism for an interior defensive lineman. These three players emerged as clear standouts.
Players also choose what drills they participate in. For example, if you’re already a high grade draft pick, then most would choose to sit out, for reasons like injury or hurting their stock. This means that most “lower grade draft picks” would participate to try and shoot their draft stock to the moon based on their performance and health. A big example of this are quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. These two top quarterbacks only choose to do certain drills like the throwing/accuracy drills. The reason is that the 40-yard dash would most “likely not up their stock” expressed by Carr.
The buzz and excitement surrounding the “NFL Combine” serve as a powerful reminder to all kids around River Hill to keep going as they see these college students chase their dreams. It also shows how much athleticism is required because these NFL scouts love and seek for athletes. Overall students at River Hill are tuned in for what’s to come in the upcoming NFL Draft.