Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, and NFL players have been watching the incoming draftees closely.
One who has been keeping a close eye is Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu, who had some wise words for draft prospects performing in the combine this week.
“The combine is cool & all but that s— not gone tell nobody if you a good football player or not,” Omenihu said via a post on X/Twitter. “Prospects enjoy the process, but dont get too caught up in what people saying about your numbers. Your FILM is what matters.”
Omenihu’s sage advice isn’t wrong by any means. The combine is a good way for NFL scouts to get a look at the athleticism of incoming talent, and it can draw attention to prospects who otherwise have flown under the radar leading up to that point.
However, if the most successful combine performers were also the most successful NFL players, the league would have looked much different over the years. Running the fastest or jumping the highest doesn’t always equate to skills on the field. The film, however, can speak volumes.
Also, for scouts and coaches, the combine is just as much (if not more) about meeting the prospects than it is about the workouts. Meeting prospects can give NFL teams a closer look at a player’s personality, work ethic, thought process, football IQ and more. So, really, the combine workouts are just one part of the complex puzzle that is talent evaluation in the NFL.