Learning about player development through NFL Combine
Mar 08, 2022 3:09 pm
Coach ,
This week I’d like to focus on the NFL Combine and what it can teach us about player development.
What certain drills and measurable translate to better performance come game time?
What can we do with our players now to gain an edge for next season?
The common theme was certainly speed (three of Baylor’s receivers were sub 4.4 WOW!), and we will definitely highlight some speed training methods and drills this week.
Today we will focus on quarterback development and speed for all players.
Quarterback
The top performance was turned in by Kenny Pickett from Pitt. Draft experts liked the composure he showed both during the season and at the combine as he delivered the ball with confidence throughout his onfield portion of his workout. While at Pitt, Pickett played under offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, who has since moved on to Nebraska.
Whipple’s version of the Air Raid passing game allowed Pickett to use the entire field tp stand in the pocket and find completions. Whipple loves concepts like Shallow and Drive which are certainly QB friendly.
Here is Coach Whipple explaining Pitt’s “Drive” concept on game film. He shows how they put their X on the Mike backer to create a 2 on 1 (click on image for video):
In addition, Pickett turned in a 4.73. Which is still very good in an era of extremely mobile quarterbacks.
In the NFL, escapability is key. The ball needs to be out quick, or a QB needs to move and adjust to keep the play alive.
Training escapability has a value at every level. The issue of a quickly collapsing pocket is an issue everywhere, so training it will definitely pay dividends, and it can certainly be worked at this time of the year where the focus is on improving agility. Those can range from quick movements simulating movement in the pocket to escapes that get the QB on the move outside the pocket.
When escaping the pocket, a quarterback needs to be efficient with his footwork, and that is exactly the purpose of QB Coach at Syracuse Sterlin Gilbert’s “right foot-left foot angle drill.” He shows how they work this in a simple drill.
(click on image for drill video)
The first is his Rip-Up movement which allows the QB to step up through pressure and keep the play going for a positive gain. The key as new Hawaii OC Ian Shoemaker points out is keeping the ball carriage position through the movement to allow for a quick reset. He explains the specifics of the Rip-Up drill here (click image for video):
QB Developer Tony Racioppi prepares college QBs for pro days and the combine and has a set of drills to teach escapability. Here he explains his progression which involves getting the QB on the move starting with his wave drill (click on image for video):
Speed
Iowa State’s Breece Hall entered the week as the projected top back in the class. He performed well running a 4.39 40 and excelled in his onfield workout as well.
We all understand the importance of speed at every level. It is a game-changer, especially with a running back who uses his speed to take it the distance. One of the best trainers in the area of speed development is Brian Kula.
Coach Brian Kula has worked with Division 1 athletes from over 25 universities across the country including notable local athletes Christian McCaffrey - #8 Overall NFL Draft Pick ’17 (Carolina Panthers).
What does a Kula workout look like?
Like any teaching we do on the field, it begins with a logical progression moving from simple movements to getting the body ready for an explosive workout, all the way through sprinting.
The next series of videos show what Coach Kula does in his workouts.
Coach Kula starts a training session with dynamic flexibility and groundwork (click on images for video).
Video: Dynamic Flex and Groundwork
He then progresses to Acceleration movements:
The focus then is on working Ballistic Movement:
The preparation for the sprinting portion of the workout is something which Coach Kula has developed himself called the Bounce/Fire Series:
Not only is it fun to watch the elite performances of speed, power, and athleticism on display at the NFL Combine, it certainly stimulates thinking on how we can develop our athletes to look and perform more like those players.
Hopefully, this sparked some thinking for you.
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski