The NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a massive event where pro teams get to see the top prospects work out in a large group setting.
However, in recent years, many top quarterback prospects have opted out of throwing at the NFL Combine in favor of waiting until their school’s pro day. Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are the latest in a long line of top prospects skipping the throwing portion of the NFL Combine.
Numerous factors come into play when prospects make this decision, and some of the top draft experts weighed in on those reasons.
Draft Experts Weigh in on the Reasoning for Skipping the Combine
“You want to be in your setting, your Pro Day with your receivers,” said Mel Kiper of ESPN on a recent mock draft special on ESPN2. “You dictate policy there. 40-time? I wouldn’t even run one. Quarterbacks now aren’t doing that, either. So let them watch you perform.”
At the NFL Combine, a quarterback is in an unfamiliar situation, with coaches and receivers who are not the ones they are working with. While they will have to work with new coaches and players come their rookie season, many would argue that the unfamiliarity in this situation holds much more risk than reward.
Numerous players have decided that it isn’t worth the risk of not looking their best with unfamiliar variables. Instead, they can wait to throw at their pro day, where they have chemistry with the coaches and receivers and can tailor a plan for how they want to showcase their talent.
However, while many agree with Kiper’s sentiments, that is not the only argument. Kiper’s colleague at ESPN and fellow draft analyst Matt Miller pushed back on his argument.
“I don’t have an issue with it, but I think it’s a missed opportunity,” Miller said. “I go back to C.J. Stroud in 2023. C.J. goes out there and throws, and he answered a ton of questions, and I think he solidified himself as the No. 2 pick in that draft.”
“So I don’t think it’s gonna hurt Shedeur Sanders that he’s not throwing at the combine. But I do think it’s a missed opportunity to go out there and say, ‘I am the QB1 in this class,'” Miller said. “I’m of the opinion you really can’t hurt yourself by throwing.”
In either order, Sanders and Ward are the consensus top two quarterbacks in the class.
Sanders led the Big 12 in nearly every statistical passing category in 2024. He completed 74% of his passes for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while adding 100 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Sanders also holds the all-time FBS record for career completion percentage at 71.8%.
In 2024, Ward completed 67% of his passes for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He led the ACC in touchdown passes, yards per attempt, and yards per completion and also added 204 yards and four touchdowns as a rusher.
It may never be known whether either quarterback’s decision to skip throwing at the NFL Combine was a smart one. Their showings at their pro days will be worth monitoring and could impact where they get drafted.