The NFL Scouting Combine kicks off in Indianapolis this week, and it's an important step in the pre-draft process. Teams get official measurements on the underclassmen, and the medical exams of the 300-plus athletes participating are critical to teams. Then there's the testing and on-field workouts, which either match what teams have studied on tape, or force teams to go back and do more homework on certain prospects.
The Combine kicks off a busy next month that features pro days around the country and official visits with teams. It's a big week for the Detroit Lions and the 31 other teams around the league.
Here are five things to watch out for in Indianapolis:
1. General manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia are expected to speak to the media. This is an annual tradition for both, and there's usually some good nuggets to come out of those sessions.
Quinn usually talks about the class as a whole, the strengths and weaknesses, and something tells me he'll field some questions about quarterback Matthew Stafford and cornerback Darius Slay, who've been in the headlines lately as trade rumors circulate.
View photos of Detroit Lions players at the NFL Combine.
Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford runs a football drill at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Northern Illinois wide receiver Kenny Golladay runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Mississippi State defensive back Darius Slay runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
University of California Berkeley wide receiver wide receiver Marvin Jones runs up the field during the NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Arkansas defensive lineman Trey Flowers participates in the broad jump during the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, February 22, 2015 in Indianapolis, IN. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Rick Wagner, Wisconsin, 2013
Christian Jones, Florida State, 2014
Taylor Decker, Ohio State, 2016
Tracy Walker, Louisiana-Lafayette, 2018
A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama, 2016
Da'Shawn Hand, Alabama, 2018
Graham Glasgow, Michigan, 2016
Romeo Okwara, Notre Dame, 2016
Miles Killebrew, Southern Utah, 2016
Joe Dahl, Washington State, 2016
Steve Longa, Rutgers, 2016
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee, 2017
Frank Ragnow, Arkansas, 2018
Tyrell Crosby, Oregon, 2018
Nick Bawden, San Diego State, 2018
Chris Lacy, Oklahoma State, 2018
USC linebacker Devon Kennard runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Danny Amendola of Texas Tech runs a drill at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
John Atkins, Georgia, 2018
Tennessee defensive back Justin Coleman runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Penn State defensive back Amani Oruwariye runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 4, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Boston College defensive back Will Harris runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Miami defensive back Michael Jackson Sr. runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Clemson defensive lineman Austin Bryant poses for a headshot during the 2019 Scouting Combine,Friday, Mar. 1, 2019 in Indianapolis. (Logan Bowles via AP)
Old Dominion wide receiver Travis Fulgham runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Saturday, March 2, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Georgia tight end Isaac Nauta participates in the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough runs during a drill at the NFL football scouting combine on Friday, March 2, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
Wisconsin offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Georgia defensive lineman John Atkins runs a drill during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
UCLA offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Virginia offensive lineman Oday Aboushi goes through a drill during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Penn State tight end Jesse James runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas throws during a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Penn State linebacker Jason Cabinda poses for a headshot during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Friday, March 2, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
2. It's unclear if Tua Tagovailoa will allow himself to be examined by team medical personnel or wait until he's further along in his rehab from hip surgery and utilize the Combine re-check window in early April, when he's expected to be closer to his full recovery time.
The Lions obviously have an interest in those medical reports with the third overall pick. The best scenario for the Lions is for Tagovailoa to get a clear bill of health, and that will open up more options for Detroit. Maybe a quarterback-needy team falls in love with Tagovailoa and wants to jump ahead of the Lions, which could leave Detroit with their pick of the top defensive players in this draft. Maybe a team wants to trade up with the Lions at No. 3, and Detroit moves back, gains draft capital, and still gets an impact defender early.
However it works out, Detroit is in a better spot at No. 3 if the medicals check out with Tagovailoa.
3. Speaking of those impact defenders, there are a number of players who have been linked to the Lions with the No. 3 pick, and we'll get to see their measurements and on-field workouts beginning later in the week.
Some names Lions fans should definitely be looking out for are Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young (maybe the best player in this draft), Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah, Clemson hybrid linebacker Isaiah Simmons and Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown. All could be in the mix at No. 3 for the Lions.
Young, Brown and Simmons will be available to the media Thursday and will work out Saturday from 4-11 p.m. on the NFL Network. Okudah will be available to the media Friday and work out Sunday from 2-7 p.m. on the NFL Network.
4. By all accounts, this is a loaded wide receiver class, maybe the deepest and most talented to ever come through the Combine. There are pass catchers of all shapes, sizes and speeds in this class, and there will be impact players drafted well into Day 2. It will be interesting to see how the receiver workouts go Thursday night, starting at 4 p.m. on the NFL Network.
Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. are entering the final year of their contracts in 2020, though we could see the Lions and Golladay talk about an extension sometime before the start of the season. Wide receiver is a sneaky need for the Lions this offseason, so it's worth paying attention to this stacked class of receivers at the Combine.
View photos of NFL.com's top wide receiver prospects attending the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.
Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (2) runs with the ball after a reception against Kent State during the first half of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso)
FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2019, file photo, Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (2) celebrates a 30-23 overtime win against Baylor during the Big 12 Championship game, in Arlington, Texas. Lamb was selected to The Associated Press All-America team, Monday, Dec. 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File)
Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins scores against LSU during the first half of a NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Penn State wide receiver K.J. Hamler (1) before an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2) makes a touchdown catch against Oklahoma safety Justin Broiles (25) during the first half of the Peach Bowl NCAA semifinal college football playoff game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Southern California wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (6) runs past UCLA defensive back Stephan Blaylock (4) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (11) caries the ball against Auburn during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (2) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (4) catches a touchdown pass against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
5. NFC North watch. Most head coaches and general managers from the Lions, Packers, Vikings and Bears are slated to speak to the media, and it's always nice to keep tabs on the division teams this time of year. How are negotiations going with their free agents? What are their draft needs?
I always write two NFC North columns during Combine week, one from the head coach availability and one from the GMs. The easiest way to secure a playoff spot is to win the division, so staying up to date with what's going on in the NFC North is always important.
