The NFL Combine was not held in 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is making its triumphant return in 2022, and NFL fans are eager to see the league’s top prospects — and their favorite prospects — in action ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The on-field drills are, arguably, among the least important events at the NFL Scouting Combine. Teams are usually more focused on medical exams and interviews as they get to know the player off the field and not from the tape. That’s why a handful of potential top prospects — like Evan Neal, Derek Stingley and Matt Corral — choose to wait until their Pro Days to conduct the on-field drills.
That said, there will still be plenty of top-tier prospects in action at the combine. And given the relative uncertainty atop each positional big board in this top-light class, players that interview and test well could still have an opportunity to rise.
MORE: Watch the 2022 NFL Combine on fuboTV (free trial)
The intrigue surrounding these prospects is why the league is, once again, hosting the event in prime time. The NFL Combine shifted its workouts from the morning and early afternoon to prime time in 2020 to capitalize on the interest in these prospect workouts.
While teams already know, or can roughly estimate, the measurables of each player, the fans don’t know as much. So, for many, this is a great, opportunity to get to know the best players and potential first-round picks of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Below is a look at the notable results from on-field NFL Combine workouts on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
MORE: Full NFL Combine schedule, list of invites by position
NFL Combine results & highlights
4:23 p.m. — The first group of tight ends have all run now. The clubhouse leader for the 40 is now Chigoziem Okonkwo from Maryland. He ran the 40 in 4.54 seconds. Jelani Woods, a 6-7 Virginia product who posted 24 reps on the bench press, ran a 4.61 to tie Dulcich for second place.
.@TerpsFootball TE Chigoziem Okonkwo with a speeeeedy 4.54u. 👀
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/xIg2Gq68oM
— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2022
4:20 p.m. — Connor Heyward, with older brother Cam watching, clocks a 4.73 in the 40-yard dash. So far, UCLA’s Greg Dulcich (4.61 unofficial time) is the leader among tight ends.
.@CamHeyward watching his brother @MSU_Football TE @ConnorHeyward1 run at the Combine is awesome. ❤️🙌
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/MNNkpn8yEM
— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2022
4:09 p.m. — The tight ends are going to be up first at the NFL Combine. Austin Allen from Nebraska is the first of the combine to run, and he posts a 4.79 mark at 6-7.
.@HuskerFBNation TE @austin11allen kicks us off with a 4.79.
Oh also, he’s 6’7″ and 253 lbs. 😳
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/zaGCy7tN6a
— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2022
4:00 p.m. — The NFL Combine broadcast is officially underway!
3:50 p.m. — Speaking of 40 times, we could see some fast ones from the wide receiver group. Cornerbacks and receivers tend to run the fastest 40-yard dashes, so keep an eye on the receivers today.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah lists the following three receivers as having a chance to be the fastest player at this year’s combine:
- Danny Gray, SMU
- Jahan Dotson, Penn State
- Calvin Austin III, Memphis
3:48 p.m. — UNC quarterback Sam Howell will NOT run the 40-yard dash at the combine, as he’s nursing a calf injury. He’s still going to throw, but Howell is another of the top-five quarterbacks in this draft class that will not run.
3:32 p.m. — Workouts start shortly at the 2022 NFL Combine. Arkansas wide-out Treylon Burks will be in action on Thursday, and he spoke earlier in the week about his affinity for 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel.
“I try to mimic my game after him,” Burks said.
We’ll soon see if he has any Deebo-like skills in his bag.
3:11 p.m. — Kenny Pickett wasn’t the only one with an eye-popping hand-size measurement. Skyy Moore, a receiver from Western Michigan, checked in with 10.25-inch hands despite standing only 5-10.
2:49 p.m. — The tight ends hit the bench press today at the NFL Combine. One of the top performers was Virginia’s Jelani Woods. The 6-7 playmaker logged 24 reps of 225 pounds.
.@UVAFootball TE Jelani Woods led all TEs with 24 bench press reps.
Keep your eyes out for @jelani_thegreat today. 👀
📺: #NFLCombine starting at 4pm ET on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/zPM8oDC5Mn
— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2022
2:27 p.m. — Malik Willis and the quarterbacks haven’t even worked out yet, but he’s already a big winner of NFL Combine week. Why? He has interviewed extremely well, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Stock up for Willis.
Malik Willis has been blowing teams away with his interviews at the combine, too. It’s a continuation of his impressive Senior Bowl week. Of the teams I’ve spoken to, the overwhelming majority believe he’s got the highest ceiling of the QBs in this draft class.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) March 3, 2022
1:55 p.m. — In case you missed the excitement, Kenny Pickett’s hand size measurements are in. The Pitt quarterback has 8.5-inch hands, which would measure as the smallest among any current NFL quarterback.
NFL Combine results by position
Below is a look at top prospects at each position, according to SN’s Vinnie Iyer, and how each fared during the 2022 NFL Combine.
Quarterback
| Player | School | Height | Weight | 40 time | Bench Press |
| Malik Willis | Liberty | 6-0 | 219 | ||
| Kenny Pickett | Pitt | 6-3 | 217 | ||
| Matt Corral | Ole Miss | 6-2 | 212 | ||
| Desmond Ridder | Cincinnati | 6-3 | 211 | ||
| Sam Howell | UNC | 6-1 | 218 | ||
| Carson Strong | Nevada | 6-3 | 226 | ||
| Bailey Zappe | Western Kentucky | 6-0 | 215 |
Running back
| Player | School | Height | Weight | 40 time | Bench Press |
| Kenneth Walker III | Michigan State | 5-10 | 210 | ||
| Isaiah Spiller | Texas A&M | 6-1 | 215 | ||
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 6-1 | 220 | ||
| Kyren Williams | Notre Dame | 5-9 | 199 | ||
| Tyler Allgeier | BYU | 5-11 | 220 | ||
| Brian Robinson Jr. | Alabama | 6-2 | 226 |
Wide receiver
| Player | School | Height | Weight | 40 time | Bench Press |
| Jameson Williams | Alabama | 6-2 | 179 | ||
| Garrett Wilson | Ohio State | 6-0 | 183 | ||
| Chris Olave | Ohio State | 6-0 | 187 | ||
| Treylon Burks | Arkansas | 6-2 | 225 | ||
| Drake London | USC | 6-4 | 219 | ||
| Jahan Dotson | Penn State | 5-11 | 178 | ||
| John Metchie | Alabama | 5-11 | 187 | ||
| David Bell | Purdue | 6-1 | 212 | ||
| George Pickens | Georgia | 6-3 | 195 | ||
| Wan’Dale Robinson | Kentucky | 5-8 | 178 |
Tight end
| Player | School | Height | Weight | 40 time | Bench Press |
| Trey McBride | Colorado State | 6-4 | 246 | ||
| Jalen Wydermeyer | Texas A&M | 6-4 | 255 | ||
| Jalen Otton | Washington | 6-5 | 247 | ||
| Jeremy Ruckert | Ohio State | 6-6 | 252 | ||
| Isaiah Likely | Coastal Carolina | 6-4 | 245 | ||
| Jake Ferguson | Wisconsin | 6-5 | 250 |
Offensive line
| Player | School | Height | Weight | 40 time | Bench Press |
| Evan Neal | Alabama | ||||
| Ikem Ekwonu | NC State | ||||
| Tyler Linderbaum | Iowa | ||||
| Charles Cross | Mississippi State | ||||
| Kenyon Green | Texas A&M | ||||
| Trevor Penning | Northern Iowa | ||||
| Nicholas Petit-Frere | Ohio State | ||||
| Zion Johnson | Boston College | ||||
| Bernhard Raimann | Central Michigan | ||||
| Darian Kinnard | Kentucky |
Defensive line
| Player | School | Height | Weight | 40 time | Bench Press |
| Aidan Hutchinson | Michigan | ||||
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | Oregon | ||||
| George Karlaftis | Purdue | ||||
| David Ojabo | Michigan | ||||
| Jordan Davis | Georgia | ||||
| DeMarvin Leal | Texas A&M | ||||
| Travon Walker | Georgia | ||||
| Jermaine Johnson | Florida State | ||||
| Myjai Sanders | Cincinnati | ||||
| Drake Jackson | USC |
Linebacker
| Player | School | Height | Weight | 40 time | Bench Press |
| Devin Lloyd | Utah | ||||
| Nakobe Dean | Georgia | ||||
| Christian Harris | Alabama | ||||
| Chad Muma | Wyoming | ||||
| Quay Walker | Georgia | ||||
| Brandon Smith | Penn State | ||||
| Channing Tindall | Georgia | ||||
| JoJo Domann | Nebraska |
Defensive back
| Player | School | Height | Weight | 40 time | Bench Press |
| Kyle Hamilton | Notre Dame | ||||
| Derek Stingley Jr. | LSU | ||||
| Andrew Booth Jr. | Clemson | ||||
| Sauce Gardner | Cincinnati | ||||
| Roger McCreary | Auburn | ||||
| Trent McDuffie | Washington | ||||
| Jaquan Brisker | Penn State | ||||
| Kaiir Elam | Florida | ||||
| Derion Kendrick | Georgia | ||||
| Daxton Hill | Michigan |
MORE: Complete NFL Combine records
NFL Combine schedule 2022
The 2022 NFL Combine will, once again, be a prime-time event. The NFL made that change in 2020 to ensure they could maximize viewership for the event. Prior to 2020, all drills were held in the morning and early afternoon.
The combine will run Thursday through Sunday with position groups working out in prime time each day. NFL Network, the exclusive home of the combine, will show seven hours of drills each of the first three days and five hours of drills on Sunday. Rich Eisen and Daniel Jeremiah will serve as the primary voices for the event with various other NFL Network guests filling in each day.
Below is the complete TV schedule for on-field workouts and drills at the 2022 NFL Combine.
- Thursday, March 3
| Time | Group | TV channel |
| 4-11 p.m. ET | TE, QB, WR | NFL Network |
- Friday, March 4
| Time | Group | TV channel |
| 4-11 p.m. ET | PK, ST, OL, RB | NFL Network |
- Saturday, March 5
| Time | Group | TV channel |
| 4-11 p.m. ET | DL, LB | NFL Network |
- Sunday, March 6
| Time | Group | TV channel |
| 2-7 p.m. ET | DB | NFL Network |
While the drills will be the big draw for fans wanting to see the draft prospects in action, other aspects are more important for the players. Notably, the player medical evaluations and team interviews will be critical in determining where certain players are drafted.
The interviews will be interesting to watch this season, as the NFL is putting an increased emphasis on team conduct within those interviews. According to the AP, the NFL said, “a team would forfeit a draft pick between the first and fourth round and be fined a minimum of $150,000 if it’s determined a club representative displayed conduct that is ‘disrespectful, inappropriate, or unprofessional’ during an interview.”
“We aim for dignity, respect and professionalism,” league executive Troy Vincent told the AP. “It’s that simple.”
To see the full schedule for the 2022 NFL Combine, click here.
NFL MOCK DRAFT: Malik Willis first QB off the board in pre-combine mock
How to watch the NFL Combine in 2022
- TV channel: NFL Network
- Live stream: NFL App | NFL Network App | fuboTV
Coverage of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine will air exclusively on NFL Network and its streaming affiliates. That includes the NFL app, the NFL Network app, and fuboTV, which comes with a free trial.
Each day except for Sunday, coverage of the combine will begin at 4 p.m. ET. On Sunday, live coverage of the event will begin at 2 p.m. ET.