My First NFL Scouting Combine Experience

I’m not going to lie, I felt like a super small fish in a massive pond. As I approached the media area for the first time and walked by the likes of Jocina Anderson, Andrew Siciliano, Field Yates etc. And that’s not even to mention the superstar athletes like Ceedee Lamb and Tua Tagovailoa that are being interviewed. Internally, I was battling nerves, excitement, naivety, disbelief and a slight hint of indigestion. However, externally I was acting as cool as could be in a room full of my personal idols. That last sentence is probably completely inaccurate, but it’s how I like to think of myself at that moment.

The only thing I could think to do in that moment was to use Twitter to try to document everything that I was seeing in a singular thread so that way others could see and experience everything I was in the moment. To see that thread in its entirety, follow me on Twitter @dynastyprice and it is pinned to the top of my page. However, I wanted to take time in article form to help fill in the gaps on things that 160 characters would not allow. 

Below are my personal notes/feelings/take aways and fantasy advice from the combine 2020

1. There is still a gap between “football” people and “fantasy football” people. Although it was never expressly said to me, many people would respond with “Oh, that’s neat” when I explained Dynasty Nerds.
2. Being able to speak with players was a big plus when it came to knowing their feel of the game and their confidence level. Guys like Jalen Reagor and Ke’shawn Vaughn came across extremely confident and serious in their approach. Michael Pittman and Jonathan Taylor were definitely the most articulate and knowledgeable when it came to the game of football. Henry Ruggs III was really laid back and relaxed in his interview while Ceedee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy were a little underwhelming and were not enjoyable interviews. A guy that I was higher on than most, Michael Warren II out of Cincinnati, seemed bored or upset with the entire process. That probably hurt his stock for my personal ranks.
3. It’s not weird to get a chance to talk with the players off the podium as well. Often they are wandering the halls and hanging out in lounge areas just like everyone else there.
4. One of the interesting things to watch was how the players interacted with each other. It was not too hard to spot the leaders and the more liked players verses the more lone wolf kind of personalities. 
5. Watching the on-field drills at Lucas Oil Stadium is overrated. The seats are not that good, you have to be crazy quiet, and it’s hit or miss as to what time you will get in and when they might kick you out. On top of that, there is not an area for media members so there is really no perk to the passes in that situation. Watching it from home is honestly the best route.
6. Most of the fantasy community that attended the event were super nice and really approachable. I was able to connect with people like Matthew Berry, Evan Silva, Danny Kelly, Ryan McDowell and many others during my time and I found those conversations to be invaluable.
7. Although this is technically a business trip for these NFL people, it’s treated a lot more like a week of vacation time during the evenings. It’s not weird to go out and see head coaches, scouts, front office people hanging out at the bars and having a good time catching up with old friends.
8. The buzz around the combine was that almost everyone involved hated the drills being during the evening hours. I would not be surprised to see that be a big area of discussion leading into next season.

All things considered, I had an amazing time in Indianapolis. I cannot wait for the 2021 combine, when Dynasty Nerds gets you even more access and content.