The NFL Combine begins this week at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where more than 300 2026 NFL Draft prospects will participate in front of coaches, scouts and front office executives. Each prospect meets with the team, undergoes a medical evaluation, and/or participates in activities such as field training.

The punter, kicker, defensive lineman, and linebacker start. on-field training Thursday at 3pm ET. Defensive backs and tight ends will practice Friday at 3 p.m. ET, followed by quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. Offensive linemen will finish training Sunday at 1:00 pm ET.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 NFL Combine.

NFL Draft Coverage:
Kiper’s new mock draft
Scouts Inc. Prospect Ranking

What is the NFL Combine? Who is invited?

The combine is a great opportunity for the nation’s top college football players to showcase their skills to NFL general managers, coaches and scouts. During the combine, players will participate in various evaluations, including drills such as the 40-yard dash and vertical jump, as well as interviews with coaches.

Participation is by invitation only. All 32 teams provide information on draft-eligible players, and a player selection committee reviews and votes on each eligible player. The goal is to invite all players selected in the NFL Draft according to the NFL Combine rulebook. On February 11th, the NFL released the following statement: whole list Out of 319 invitees.

Fans who want to attend the combine can register here.

Who are the top prospects you should know about?

Projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza (Indiana State) will not participate in the combine, but many of the other top prospects are expected to do well. Ty Simpson (Alabama), the second-best quarterback in our consensus rankings, will throw. Linebacker Arbel Reese (Ohio State), safety Caleb Downs (Ohio State), edge rusher David Bailey (Texas Tech) and edge rusher Reuben Bain Jr. (Miami State) are some of the top defenders.

Offensive tackle, wide receiver, and edge rusher are the deepest positions in this draft. Mel Kiper Jr. left four wide receivers out of his lineup in the first round of his latest mock draft: Colonel Tate (Ohio State), Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State), Makai Lemon (University of Southern California), and Denzel Boston (Washington State).

Want to know who the top prospects are by position? Check out draft experts’ position rankings here.

How do I follow the NFL Combine on ESPN?

ESPN offers a variety of programming and content specific to the NFL Combine. This includes a new show called “NFL Draft Daily,” which will air all week on ESPN2 starting at 3pm ET.

Here’s a list of shows you can watch starting Thursday to get the latest information on participants, teams, and mock drafts.

All times are Eastern Time and will be broadcast on ESPN unless otherwise noted.

Thursday, February 26th

“Sports Center”: 7 a.m.
“Wake up”: 8am
“First Take”: 10 a.m.
“NFL Draft Daily”: 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
“NFL Live” from Lucas Oil Stadium: 4 p.m.
“Sports Center”: 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
“Sports Center”: 11 p.m. (ESPN2)

Friday, February 27th

“Sports Center”: 7 a.m.
“Wake up”: 8am
“First Take”: 10 a.m.
“NFL Draft Daily”: 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
“NFL Live” from Lucas Oil Stadium: 4 p.m.
“Sports Center”: 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
“Sports Center”: 11 p.m. (ESPN2)

Saturday, February 28th

“Sports Center”: 7 a.m.
“Sports Center”: 10 a.m. (ESPN2)

Sunday, March 1st

“Sports Center”: 7 a.m.
“Sports Center”: 11 a.m. (ESPN2)

this is the complete one 2026 NFL Combine Schedule.

When is the 2026 NFL Draft?

The draft begins April 23 in Pittsburgh, home of the Steelers. It will be held at Acrizier Stadium and Point State Park. The draft will continue with rounds two and three on April 24th and rounds four through seven on April 25th. The draft will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and the ESPN app.

The Las Vegas Raiders have the No. 1 pick and the Seattle Seahawks are No. 32. You can see the final 1-32 standings for the first round here.

Check out Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board featuring top players at every position and the latest mock drafts. Field Yates also ranked his top 25 prospects after the Super Bowl and released his latest mock draft. For more coverage, Matt Miller mocks the first two rounds after the Senior Bowl and Jordan Reed compiles his top 50 rankings.

In addition to the NFL Combine and Draft, these are the other important dates during the 2026 NFL offseason.