The 2023 NFL Combine took place over the weekend in Indianapolis. Although head coach Matt LaFleur and his staff stayed home, general manager Brian Gutekunst and his staff were in attendance as they, on the most basic level, watched former college players run, jump, lift, and answer questions. If history is any indication, Gutekunst will once again give significant weight to the Combine results while preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft, particularly for players toward the top of the draft.
The Combine can be the beginning of a player, or players, shooting up the draft board due to great testing numbers or plummeting down the draft due to, well, not great testing numbers.