The NFL’s annual testing and measurement event, the NFL Combine, is an integral part of the NFL draft process. Each year, some of the most talented and athletic college football players turned pro prospects are invited to Indianapolis to showcase their athletic prowess. How many NFL Combine players are there each year?
How Many Players Are Invited to the NFL Combine?
For one week every year, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis transforms into the epicenter of the NFL draft process. The long-established home of the NFL’s annual testing and measuring plays host to some of the top talent available in the upcoming draft, allowing them to show off their athletic prowess while undergoing medical examinations and interviews with teams.
The number of players each year at the NFL Combine actually varies. As per NFLcombine.net, “the number of athletes per position varies from year-to-year depending on the available talent.”
MORE: NFL Combine 2023 Schedule
If the above statement holds true, the NFL Combine is a good marker of what the league thinks about each particular draft class. For example, there is a perception amongst media analysts that the 2023 NFL Draft class isn’t as strong as previous years. The fact that there are less Combine invites than any year since 2010 would appear to corroborate those opinions.
While the number may vary each year, the NFL asserts that the Combine is capable of accommodating and processing up to 335 total athletes per year. That said, the event has surpassed that marker three times since 2010. In 2018, the NFL Combine welcomed 336 players. In both 2019 and 2020, 337 players descended on Indianapolis for the NFL Combine.
Number of NFL Combine Invites Per Year Since 2010
- 2023: 319
- 2022: 324
- 2021: 323
- 2020: 337
- 2019: 337
- 2018: 336
- 2017: 330
- 2016: 332
- 2015: 323
- 2014: 335
- 2013: 333
- 2012: 328
- 2011: 329
- 2010: 327
How Many Quarterbacks Are Invited to the NFL Combine?
Like the rest of the NFL Combine players, the number of quarterbacks invited to the NFL’s annual testing and measuring event varies each year dependent upon the talent pool.
Since 2010, there have been multiple classes with 19 signal-callers in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, the 13 invited to the 2021 NFL Combine is the lowest in that time span. It is worth noting, however, that the 2021 event was disrupted by the global pandemic resulting in a reliance on Pro Days and also impacting the number of QB declarations for the draft.
Although the number varies each year, the NFL Combine has historically aimed for a baseline of 12 players at the quarterback position, as explained to Sports Illustrated by Jeff Fisher in 2018.
“We try to let the talent pool dictate how many guys we have at each position. We understand and look at the averages of how many guys are drafted at each position. We know we want to be around a dozen quarterbacks.”
Number of NFL Combine QB Invites Since 2010
- 2023 QBs: 15
- 2022 QBs: 15
- 2021 QBs: 13
- 2020 QBs: 17
- 2019 QBs: 17
- 2018 QBs: 19
- 2017 QBs: 15
- 2016 QBs: 18
- 2015 QBs: 15
- 2014 QBs: 19
- 2013 QBs: 16
- 2012 QBs: 19
- 2011 QBs: 18
- 2010 QBs: 19