The Athletic Football Show: What Matters and What Doesn't at the Combine

Date: February 23, 2026
Host: Dave Helman
Guest: Dane Brugler (The Athletic's NFL Draft Analyst)

Episode Overview

In this lively and comprehensive episode, Dave Helman and Dane Brugler dissect the NFL Scouting Combine, offering listeners an expert guide to what truly matters (and what doesn’t) during this pivotal week in the draft process. They break down position-by-position storylines, debate the value of workouts, measurements, interviews and medicals, and highlight prospects with the most at stake in Indianapolis. By blending behind-the-scenes detail with scouting insight and memorable anecdotes, they deliver an episode that’s essential listening for NFL draft obsessives and casual fans alike.

The Purpose and History of the Combine

[04:35 – 09:32]

• Central Function: The Combine began in the mid-1980s as a centralized location to collect medical data on draft prospects for all teams. “Instead of sending all these guys from city to city...let's just do one central area.” — Dane Brugler [06:29]
• Evolution: Initially bounced between cities before settling in Indianapolis in 1987 due to its logistics, walkability, and cluster of necessary medical facilities.
• Growth: What started as a low-key event for a handful of reporters has now ballooned to over a thousand media credentials.
• Key Takeaway: For teams, the two main reasons for the combine remain medical evaluations and interviews with prospects. “Those two areas are why the combine exists... The sexy part is the on-field, but if you’re going to rank why the combine is important, it’s a distant third.” — Dane Brugler [08:36]

What Teams Value at the Combine

[09:32 – 16:02]

1. Medicals

• Most critical function; can impact a player’s draft stock more than any workout.
• Not all findings become public: “A lot of it won’t ever come to light...sometimes players slip and you’ll never know it was medical.” — Dave Helman [09:32]

2. Interviews

• First significant in-person contact between prospects and teams (beyond the Senior Bowl).
• Speed-dating format: multiple short meetings per night.
• Increasing trend: Some teams’ head coaches/GMs are now skipping the combine in person, though interviews are recorded for review.

“15 minutes in a hotel room with these guys doesn’t need to be the end-all, be-all for whether or not we draft them.” — Dave Helman [12:23]

3. On-Field Drills

• “The underwear Olympics” is oversold, but certain position drills truly matter.
• Notable for media/fans but a smaller piece of the evaluation pie for front offices.

What Actually Matters in Workouts

[16:02 – 21:33]

• Three-cone drill: Valued across positions for displaying change of direction and fluidity. “The three cone is absolutely my favorite as well...regardless of position.” — Dane Brugler [17:01]
• Linemen: Comparisons are best when similar players are grouped closely together.
• Wideouts/TEs: Gauntlet drill is key to see comfort catching on the move.
• “Cross-checking” principle: Testing should confirm or make you re-examine your film take, not override it.

“It’s not meant to...bump up his grade by a round. It’s a cross-checking exercise. If a guy drastically performs outside of what you thought...go back to the tape and figure it out.” — Dane Brugler [19:46]

Position-By-Position Preview: Who Has Most to Prove

Quarterback

[25:16 – 33:57]

• Fernando Mendoza (IU): Not throwing at Indy; likely top-15 pick regardless.
• Ty Simpson: “Most to gain” at the combine. Range could be mid-first to late second/early third. Interview process is key. “[He’s] a guy with 15 starts...There's a development piece missing...He’ll crush the interviews.” — Dane Brugler [27:40]
• Drew Aller: Status unclear due to injury; medical checkup is critical.
• Cole Payton (NDSU): Intriguing tools but raw; productive year could push him into top-5 QBs.
• Prospect challenge: Limited reps or unfamiliar receivers add another variable to combine performance.

Running Back

[34:35 – 37:09]

• Jeremiah Love (RB1): Consensus favorite, but testing numbers can reinforce his claim.
• Jadarian Price: Needs to show he’s fully recovered from an Achilles injury; medicals are vital.
• Mike Washington (Arkansas): “Bigger back, but I think he’ll run well...somewhere in the four fours” — Dane Brugler [35:07]
• Le’Veon Moss (Texas A&M): Season affected by injury; big opportunity to re-establish himself.
• Jonah Coleman: “I’m in the mix for top 3 running backs, I think.” — Dave Helman [35:44]
• Disappointment: Penn State’s Nick Singleton is out due to a Senior Bowl injury.

Wide Receiver

[37:09 – 41:34]

• Makai Lemon: Measurement and top-end speed will be scrutinized.
• Zachariah Branch: Must show downfield tracking/catching skills absent at Georgia.
• “Fastest 40” pick: Brennan Thompson (Mississippi State): “He’ll run the fastest 40, there’s no question...He erases pursuit angles like nothing.” — Dane Brugler [37:59]
• Others to watch: Kendrick Law (Kentucky), Malik Benson (Oregon), Dion Burks (Oklahoma).
• Carnell Tate: How fast will he run? “He’s not a pure burner, but the long strides are dynamic. I’m expecting low-4.4s.” — Dane Brugler [40:48]

Tight End

[41:34 – 45:26]

• Michael Trigg (Baylor): “He’s the type of guy that ‘wins Combine week’ because he’s just a big athletic freak.” — Dave Hellman [41:41]
• Shemar Stowers (Vanderbilt): Elite athlete, needs more clarity on NFL role.
• Jaren Cannock (Oklahoma): Projects to post eye-popping times.
• Deep Group: 27 TEs invited (vs. the average of 18) - huge crowd, so standout performances matter.
• “After Kenyan Sadiq, it’s pick-your-flavor.” — Dave Hellman [44:39]

Offensive Line

[45:26 – 49:13]

• Spencer Fano & Monroe Freeling: Movement skills comparisons back-to-back are revealing.
• Kaden Proctor: Massive tackle; weigh-in numbers will tell the tale.
• Max Iheana: Senior Bowl winner, can he keep rising?
• Caleb Lomu: Athletic left tackle, testing should back up film but his need to get stronger will remain the narrative.

Edge Rusher/Defensive Line

[51:29 – 57:48]

• Edge Rushers: Deep, athletic group. Notable: Arvel Reese, Keldrick Falk, Miami’s Reuben Bain & Akheem Mesidor, Texas A&M’s Cassius Howell.
  • “The 10-yard split matters so much...movement skills and burst must show up.” — Dane Brugler [52:18]
  • On working out or waiting: “This is a fast track! Do it, get it over with... Not doing it here [without reason], you’re doing yourself a disservice.” — Dane Brugler [54:14]
• DT Caleb Banks: Medicals are key; “Planet theory” applies (“There’s only so many people on the planet that look like and move like him.”) [57:48]
• Watch for players with little football background or injury comebacks to pop off the week.

Linebacker

[58:10 – 61:30]

• Jacob Rodriguez: Testing will be watched very closely due to size/athleticism concerns. “All that’s holding anybody back on this guy is testing and athletic ability.” — Dave Hellman [58:10]
• Jake Golday (Cincinnati): On Feldman’s Freaks List; could light up the combine.
• Sonny Styles (Ohio State): Testing could lock him into top-10 status.
• Jack Kelly (BYU): National champion BMX racer as a kid—explosion drills could impress.
• Dane on “risers": “Scouts talk about it. Even though it really isn't so much a thing, perception is reality." [62:19]

Cornerback

[64:38 – 68:04]

• Mansoor Delane: Needs to hit speed/size thresholds; “He doesn’t need to run a 4.33, but if he’s in the 4.5s, that likely disqualifies him for some teams.” — Dane Brugler [65:32]
• J. McCoy: Medicals are pivotal after missing 2025; workout participation TBD.
• Others: Brandon C. (South Carolina), D’Angelo Pons (Indiana, “track speed”) all have something to prove.

Safety

[68:04 – 72:01]

• Emmanuel McNeil-Warren: “6-3, almost 33” arms...if he has a nice combine, he’s going to be on everybody’s radar as a freakish darling.” — Dave Hellman [68:04]
• Dylan Thieman (Oregon): Could post the best speed scores in the group.
• Genesis Smith (Arizona): “If you want true center field skill, that’s what he brings...but he’s a terrible tackler, just say it like it is.” — Dane Brugler [70:44]

Combine “Snubs”

[72:01 – 73:33]

• No “egregious” snubs, but some breakout all-star performers (e.g., Landon Robinson, Tyrone Montgomery) didn’t get the invite.
• Process is by vote; sometimes teams are secretly happy to keep a guy off the mainstream radar: “Teams still really like some players—even if you aren't at the Combine, it doesn't close any doors.” — Dane Brugler [72:19]

Notable Quotes

• “Every minute of this week, Sunday to Sunday, basically is full. It’s a full schedule. And so there’s a lot to get done. But it’s a really important part of my process. But also the process of these teams.” — Dane Brugler, on the combine’s intensity [04:35]
• “It’s a job interview for NFL prospects searching for a team to draft them...for NFL GMs and coaches, this is where trade talks heat up.” — Dave Hellman [02:32]
• “The combine is one big cross-checking exercise... if a guy drastically performs outside of what you thought, then you have to go back to the tape and figure out, okay, what am I missing?” — Dane Brugler [19:46]
• “Cornerback might be the position with the most 'at stake' in this entire combine.” — Dave Hellman [64:38]
• “This is a fast track here in Indy, so even not every pro day numbers are better.” — Dane Brugler [55:16]
• “There’s only so many people on the planet that look like him and move like him.” — Dane Brugler on Caleb Banks [57:48]

Key Timestamps

• 04:35 – 09:32: Combine history and real purpose
• 16:02 – 21:33: How to evaluate drills, what matters (three-cone, gauntlet, cross-checking)
• 25:16 – 33:57: Quarterbacks to watch and what’s at stake
• 34:35 – 37:09: RB conversations and medical red flags
• 41:34 – 45:26: Deepest tight end class in recent memory—who needs a showcase
• 51:29 – 57:48: Edges and D-Line—athletic upside, medical notes, who must test
• 58:10 – 61:30: “Risers,” reality vs. perception, and the linebacker class
• 64:38 – 68:04: Cornerbacks and which drills “win” or “lose” the week
• 68:04 – 72:01: Safety testing and players with unique physical skillsets
• 72:01 – 73:33: Combine snubs and the politics of invites

Episode Tone

Helman and Brugler mix deep expertise with casual, relatable banter, offering a blend of hard truths, behind-the-curtain stories, and draft nerd enthusiasm. They remain measured about what does/doesn’t “move the needle” for teams, but delight in the spectacle and competition of combine week. Their advice and analysis are full of reminders not to overreact—but also to watch closely for players with something extra to show in Indy.

Bottom Line:
This episode arms you with a blueprint for what matters at the NFL combine and who to watch, providing essential context for anyone tracking the draft’s next big risers, fallers, and surprises.