Attending the NFL Combine can significantly impact a player’s draft aspirations. While participation in the event does not determine the fate of college football players hoping to be drafted, most draft selections do attend the annual scouting showcase in Indianapolis. But who decides which players will receive an invitation each year?
We explore the decision-making process and uncover how college football players are selected to attend the NFL Combine.
The NFL Combine Invitation Process
In 2025, the complete list of combination invitations includes 329 players. They consist of the best college football players who are eligible for the NFL Draft and have been invited to attend the league’s annual scouting event to showcase their skills.
The NFL Combine is widely regarded as the premier event for players to interact with NFL teams. While fans often marvel at the impressive athleticism displayed during the on-field drills, the true value lies in the off-field medical evaluations and the personal interviews with all 32 NFL teams.
On-field workouts for the 329 invited prospects for the annual NFL Scouting Combine begin this week:
🏈Thursday: DL and LBs
🏈Friday: DBs and TEs
🏈Saturday: QBs, WRs, RBs
🏈Sunday: OL— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 24, 2025
This is why the invite list for the NFL Combine is highly anticipated each year. All eligible NFL Draft players are eager to receive an invitation, but ultimately, their attendance is beyond their control.
Participation in the NFL Combine is strictly by invitation only. The NFL sends out invitations early in the year, ahead of the scouting showcase.
The Player Selection Committee, which is responsible for determining who receives an invite, gathers input from all 32 teams. Teams provide feedback on the players they want to evaluate further.
The Player Selection Committee includes scouts, staff from all 32 teams, and general managers who serve on a rotational basis. The Director of the National Invitational Camp oversees the process, carefully evaluating the input from NFL scouts to ensure the selection of over 300 players each year.
The goal is for every player selected in the NFL Draft to attend the Combine in Indianapolis. However, as the event has grown into a major television spectacle, the selection process has evolved to increase fan engagement.
The NFL Combine is an important milestone in the pre-draft process, but several players who were not invited to the event have still found success in the NFL. On average, only 85% of players selected in the draft attended the NFL Combine.
In 2025, Shilo Sanders will be at the top of the NFL Combine snubs. However, he can look to the careers of Antonio Gates, Julian Edelman, and Malcolm Butler, all of whom were not invited to the NFL Combine, as examples of successful players who overcame this obstacle.
KEEP READING: Top Players Not Participating At The 2025 NFL Combine
Despite this, the Combine remains the best opportunity for NFL teams to gather data on prospects. National Football Scouting (NFS) in Indianapolis conducts medical evaluations and psychological tests, with Indiana University Health performing the relevant tests.
NFS compiles and records each assessment, ensuring that all teams have access to the same medical records.
The Player Selection Committee considers all of this information when determining invitations each year. Each NFL personnel department provides input on potential invites based on players they wish to conduct medical evaluations on or those they want to spend time with face-to-face.
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