Nfl Combine 2026: Schedule, on-site programming and who’s skipping the throw
The nfl combine 2026 opens this week at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, bringing more than 300 prospects and a formally released invite list of 319 players as teams begin medical testing, interviews and on-field evaluations ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. The event matters now because positional workouts, team interviews and coach press conferences are concentrated across a single week and will shape how teams frame the draft class.
Nfl Combine 2026 returns to Lucas Oil Stadium and the invite list
The event takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, and on Feb. 11 the NFL released the full list of 319 invitees. More than 300 prospects will be on site for medical testing, on-field drills, exams and interviews with team personnel and the media in advance of the 2026 NFL Draft. Projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) has decided not to throw at the combine; analysts Mike Tannenbaum and Dan Graziano examine Mendoza’s potential combine week after that decision.
On-field workout days, times and calendar dates
Punting, kicking, defensive line and linebacker on-field workouts are scheduled to start at 3 p. m. ET on Thursday. Defensive backs and tight ends will do their workouts at 3 p. m. ET on Friday. Quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs are scheduled for 1 p. m. ET on Saturday, while offensive linemen finish with their workout at 1 p. m. ET on Sunday. The team media schedule lists specific calendar dates: Tuesday, February 24 begins on-site media activity; Thursday, February 26 is the first day of defenders taking the field; Friday, February 27 is defensive backs and tight ends; Saturday, February 28 is quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs.
Team interviews, medical exams and the invite process
Participation at the combine is by invitation only. All 32 teams provide input on draft-eligible prospects, and the player selection committee then reviews and votes on each eligible athlete. The NFL combine rulebook states the goal is to invite every player who will be selected in the NFL Draft. Each prospect on site will interview with teams, go through medical evaluations and/or participate in on-field workouts, among other activities.
Daily team press conferences and team-focused coverage
Team activity begins early in the week: the executive vice president of player personnel, Eliot Wolf, is scheduled for a press conference at 10 a. m. ET on Tuesday. That same Tuesday features a 12–2 p. m. ET segment titled Patriots Unfiltered with Evan Lazar and Michael Dussault offering combine notes, prospect and positional features. Head Coach Mike Vrabel’s combine press conference is scheduled for Wednesday at 1 p. m. ET, and a special edition of Patriots Catch-22 will air live on Wednesday, February 25 from 3–5 p. m. ET. Various prospects, NFL head coaches and executives will be speaking daily across the media schedule. The team’s listed daily coverage plan details: Tuesday, February 24 — live coverage of Eliot Wolf at 10 a. m. ET and a midday 12–2 p. m. ET show; Wednesday, February 25 — live coverage of Mike Vrabel at 1 p. m. ET plus podcast and written recaps and a 3–5 p. m. ET live edition of Catch-22; Thursday — written prospect notes and nightly workout analysis, with Evan Lazar and Michael Dussault joining the midday 12–2 p. m. ET show; Friday — continued written coverage and nightly analysis; Saturday — written coverage plus a breakdown of quarterback, wide receiver and running back workouts.
Broadcast windows, daily programs and on-site shows
Multiple daily program windows will cover combine activity, with all listed program times given in Eastern Time. Daily program slots include a morning anchor show at 7 a. m., an 8 a. m. morning program, a 10 a. m. debate/analysis block, a 3 p. m. combine-focused show called NFL Draft Daily, an on-site show titled NFL Live from Lucas Oil Stadium at 4 p. m., and evening highlight editions at 6 p. m. and 11 p. m. The new NFL Draft Daily program will air at 3 p. m. ET all week long. Fans who would like to attend the combine can register; registration details were distributed with the invite materials.
Names to watch, positional depth and prospect highlights
Several high-profile prospects are singled out for attention. Projected No. 1 Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) will not throw at the combine. Ty Simpson (Alabama), listed as the second-best quarterback in the consensus rankings, will throw. Among top defenders named are linebacker Arvell Reese (Ohio State), safety Caleb Downs (Ohio State), edge rusher David Bailey (Texas Tech) and edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami). Scouts see offensive tackle, wide receiver and edge rusher as the deepest positions in this draft. In mock-draft movement, Mel Kiper Jr. had four wide receivers projected to go in Round 1: Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State), Makai Lemon (USC) and Denzel Boston (Washington).
