NFL Combine: Everything you need to know

Freakish shows of strength and superhuman athleticism, with millions of dollars up for grabs? The annual NFL Scouting Combine is here...

A week-long demonstration of physical prowess and psychological suitability, the Scouting Combine is an opportunity for college players to impress NFL coaches ahead of the Draft.

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Invites to Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium have been issued to 330 aspiring players, whose value will be determined by the statistics they create from Tuesday-next Monday.

What physical tests must players undergo?

via NFL.com

40-yard dash

The marquee event at the combine. It's kind of like the 100m at the Olympics: It's all about speed, explosion and watching skilled athletes run great times.

Bench press

A test of strength - 225 pounds, as many reps as the athlete can get. What the NFL scouts are also looking for is endurance.

Vertical jump

This is all about lower-body explosion and power. The athlete stands flat-footed and they measure his reach.

Broad jump

Testing an athlete's lower-body explosion and lower-body strength. The athlete starts out with a stance balanced and then he explodes out as far as he can.

Three-cone drill

Testing an athlete's ability to change directions at a high speed by running around three cones in an L-shape.

Shuttle run

Known as the 5-10-5, the run tests the athlete's lateral quickness and explosion in short areas.

Is the Scouting Combine foolproof?

'Downtown' Antonio Brown might be an NFL star with the Pittsburgh Steelers these days but his Combine numbers were hardly inspiring. Despite posting 3,000 yards in three seasons of college football, he needed 4.57 seconds to complete the 40-yard dash, and 6.98 seconds for the three-cone drill. These disappointments dropped him into the sixth round of the 2010 Draft - the rest, as they say, is history.

Josh Norman, the arch-nemesis of Odell Beckham Jr and current Washington Redskins cornerback, offered no clues about his future ability in the 2012 Combine. His 40-yard dash time of 4.66 seconds is alarming for a player in his position. He was a fifth-round Draft pick and has developed into an elite cornerback.

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