The 3 cone drill, shuttle run and other NFL combine drills explained

For some, the first thing that comes to mind when they think about the NFL scouting combine is the 40-yard dash.

The combine isn’t necessarily a moment on the sports calendar the average fan is clamoring to follow — some would even prefer if fans didn’t watch at all. But people like Rich Eisen have always created fun moments around it, and the 40 has often been a drill used to do that.

From Eisen’s annual 40-yard dash in support of St. Jude’s Hospital to wide receiver John Ross nearly claiming ownership of an island for his record-breaking performance in the drill, the 40 almost always overshadows everything else.

So, though the other drills are considered equally important tools for team scouts and evaluators to gain valuable information on the prospects they want to consider drafting, not a lot of fans know what those drills are or how to do them.

Below we take a look at each and every measurable event at the NFL scouting combine and what they test, including the 40-yard dash, just in case you ignore that, too.