The Canadian Football League Combine has arrived in Edmonton, giving prospects from across the country a chance to showcase their skills in front of all nine teams and improve their standing ahead of the draft.
But not everyone is sold on how much the testing actually reveals.
Former Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant believes some of the most talked-about drills, particularly the 40-yard dash, are overrated.
“With the bench press and all the drills at the Combine, I think they’re overrated, especially the 40,” Durant said. “So many people put such emphasis on it, but the only guys coming out of a three-point stance are linemen. For skill players, I don’t know how much value that really gives you.”
Instead, Durant says teams should be focusing on explosiveness and short-area quickness, traits that translate more directly to football.
“You want to know if a guy can play ball,” he said. “What’s his burst like? I put more emphasis on the short shuttle, the broad jump, the vertical, things where you can see how explosive a player is and how quickly he can move from a standstill.”
If Durant had his way, the evaluation process would look very different.
“This is a football Combine, so you want to see guys play football,” he said. “Everyone’s going to look good in shorts and run fast. I want to see more one-on-ones, more real football situations.”
However, Durant acknowledged why that likely won’t happen, especially with so much at stake for top prospects.
“There’s too much risk of injury, hamstrings, groins, things like that,” he said. “That’s why I lean more on film. I want to see what you do in pads. Can you still run fast carrying that extra weight? What kind of burst do you have then?”
As prospects take the field in Edmonton this week, the numbers will draw attention, but as Durant points out, they may not tell the full story.
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