It’s measurement day at the 2011 NFL Combine, with players being poked, prodded and tested mentally at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. On Thursday, players are going through the weigh-in process, having their height, weight, hand size, arm size and more measured in front of a room full of scouts. After the weigh-in, players take part in the most fun activity of the combine: The Wonderlic test. Consider it a full, mentally taxing day for the top 2011 NFL Draft prospects.
The Wonderlic test, a cognitive ability exam meant to test players’ intelligence, is fun fodder, but more-or-less useless to many. Quarterbacks will have their scores scrutinized, while the rest of the players need not worry much about their scores, unless they spectacularly bomb the test. Offensive lineman are smart, quarterbacks are supposed to be smart and the rest doesn’t matter much at all.
Nevertheless, keep an eye on the Wonderlic scores as they inevitably leak out. There’s always one player — cough, Vince Young, cough — that has a score so bad, it’s unbelievable.
Players will end their Thursday with individual interviews, spending 15 minutes with teams that request them. The interview process is just as important as the workouts, with character still a high-priority for many teams. The interviews serve as a chance to get to know some of the top-prospects, with a player like Jake Locker getting an opportunity to shine.
With the off-field process continuing through Friday, players will hit the field starting on Saturday for the fun part of the combine: The workouts. Coverage can be found on NFL Network from Saturday through Tuesday beginning at 6 a.m. PST.
For more on the events, check out our NFL combine StoryStream.