NFL combine 2024: Start time, schedule, how to watch or stream

Does the NFL scouting combine still matter?

That question was posed earlier this week to Rich Eisen, who will be hosting the NFL Network’s coverage of the annual scouting event from Indianapolis this week. Fueling the examination is the fact a handful of NFL head coaches — including Mike McCarthy of the Cowboys and Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers — decided to skip this year’s combine.

“The combine still matters. It will always matter, it never won’t matter,” the veteran broadcaster said on The Rich Eisen Show this week. “The reason why the combine exists is for the medical reasons. These players, the first thing you need to know about them before you get to meet them, before you get to check on their personality … the most important thing you need to know is how healthy they are.”

What once was a scouting event held far away from television cameras has morphed into one of the NFL’s TV tentpoles, drawing multiple days of live coverage on the NFL Network, which Eisen cited as a reason why so many coaches are staying home. He’ll be joined in the booth for most of the combine by NFL Network draft analyst and former Eagles scout Daniel Jeremiah.

The only major new wrinkle to this year’s broadcast is that quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs will all be working out Saturday. Eisen said he’s excited for all three positions to take the field the same day, even though the broadcast will “go damn near nine hours long.” But he is disappointed some of the top prospects, including Louisiana State University quarterback Jayden Daniels and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., won’t be participating.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the NFL combine:

While coaches and team executives, including Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman, have been speaking to reporters over the past few days, the main part of the combine begins Thursday and runs through the weekend.

NFL Network will cover all the action (or lack thereof) live, beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday. Here’s a rundown of the schedule:

Eisen and Jeremiah will anchor the NFL Network’s coverage. They’ll be joined throughout the multi-day broadcast by Charles Davis, Peter Schrager, Chris Rose, Ian Rapoport, Stacey Dales and Jamie Erdahl. Also joining the coverage will be analysis by the network’s popular stable of personalities, including Hall of Famers Kurt Warner and Michael Irvin.

ESPN will also cover the combine, with live editions of NFL Live broadcasting from Lucas Oil Stadium. The network will also air a SportsCenter special Wednesday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2 featuring longtime NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., who will release his second mock draft.

Eagles fans can also follow staff writers Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, and Olivia Reiner, will be reporting from Indianapolis all week. Notes and observations about the combine can be found at Inquirer.com/Eagles. Don’t forget to subscribe to our free Sports Daily newsletter.

» READ MORE: As Haason Reddick trade talk heats up at the NFL combine, the Eagles continue to weigh his possible return

You can stream the NFL Network’s coverage on the NFL app and the NFL Network app, though both require a cable subscription.

The league will also stream exclusive coverage on NFL+, its subscription streaming service. A subscription costs $4.99 a month, but there is a free seven-day trial.

On Saturday, NFL+ will offer Players Only Combine at 2 p.m., hosted by Kurt Warner, Michael Irvin, Steve Smith Sr., Maurice Jones-Drew, Michael Robinson, and Rhett Lewis, along with Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner.

The scouting combine’s most popular event is the 40-yard dash. At the 2020 scouting combine, Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, which wasn’t quick enough to crack the top 10, but did help earn him the nickname “Fast Batman.”

Here are the top 12 times in combine history, according to the NFL:

For the record, Eisen’s fastest 40-yard dash time came in 2016, when the longtime NFL Network host finished in 5.94 seconds.

The Eagles have the No. 22 pick in the forthcoming NFL draft, and two picks in the second round.

Depending how free agency shakes out, the Eagles could be interested in plugging some holes on defense, specifically at linebacker and in the defensive backfield.

In his most recent mock draft, Jeremiah has the Birds selecting Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, whom he thinks would bring “playmaking ability and toughness.” Over at ESPN, veteran draft prognosticator Kiper has the Eagles taking Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga, a “dominant run-blocker with powerful hands and strong lower body.”

My colleague EJ Smith has rounded up a list of 10 prospects on offense and 10 prospects on defense Eagles fans should know about. There’s also Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., whose father played nine seasons for the Eagles.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ top draft need is at defensive back, analysts at NFL Network and ESPN say

That’s the perennial question.

Indianapolis, which has hosted the combine since 1987, will continue as the event’s home through at least next year, the NFL announced last month.

After that, who knows? Other cities have bid on hosting, and with the NFL’s success making the draft an annual event by moving it from city to city, it might not be long before the Circle City is forced to say goodbye to the combine.

Other cities continue to campaign to host. Los Angeles and Dallas lost out to Indianapolis last year. But a new fan experience in the South Lot of Lucas Oil Stadium will be back, and among other things fans can take photos with the Colts’ Super Bowl XLI trophy and view all 57 Super Bowl rings.

The Eagles are projected to have nine picks in the 2024 NFL draft, which begins April 25 in Detroit.

That includes four compensatory picks, which the team is slated to receive after losing free agents like C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Javon Hargrave leading up to last season.

Here is a full list of draft picks the Eagles are expected to have, though the team’s compensatory picks likely won’t be finalized until next month: