Latest news with #TheScoutingCombine
USA Today
25-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lions grab rising hybrid linebacker prospect in Mel Kiper's second mock draft
The Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis, which means plenty of mock drafts have started making the rounds as teams prepare to watch over 300 prospects take part in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. Among those mock drafts is one from the original draft master, Mel Kiper of ESPN. Kiper dropped his second mock draft of the season ahead of the Combine. In this instance, Kiper has the Lions taking a linebacker prospect that has risen since the Senior Bowl after a strong week. With the 28th pick in Mel Kiper's mock draft, the Detroit Lions select Oluwafemi Oladejo, outside linebacker, UCLA. Kiper wrote: 'On one hand, Detroit ran into bad luck in 2024 with an inconceivable number of injuries to its defense, seemingly dooming the otherwise dominant team. On the other, the Lions never really had a clear No. 2 pass rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson (who missed some time himself with a leg injury). Za'Darius Smith had four sacks over eight games after a midseason trade to Detroit, but no other edge rusher had more than three sacks. The rest of this roster is too good to ignore this, and GM Brad Holmes should be looking for answers in both free agency and the draft. 'Oladejo has steadily risen in this class, moving from Round 3 to the Round 2 conversation with a good Senior Bowl week. The jump to Round 1 is a bit of a projection, but Oladejo is getting buzz right now — I think he could be in this range after the combine. He should test well considering his burst and intensity. And while he had just 4.5 sacks in 2024, his tape is really good.' Oladejo won the Kenny Clark Award last season as the top defensive lineman for the Bruins after recording 4.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss. Oledejo switched to defensive end after transferring to UCLA. He also played linebacker for California. As Kiper notes, Oladejo has been rising since the Senior Bowl when he recorded a pair of sacks. He would add much-needed depth and a potential instant impact player for the Lions after Detroit was near the bottom of the league in sacks, particuarly after losing Aidan Hutchinson (7.5 sacks) in Week 6.
NBC Sports
21-02-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Scouting Combine's future in Indianapolis remains tenuous
The Scouting Combine has been an Indianapolis institution for decades. And for good reason. Indy is the perfect host for the event. But it's not the most profitable. And some within the league's power structure continue to agitate to take the Combine on the road. The talk has lingered for years. But coaches, General Managers, scouts, players, and agents prefer the fact that it's convenient, it's efficient, and for the most part it's not overwhelmed by bells and whistles that can get in the way of the work to be done. As explained by Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, other cities remain interested in hosting the event. And if/when the league decides that the late-February offseason tentpole could become a significant profit center if it's moved, the owners wouldn't hesitate to pull up the stakes. Already, more than a few coaches have started skipping the Combine altogether. If the week becomes more difficult to maneuver, with time wasted in getting from one place to another, more coaches surely will decide to pass on attending. And if enough coaches don't care enough about the Combine to be there in person, why should fans? Currently, not many do. As Fischer notes, broadcasts of last year's Underwear Olympics averaged 224,000 — making it far and away the low-water mark for any new NFL-related content. Would moving it make it any better? Probably not. The fact that the expanded regular season has left only two full weeks between the Super Bowl and the Scouting Combine won't make it more attractive. Still, the league hasn't closed the door on leaving Indy in the dust. Chief NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy provided this quote to Fischer, regarding the future of the Combine after the current deal expires next year: 'Our focus is on staging a successful Combine in Indianapolis next week and in 2026. There are a number of markets interested in exploring hosting the event.' Who know where it will go from here. I know this, if it's no longer in Indy, plenty of coaches, executives, and others (hand raised) will decide it's not worth the trouble.
