NFL Scouting Combine Q&A: When do drills begin, who are the top prospects and storylines to follow?

Draft season is in full swing and will continue to heat up at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, hosted in Indianapolis from Feb. 26 - March 4. In preparation for the “ultimate four-day job interview," here are the answers to some of the biggest questions regarding the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

What venue will the NFL Scouting Combine be held at, and who will televise the event?

As it has been each year since 2009, the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. While prospects will start arriving in Indianapolis on Feb. 25, on-field drills will officially run from Feb. 29 through March 3, which will have live coverage on NFL Network, NFL.com and NFL+. 

How many players were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, and which school is the most represented? 

321 prospects received invitations to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, with the reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines leading all college teams in participants (18). The Wolverines' 18 invitees set a record for the most players invited from a single school, previously held by LSU, which saw 16 members of its national championship-winning team earn invites to the 2020 combine. 

What tests are being conducted at the NFL Scouting Combine?

Players will undergo a series of on-field workouts and interviews, in addition to mental and physical exams, which will be weighed heavily throughout the remainder of the pre-draft process. Here is the full list of tests at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine:

• 40-yard dash

• 20-yard shuttle

• Three-cone drill

• Bench press (225 pounds)

• Vertical jump

• Broad jump

• Position drills

• Physical evaluation

• Team interviews 

• Wonderlic test

• S2 Cognition test

Teams can begin interviewing prospects before participating in the on-field drills, and each team can conduct up to 60 15-minute interviews.

There will be designated drill days for each position group, with the defensive linemen and linebackers kicking things off on Feb. 29 at 3 p.m. EST. On March 1, the defensive backs and tight ends will begin working out at 3 p.m. EST. March 2 will be the most intriguing day of the on-field testing portion, as the quarterback, running back and wide receiver prospects will take the field at 1 p.m. EST. The offensive linemen will close out the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine on March 3, starting at 1 p.m. EST. 

Who are the top quarterback prospects?

It's an excellent year to need a quarterback, but whether we see six signal-callers selected in the first round like in the 1983 NFL Draft is yet to be determined. Even so, the top four QBs in the 2024 class are USC's Caleb Williams, UNC's Drake Maye, LSU's Jayden Daniels and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, according to Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN's rankings. 

Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and has drawn comparisons to three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

Maye, the ACC’s leader in passing yards in each of the last two seasons, would be the top-ranked quarterback in most other drafts and will likely be drafted within the first three picks in April.  

Daniels was a late bloomer in college, playing three lackluster seasons at Arizona State before transferring to LSU. However, he showed immense upside during his 2023 Heisman Trophy-winning season, racking up 4,946 yards of total offense (3,812 passing, 1,134 rushing) with 50 touchdowns. 

Meanwhile, McCarthy, who was only 20 when he led the Wolverines to their national championship victory, has plenty of desirable traits and intangibles but didn't get to showcase all of them in Michigan's offensive system. 

Who are the top wide receiver prospects?

The 2024 wide receiver class has a compelling case to be regarded as the deepest position group in this year's draft and potentially in recent memory. Based on Kiper's rankings, the top five wideout prospects are Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., Washington's Rome Odunze, LSU's Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., as well as Florida State's Keon Coleman. 

Harrison, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr. and the 2023 Biletnikoff Award winner, is arguably the most talented wide receiver prospect ever to enter the NFL Draft. In 2023, he surpassed the 1,200-yard threshold for the second consecutive season and scored 15 touchdowns. 

Nabers and Odunze, two projected top-10 picks, make up the second tier of receivers in this class. Last season, Nabers was Daniels' top target, with 89 receptions for 1,569 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. Odunze, on the other hand, led the FBS in receiving yards (1,640) and scored 14 touchdowns despite playing through a broken rib and a punctured lung late in the season. 

Who are the top edge-rusher prospects?

Although there might not be a generational edge-rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft, there are several pro-ready prospects at the position who are sure to excite teams this week. Alabama's Dallas Turner, UCLA's Laiatu Latu and Florida State's Jared Verse are the consensus top three edge-rushers, per ESPN's lead NFL Draft analysts' rankings. 

Even though Turner is seen as the top-ranked edge partly because of his high ceiling, it wouldn't be shocking to see Latu's draft stock skyrocket if his medicals check out. Before transferring to UCLA in 2022, Latu medically retired from football due to a preseason neck injury suffered while at Washington. Over the past two seasons, Latu notched 85 tackles, 35 for loss and 23.5 sacks for the Bruins.

Top storylines to follow? 

Who is the WR2 in the class, and who is the QB3?

Barring an unexpected trade, Harrison is a lock to be a top-five pick in April, but there has been plenty of debate about whether Nabers or Odunze should be the second wide receiver off the board. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Odunze is much more of a physical specimen than Nabers (6-foot, 200 pounds), who has game-changing speed. If Odunze runs well and Nabers dominates the more physically demanding drills, the debate as to who this year's WR2 is will only intensify.

Meanwhile, with Williams considered the sure-fire QB1 and Maye thought of as the QB2 in the class, Daniels and McCarthy will be going head-to-head to earn the title of 2024's third-ranked signal-caller. Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, could have the inside track due to his dual-threat talents, though McCarthy has been soaring up draft boards since winning the national championship. If either Daniels or McCarthy lights things up in Indy, perhaps teams will put whichever player stands out in the QB2 discussion. 

Any other notable positional rankings that have yet to be determined?

Offensive tackle and running back.

The offensive tackle position is another deep one in the 2024 class, and Notre Dame's Joe Alt is widely considered the best of the bunch. Penn State's Olu Fashanu will likely be the second tackle selected in April's draft, and after him, it's anyone's guess as to who will be the next OT taken. Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga and Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton are among the candidates to be the third tackle to come off the board. 

Not only is there no projected first-round running back in this year's class, but the jury's still out as to who the top-ranked player at the position is. Texas' Jonathon Brooks might be the No. 1 tailback in the class, though it's unclear how many drills he'll partake in since he's coming off a season-ending ACL tear. Nonetheless, Florida State's Trey Benson, Notre Dame's Audric Estime, Michigan's Blake Corum and USC's MarShawn Lloyd are all names to watch. 

Underrated prospects to keep an eye on? 

Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley and Penn State edge-rusher Adisa Isaac. 

One of the biggest standouts from the Reese's Senior Bowl, Corley aims to solidify himself as a Day 2 pick during combine week. The 5-foot-11 receiver has been one of the more productive players in college football in recent seasons, and his game resembles that of 49ers star Deebo Samuel. In each of the last two seasons, Corley has ranked inside the top five among Division 1 wideouts in YAC, and his 975 yards after the catch in 2022 were 292 yards more than the next-closest receiver. 

Isaac won't hear his name called before fellow Penn State edge-rusher Chop Robinson in April, but he's still one of the better players at his position in the draft. The 22-year-old led the Nittany Lions in pressures (33) and sacks this past season (7.5), an impressive feat considering he was just two years removed from an Achilles tear. 

Who could be this year’s Anthony Richardson? 

Last year, Richardson, previously regarded as a projected mid-first-round pick with several weaknesses, stole the show at the NFL Scouting Combine due to his extraordinary athleticism, ultimately leading to him being selected fourth overall in his draft. Although there aren't any 2024 prospects as freakish as Richardson – especially at quarterback – don't be surprised if LSU’s Thomas is the talk of the combine. 

The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder has exceptional body control, a knack for gaining yards after the catch and is crafty at separating at the line of scrimmage. In 2023, Thomas caught 68 passes for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns, the most in the nation. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah has Thomas heading to the Houston Texans at pick 23 in his final pre-combine mock draft.