NFL Combine - Inside the Numbers - Power

This is the 3rd installment of NFL Combine - Inside the Numbers, if you missed the first two check them out here, Inside the Numbers - Intro and Skills Group

This instillation covers the Power group.  The Power group consists of the Running Backs, Linebackers, and Tight Ends.  These guys are called the Power group because they tend to be a hybrid between the Skills and the Bigs.  They dip their toes in both worlds and because many called the Skill group - Speed, and the Bigs group - Strength, they get the resultant - Power.

So let's take a quick look at the Power group.

Overall Info Based Off 40 Time

40	Vert	Broad	Pro Agility	L-Drill	Bench	Height	Weight
4.3	36.63	122.65	4.24	7.02	21.4	5'11.33	212
4.4	36.19	120.47	4.19	6.98	20.4	5'11.5	216
4.5	35.34	118.1	4.24	7.07	22.1	6'0.5	226
4.6	34.47	116.45	4.27	7.12	21.6	6'1.5	234
4.7	33.2	113.88	4.32	7.19	21.1	6'2	241
4.8	32.4	112.3	4.35	7.24	21.4	6'2.66	247
4.9	31.2	110.02	4.38	7.36	20.3	6'3.25	253
5	30.04	108.93	4.46	7.51	18.6	6'3.25	256

 

  Broad Jump vs. 40 Time

8'9	8'10	8'11	9'	9'1	9'2	9'3	9'4	9'5	9'6
4.85	4.84	4.82	4.93	4.83	4.75	4.75	4.74	4.75	4.68
9'7	9'8	9'9	9'10	9'11	10'	10'1	10'2	10'3
4.72	4.66	4.65	4.65	4.64	4.62	4.58	4.58	4.52
10'4	10'5	10'6	10'7	10'8	10'9	10'10	10'11	11'
4.53	4.56	4.52	4.48	4.53	4.54	4.53	4.51	4.43

 

Broad	40
10'7+	4.49
10-10'6	4.58
9'6-9'11	4.67
9-9'5	4.76
8'6-8'11	4.83
<8'6	4.9

Vertical Jump vs 40 Time

<26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33
4.86	4.88	4.86	4.85	4.78	4.75	4.73	4.69
34	35	36	37	38	39	40+
4.67	4.64	4.61	4.61	4.6	4.57	4.54

Vert	40
<30	4.86
30-32	4.75
33-35	4.67
36-38	4.61
39	4.55

 

Bench vs 40 Time

Bench Reps	<10	10-12	13-15	16-18	19-21	22-24	25-27	28-30	31+
40 Time	4.74	4.73	4.71	4.67	4.7	4.69	4.68	4.65	4.67

Some Facts

• 891 data points were used
• Only 34 guys in this Power group have benched for 30+ reps
• 6 have benched <10 reps
• Only 21 guys in this Power group have run sub 4.40 at the NFL Combine
• 31 have run 5.0+
• 44 guys in this Power group have jumped 40+ inches
• 80 have jump under 30 inches
• 625 jumped less than 10 feet
• 110 jumped over 10 feet

Thoughts

Again, just like in the Skills group, the Broad Jump correlates with 40 times better than vertical jump (even if only by a small margin).

The number of Bench reps performed positively correlate with 40 times, although the difference is very small (<10 reps =  4.74 / 31+ reps = 4.67).  This really means that there is a great variance in every category, with guys running both slow and fast with good and poor benches.  What this really signifies is the athletes with higher benches probably have more relative strength than those with low benches.  It's like if someone can perform a lot of pull-ups they can probably run fast.  Not because pull-ups directly effects speed, but because being able to perform a lot of pull-ups means you probably have lower body fat levels and great relative strength.

Despite this group known for being very powerful and explosive, only 110 (12%) jumped over 10 feet in the Broad Jump and only 142 (16%) jumped 36+ inches in the Vertical Jump.  These numbers are very impressive, but often the notion is almost half of power athletes are hitting these numbers, but it's just not the case.

Despite this group being known for being very strong, powerful, and explosive (really the ultimate combination of athleticism) only 34 (4%) benched 225 for 30+ reps.  I was really shocked by that number.  I understand it's a muscular endurance test, but I really expected more guys to have hit that number.

Weight and Height both correlate with 40 times.  The taller and heavier the athlete, the slower they run (on average).  With the 40 being short and mostly an acceleration, it makes sense that shorter athletes have an advantage in it.  Most short races are dominated by shorter athletes as they are built with better leverages for the stance and acceleration phases.  Usain Bolt is an anomaly from this rule, but Track and Field Coaches will tell you taller athletes struggle with the earlier stages of a race, but are built for the later stages.  The 40 doesn't allow a true sense of the later stages where top-end speed is reached. 

Closing

Two down, just one more group to go - The Bigs!  This will be the D-Line and O-Line.  This power group gives us a great perspective on just how good of athletes these guys are.  Despite being 220-250, these guys are capable of putting up some insane feats of athleticism.  So until next time, Go Get 'Em!



Like, Dislike, Agree, Disagree, WORLD CHANGING, or a big turd; whatever you feel, leave a comment below and let me know!

NFL Combine - Inside the Numbers - Skills

 If you liked the first part of, you can see it here, NFL Combine - Inside the Numbers, then you're gonna like this one.  For this part I broke down the skill positions (WR, CB, S).  Having played WR at the college level and coached at the college level, I continually hear players say they run 4.3x, or jump 40+ inches, or bench 225 - 20+ times, and I can't help but laugh.  Here's some numbers for ya

Each year typically 335 players are invited to the NFL combine, with about 310-325 of those actively participating in the drills and skills.  So that adds up to around 4,000 players, since 1999, who have gone through these drills.

Since 1999, at the NFL Combine (Not Pro Days!)
   - 148 guys (all positions) have run under a 4.40
   - 135 guys (all positions) have jump over 40 inches
   - 136 skill guys have bench 225 over 20 times (and only 1 skill guy has ever benched 225 over 30 times)

To put it simply, these guys running, jumping, and lifting these numbers are roughly the top 5-10% of the guys that get invited to the combine.  Adding on, players that are invited to the combine are, lets say the top 10% (nice easy number) players in college football.   

So if a some high school kid, or Joe Blow says they are putting up these numbers, this means they are putting up numbers equivalent to the top .5-1% of college football players.  I’m not saying it’s not possible, but when just about every idiot who has ever stepped on a football field says they can do that crap, it drives me nuts. 

Now to take a step off my soap box, let’s dive into the fun stuff.  Lots of fancy charts for your eyes to stare at in amazement, so enjoy!

40	Height	Weight	Vert	Broad	Pro Agility	3-Cone
<4.30 (12	71.833	187.41	37.71	125.18	4.06	6.81
guys have run			40"-3/12	10'-11/12
under 4.30)			35"-11/12	10'6-6/12
4.30-4.39 (114 guys	71.2	194.45	37.11	123.623	4.14	6.913
have run under 4.30-4.39)			40"-20/114	10'-85/100
			35"-91/114	10'6-33/100
4.40-4.49	72.15	197.75	36.41	121.35	4.15	6.94
(265 guys have run 4.40-4.49)			40"-35/265	10'-167/261
			35"-186/265	10'6-54/261
4.50-4.59 (401 guys have run 4.50-4.59)	72.41	200.5	35.44	119.71	4.195	7.01
			40"-25/401	10'-195/388
			35"-246/401	10'6-33/388
4.60-4.69 (195 guys have run 4.60-4.69)	72.47	202.89	34.75	118.04	4.22	7.06
			40"-7/195	10'-67/190
			35"-105/195	10'6-14/190
4.70+ (59 guys have	72.63	205.58	34.3	115.44	4.27	7.2
run 4.70+)			40"-3/59	10'-9/58
			35"-26/59	10'6-2/58

  

 Vertical and Avg. 40

<30	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40+
4.54	4.54	4.57	4.58	4.54	4.51	4.52	4.51	4.48	4.46	4.47	4.45

<30	30-32	33-35	36-38	39+
4.53	4.57	4.52	4.49	4.46

 Standing Long Jump and Avg. 40

9'4	9'5	9'6	9'7	9'8	9'9	9'10	9'11	10'	10'1	10'2	10'3	10'4	10'5	10'6	10'7	10'8	10'9	10'10	10'11	11'+
4.58	4.55	4.55	4.55	4.55	4.54	4.53	4.52	4.51	4.49	4.48	4.48	4.45	4.46	4.45	4.45	4.44	4.44	4.51	4.45	4.41

<9'6	4.57
9'6-9'11	4.54
10-10'5	4.48
10'6+	4.45

 Avg. Agility and Avg. 40

40	Pro Agility	L-Drill
4.70+	4.27	7.2
4.60-4.69	4.22	7.06
4.50-4.59	4.195	7.01
4.40-4.49	4.15	6.94
4.30-4.39	4.14	6.913
<4.30	4.06	6.81

A couple of things that stand out to me from the results

• More than double the amount of athletes have run a 4.60+ than under a 4.40
• Only 391 NFL combine athletes from the skills position have run under a 4.50.  Compare this with 655 athletes who have run above 4.50.  It's a lot more common to see a 4.50+ than a sub 4.50 - A LOT more common - let that sink in!
• The Broad Jump has a stronger correlation to 40 times than Vertical Jump.  This is different from popular belief, but has been noted before (http://performancetrainingsystems.net/Resources/NFL%20Combine%20A%20reliable%20Predicitor%20of%20Draft%20Status.pdf)
• Agility Times strongly correlate with 40 times.  It has been stated very widely that sprinting speed and agility/Change of Direction (COD) are not related, but this shows otherwise.  The faster you can accelerate and sprint gives you a higher ceiling/potential for agility drills, it only makes sense. 
• If you wanna run fast, get your vertical to 35inches+ and your SLJ to 10feet+.  Not  many guys that can do these things run slow

So tell me what you think about this info, and as always Go Get 'Em!