2012 NFL Draft: Arizona Cardinals Reportedly Work Out Ryan Davis

The Arizona Cardinals are in pretty good shape in the front seven, they have great defensive playmakers that can really stop the opposition. Their issues are on offense, where they need to garner more pass protection and settle on a quarterback to lead them.

Still, it couldn't hurt to add more depth. The Cardinals were pretty solid against the pass, but struggled to defend the run last season, which really bit them in close games.

Aaron Wilson of Scout has the report.

Bethune-Cookman outside linebacker-defensive end Ryan Davis had a private workout with the Arizona Cardinals today, according to a league source.

Davis ran a 4.79 at the University of Miami Pro Day.

Davis is definitely one of those sleepers that might be worth taking an interest somewhere in the second or third days of the draft. The Cardinals will probably pick someone in the first round to upgrade the offensive line, but someone like Davis might be worth looking at further down the line.

To discuss potentially selecting Davis with Cardinals fans, hit up Revenge of the Birds. To follow more NFL Draft news regarding the Cardinals, check out our SB Nation Arizona storystream.

2012 NFL Draft: Arizona Cardinals Will Watch David DeCastro, Jonathan Martin At Stanford Pro Day

The Arizona Cardinals will reportedly be in attendance at Stanford Pro Day tomorrow. No, not so much to view Andrew Luck, who is probably a little too far away from them on the draft board to pick up. No, they'll be looking at the guys who have been protecting Luck the past few seasons, offensive guard David DeCastro and offensive tackle Jonathan Martin.

Hearing Cards HC Whisenhunt & Russ Grimm will both attend Stanford Pro workout tomorrow in Palo Alto. "Jonathan Martin & David DeCastro"

— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) March 21, 2012

Both DeCastro and Martin have been considered possible picks by the Cardinals to help upgrade the offensive line in innumerable mock drafts. The Cardinals need offensive line improvement if they want to get back in the playoff race, and having a bruiser like a DeCastro or a Martin coul dmake a significant difference. Expect the speculation to ramp up in the upcoming weeks.

To talk about the Cardinals and what they should do in the NFL Draft, hit up Revenge of the Birds. To discuss DeCastro and Martin with Stanford fans, check out Rule of Tree.

NFL Draft 2012: Nick Foles Reportedly 'Terrible' At Arizona Pro Day

There is a lot of uncertainty with the quarterback position once Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are off the board at the 2012 NFL Draft. With the Colts and Redskins likely to have these two selected at the very beginning of the first round, teams will have to look in the later rounds to find a QB to lead their franchise.

Arizona Wildcats senior quarterback Nick Foles had a fine career in Tucson and is now looking to take his talents to the NFL. While he has the size and strength to make it as a professional, his stock has taken a bit of stumble in recent weeks after the NFL Combine. In a bit of even more concerning news, we got this tweet that came after Arizona's pro day.

Source at Arizona Pro Day to @RobRang on Nick Foles' performance: "He was terrible. He couldn't throw a spiral."bit.ly/GCsYd3

— Evan Silva (@evansilva) March 20, 2012

It is worth noting that multiple UA writers in attendance refuted these reports and said Foles threw well despite windy and rainy conditions. It even hailed momentarily at Arizona Stadium which undoubtably had an impact on the lanky quarterback.

Will Foles be able to step in from day one and lead an NFL team next season? No. Not a chance. But does he have a chance to become a very solid starter down the road for some team? You bet.

For more on the Wildcats, head on over to Arizona Desert Swarm.

2012 NFL Combine: Vontaze Burfict Talks About Reputation

Former Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been up and down in mock drafts. He is known to be a very talented player who also might be a bit of a headcase who is undisciplined on the field. On Sunday at the NFL combine, he tried to explain some of those issues.

On his fight with teammate Kevin Ozier:

"It started in seven-on-seven and he ran a route and hit me, and we're not supposed to hit each other in seven-on-seven," he said. "We had an argument, and we brought it into the locker room. We started chattering about it, he started rough-housing me. He pushed me, and my first instinct was to swing, and everyone thinks I'm the bad guy because my first instinct was to swing on the guy."

He did express regret that it happened.

On his inconsistent play in 2011:

"I played average. I could've played better. That's what hurt me at times. The coaches kind of messed me up. I didn't know if I would start a game or be benched. It hurt me, but I tried to fight through it."

He also noted he was playing too heavy at 260 pounds.

His thoughts on his draft status:

"I'm not concerned about that. I just know I'm the best linebacker in this draft. I know I can get the job done."

2012 NFL Combine Schedule And Preview: Jamaar Jarrett Has On-Field Workout Monday

The 2012 NFL Combine is winding down. Monday will mark the penultimate day in the pre-draft scouting and evaluation event. Defensive linemen and linebackers will participate in their on-field workouts and skill drills before departing Indianapolis and getting ready for their pro day workouts.

Arizona St. Sun Devils defensive end Jamaar Jarrett will be the only Arizona representative to participate in these drills on Monday. ASU cornerback Omar Bolden and Arizona Wildcats cornerback Trevin Wade will have their workouts as part of the final groups to participate, on Tuesday.

Here is Monday's full schedule of events.

Monday

Group 7 (DL), Group 8 (DL), Group 9 (LB)

Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), departure from Indianapolis

Group 10 (DB), Group 11 (DB)

NFLPA Meeting, psychological testing, interviews

You can find the full list of players invited to the 2012 NFL Combine, as well as full combine results and daily schedules, via the NFL Combine's official website.

For more on the NFL Combine head over to Mocking the Draft. For more on the League in general check out SB Nation’s dedicated NFL hub.

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

2012 NFL Combine: Brock Osweiler Does No Drills, But Impresses In Media Interview

While teammate at Arizona State Vontae Burfict was busy placing blame everywhere regarding his play and reputation, quarterback Brock Osweiler was doing a good job of selling himself as a QB at the next level at the NFL Combine. He did not participate in any throwing drills or other physical tests, citing he is just now recovered from an injury. He will do them at his Pro Day in March.

But his media interviews were great.

On leaving ASU with only 15 starts at QB:

"I felt I had I had done everything I could in my time at ASU. I had absolutely no regrets in my three years. I gave everything I had every single day to our football program, and I just felt like I was at a time and a place where I was ready to take my game to the next level and take on new challenges."

On why he is ready to play in the NFL:"On Friday night in the hotel, I would go over the game plan with our entire team. I would take the play-call sheet and go through each play as the coaches sat back and monitored the situation.

"Saturday mornings before we got on the bus, I would run a quick film session, putting up coverages of the defense so our guys could see what they were about to go into. That's a lot of the things I added when I became quarterback and brought to Arizona State."

On his his height:

"I guess our height measurements at ASU are off a little bit. But, shoot, I think 6-6 is still an OK height to play quarterback. We're an eighth of an inch off so I'm going to round up and say I'm 6-7."

"I don't feel like there has ever been a quarterback who is 6-7, 240 pounds and has the athleticism I do and can make every throw on the football field. So I ignored all those comparisons and played football the way I was taught to."

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

NFL Combine 2012: Juron Criner Doing Well At Combine Workouts

It's been a busy day at Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday as the final day of workouts at the 2012 NFL Combine is taking place, and Arizona wide receiver Juron Criner did well in his first events he took part of on Sunday.

Criner ran himself a 4.68 40-yard dash, not the fastest time but still very respectable, while put up 17 reps of the bench press. He did pretty well in the vertical jump, completing a height of 38 inches and a broad jump performance on 117 inches.

Certainly Criner did not distance himself from any of the receivers workout wise, but showed that he's got the athleticism to perform at the highest level, and, hopefully impressed enough to have a peak in interest heading into the WIldcat's Pro day.

For more on the combine and the draft, make sure you check out Mocking the Draft, or check out SB Nation's dedicated NFL Combine coverage.

2012 NFL Combine: Schedule And Preview: Brock Osweiler, Nick Foles Have Workouts On Sunday

The busiest and most scrutinized day of the entire 2012 NFL Combine will arrive on Sunday. Wide receivers, quarterbacks and running backs will participate in their on-field workouts and skill drills before departing Indianapolis. Besides Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, there will be plenty of Arizona athletes looking to improve their stock on Sunday.

Arizona St. Sun Devils Brock Osweiler and Gerell Robinson will be among those performing their workouts on Sunday, as well as Arizona Wildcats Nick Foles and La'Diviosia Robinson.

Here's the full schedule for all groups. You can watch the majority of the action for this year's NFL Combine on the NFL Network or streaming live at NFL.com.

Sunday

Group 4 (QB, WR), Group 5 (QB, WR), Group 6 (RB)

Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), departure from Indianapolis

Group 7 (DL), Group 8 (DL), Group 9 (LB)

NFLPA Meeting, psychological testing, interviews

Group 10 (DB), Group 11 (DB)

Measurements, medical examinations, media, psychological testing, interviews

And here is the TV schedule on NFL Network:

Sunday, February 26
9:00 AM - Workouts: Running Backs, Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers - LIVE
(Encores with cut-down versions at 8:00 PM & 12 Midnight)
7:00 PM - NFL Total Access: 2012 NFL Scouting Combine
(Encores at 11:00 PM)
STARTING AT 9:00 AM - NFL.com LIVE: Complete, all-access coverage of group workouts

You can find the full list of players invited to the 2012 NFL Combine via the NFL Combine's official website.

For more on the NFL Combine head over to Mocking the Draft. For more on the League in general check out SB Nation’s dedicated NFL hub.

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

2012 NFL Combine Results: Garth Gerhart Drill Results

Arizona State Sun Devils center Garth Gerhart is projected by many NFL analysts to be the a top-10 center prospect in this year's draft class. He went to the 2012 NFL Combine hoping to improve that stock. After the completion of his drills, he is in the middle of the pack of potential rookie centers.

Gerhard was measured at 6-foot-1 and 1/4, which makes him the second shortest of all centers entering the draft as he's less than an inch taller than Michigan's David Molk, and he weighed in at 305 pounds, making him the third lightest center in this year's class. His arm length of 33 and 3/8 inches was the longest in this year's class of centers, though.

Unfortunately, Gerhard's smaller size didn't transfer into a faster 40 time. Of the four centers that ran the 40-yard dash, Gerhard's time of 5.44 was the slowest as the fastest was Baylor's Philip Blake's time of 5.09. His vertical leap of 30.5 inches was tied for the highest, though, and his shuttle time of 4.65 was tied for second fastest. Perhaps the most important measurement for any offensive lineman is their bench press reps. Gerhard did 25 reps on the bench press which was in the middle of the road among centers. It was better than Wisconsin's Peter Konz's 18 but not anywhere close to Molk's 41.

For more on the Sun Devils, visit House of Sparky, and for more on the combine and draft, head to Mocking The Draft.

2012 NFL Combine Schedule And Preview: Brock Osweiler, Nick Foles, Juron Criner Continue The Process

There is a whole crop of Arizona players who are participating in the 2012 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Saturday will be absolutely packed, with all of the invitees looking at a long day ahead of them.

Arizona St. Sun Devils quarterback Brock Osweiler somewhat famously had his measurements taken on Friday. Arizona Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles and wide receiver La'Diviosia Robinson will join Osweiler in Saturday's activities of psychological testing, interviews and NFL Players Association meetings. Osweiler's teammate Gerell Robinson will also be part of this group.

Sun Devils linebacker Juron Criner and DE Jamaar Jarrett will have their measurements taken on Saturday, as well as undergo medical examinations, medical testing and interviews. OL Garth Gerhart will finish up his workouts and drills after finishing his bench press participation on Friday. DE Jamaar Jarrett CB Omar Bolden will arrive in Indianapolis on Saturday and begin the registration process. Also arriving on Saturday will be Arizona CB Trevin Wade.

Here's the full schedule for all groups. You can watch the majority of the action for this year's NFL Combine on the NFL Network or streaming live at NFL.com.

Saturday

Group 1 (P/K, ST, OL), Group 2 (OL), Group 3 (TE)

Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), departure from Indianapolis

Group 4 (QB, WR), Group 5 (QB, WR), Group 6 (RB)

NFLPA Meeting, psychological testing, interviews

Group 7 (DL), Group 8 (DL), Group 9 (LB)

Measurements, medical examinations, media, psychological testing, interviews

Group 10 (DB), Group 11 (DB)

Travel to Indianapolis, registration, hospital pre-exam and X-rays, orientation, interviews.

For more on the NFL Combine head over to Mocking the Draft. For more on the League in general check out SB Nation’s dedicated NFL hub.

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

The Mystery Of The Shrinking Quarterback: How Brock Osweiler Lost An Inch

Like most other sports fans around the country, I was FLOORED by the news that ASU quarterback Brock Osweiler measured out at a "measly" six-foot-six and seven eighths (6-6 7/8) at the NFL Combine. Everyone who went near an ASU football game heard countless times that Brock was 6-8 (and was a former basketball player who turned down a scholarship to Gonzaga to be a QB at ASU).

It even became a drinking game that reportedly sent scores and scores of Sun Devil fans to the hospital after repeatedly consuming too much alcohol during games as they drank each time "6-8" was mentioned next to Brock's name. (That didn't really happen but it totally could have.)

So, where did things go wrong? Was the football program pulling a fast one?

We investigated and in an SB Nation Arizona exclusive broke open the biggest scandal to hit college football since the last scandal to hit college football.

"He shrunk," an ASU official said when asked about the discrepancy.

Perhaps 21-year-old Brock Osweiler did manage to shrink over the last few weeks or just maybe this alternate explanation is more believable.

"6-6 7/8 is 6-8 in cleats. And last time I check, you play in shoes," the source with knowledge of the situation said.

This does have the ring of truth, especially when you consider the history ASU has with the "official measurement" issue.

azcentral.com blogs - Paola Boivin - Random musings on ASU, Suns, more

Nothing amuses me more than the popular trend by basketball teams of misstating a player's true height. During the USA Basketball team trials leading up the 1992 Olympics, we learned that Charles Barkley was really 6 feet 4 1/2 and not 6-6 and that Magic Johnson checked in at 6-7 and not 6-9.

[...]Arizona State's James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph were true to their measurements, and that's very much a Herb Sendek thing. When the coach arrived in Tempe, he insisted measurements come straight from the strength-and-conditioning coach.

When one player came in at 6-2 1/4 and groaned about not being listed at 6-3, a team liaison came to Sendek, unsure how to handle it. "What do I tell him?" he said. "Grow," Sendek deadpanned.

It's too bad for all of us that Herb Sendek is the basketball coach and not the football coach or this whole nasty Inch Gate affair could have been avoided. We just hope that Brock can recover from the shame and go on to a great NFL career.

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Wait, Brock Osweiler Isn't 6-8?

NFL Combine 2012:Jermaine Kearse, Set For Measurements On Friday

The Arizona St. Sun Devils and Arizona Wildcats have a lot of great talents that will be available in the 2012 NFL Draft, but only a handful of them will be there Friday. Friday will see the beginning of examinations for quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs and the school will have players participating in them.

ASU QB Brock Osweiler and WR Juron Criner as well as Arizona QB Nick Foles and WR La'Diviosia Robinson are a part of this group who will go through the process of getting various measurements, medical examinations, performing media, taking psychological testing and doing interviews with teams and NFL professionals.

This group won't get to the on-field assessments until Sunday. Saturday will consist of an NFLPA meeting, psychological testing and, of course, more interviews. It's a long weekend for these guys and it's only just starting.

For more on the NFL Combine head over to Mocking the Draft. For more on the League in general check out SB Nation’s dedicated NFL hub.

2012 NFL Combine: Test Your IQ With Sample Wonderlic Test

The Wonderlic test has become a staple of any NFL draftee’s experience now, forced to take the 12-minute, 50-question exam designed to test the aptitude of prospective employees in the realms of learning and problem-solving. The test score is based on the number of correct questions given in the allotted time, with a score of 20 being a median score that indicates ‘average intelligence.’

But now you can try out the Wonderlic test for yourself by taking a simulated exam that gives you three minutes and 36 seconds to answer 15 questions. It isn’t the Real McCoy, but gives a pretty good sense of what kind of questions these players are subjected to.

Offensive tackle – 26
Center – 25
Quarterback – 24
Guard – 23
Tight End – 22
Safety – 19
Linebacker – 19
Cornerback – 18
Wide Receiver – 17
Fullback – 17
Running Back – 16

For more on the NFL Combine head over to Mocking the Draft. For more on the League in general check out SB Nation’s dedicated NFL hub.

2012 NFL Combine: 3 Arizona Wildcats Try To Improve Draft Status

With the NFL Combine currently going on in Indianapolis, we look at the Arizona Wildcats that have been invited and will be hopeful of a phone call in late April saying that they have been drafted by an NFL team. Cross-state rival Arizona State has six players in Indy for the Combine and Arizona has only three, but as of now, it looks almost certain that all three of the Wildcats will get drafted and do so either the first or second day of the NFL Draft.

Those three players are:

• QB Nick Foles
• WR Juron Criner
• CB Trevin Wade

Foles, after looking terrible in practice leading up to the Senior Bowl, looked pretty good in the actual game. He is considered one of the top five or so QB prospects in the draft.

Criner is expected to be one of the first five receivers drafted. He has the size and athleticism, but there are some concerns with the mental part of the game in route-running and engagement in games.

Wade could be taken as early as the second round.

NFL Draft 2012: Brock Osweiler, Nick Foles Join Jon Gruden QB Camp on ESPN

Monday night Football analyst and former head football coach Jon Gruden nows a thing or two about coaching up the quarterback position, and has been displaying it on his Gruden's QB Camp series on ESPN. Well, the network has decided to bring this popular show back for a third season, and will have a number of top talents joining his show, including Arizona State's Brock Osweiler, and Arizona's Nick Foles.

Brock and Nick joins the likes of eight other quarterbacks including projected No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck of Stanford and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor. Kirk Cousins (Michigan State), Case Keenum (Houston), Kellen Moore (Boise State), Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M), Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State), and Russell Wilson (Wisconsin).

Each quarterback will visit Gruden's office for a film session, which Gruden has named the Fired Football Coaches Association (FFCA). They then will have an on-field workout at the University of South Florida. He QB will have a custom less prepped by Gruden that highlights strengths and identifies areas of need for each player moving forward.

Below are the times and dates so you can catch the entire series:

For more on the Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

2012 NFL Combine: Arizona State Sun Devils Hope To Make Mark

With the NFL Combine having started this week in Indianapolis, there are scores of former college football players trying to make good impressions for NFL scouts and front office reps. The Arizona State Sun Devils have six players that will be participating. Two are well known -- linebacker Vontaze Burfict and quarterback Brock Osweiler.

Both players have been projected to go as high as in the first round, but both have some question marks.

However, these are not the only two players that the Devils have there.

In addition to Burfict and Osweiler, the following four players will also be at the combine.

• CB Omar Bolden
• C Garth Gerhardt
• DE Jamaar Jarrett
• WR Gerell Robinson

Bolden is actually considered one of the better cornerback prospects, despite having not played in 2011 because of a knee injury.

Robinson had a career year for ASU and has the size and athleticism that NFL scouts will drool over. He was plagued by inconsistency in his college career.

Gerhardt and Jarrett are mid-to-late round prospects. The only player that as of right now is in danger of not being drafted is Jarrett, but it is obviously still early.

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

2012 NFL Combine: Vontaze Burfict Needs To Impress

Vontaze Burfict of the Arizona St. Sun Devils is one of those guys that you have no idea about where he'll end up in the 2012 NFL Draft. Burfict is the linebacker who could be an all-world leader in the NFL, or could end up busting out if you draft him high, or he might just make it and have a solid if unremarkable career. He could be picked the first day. He could end up in the third or fourth round. He might even not get drafted at all if he puts up an unimpressive performance at the Combine.

No one really knows how he'll end up performing at the 2012 Scouting Combine. Tony Pauline of Sports Illustrated reports that a lot is on the line for Burfict at this draft.

There's not much that can be written about Burfict that hasn't been already said. He needs to show he's the complete package both on the field during workouts as well as in the interview room for any chance of restoring his draft stock.

To discuss Burfict with Arizona State fans at the 2012 NFL Combine, check out House of Sparky. To follow comprehensive NFL Combine coverage, go to the SB Nation Combine storystream.

2012 NFL Draft: Brock Osweiler Looks To Make Some Noise At Scouting Combine

Many wonder where Arizona State's Brock Osweiler will go in the 2012 NFL Draft, causing some disparity as to where he should be placed in a mock draft, or even the actual draft itself.

Wes Bunting over at National Football Post feels that due to Osweiler's mix of size and athletic prowess could make him a great candidate to have a terrific combine. Where that leave's him in term of his draft stock though, Bunting did not mention:

QB Brock Osweiler: Arizona State (6-8, 240)

Osweiler has the combination of size, athleticism and overall arm strength to really impress this week. He looks the part, can make all the throws and I expect him to be exceptional throwing vs. air. Now, his tape is inconsistent. However, with a number of the top quarterback prospects not throwing in Indy this week, Osweiler is the guy who has the skill set to steal the show and catapult his draft stock.

With guys like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III at the combine as well, Osweiler could really set himself up as the 'next best thing' behind these guys and find a team earlier in the draft that needs a QB. Now he just has to go out and take care of business.

For more on the Combine, head over to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub. Or, check out their Draft blog, Mocking the Draft.

NFL Mock Draft 2012: David DeCastro Looking To Impress At NFL Combine

The NFL Combine is always a huge determining factor for many of the players involved in the top rounds of the upcoming draft. Not only can a player boost his stock with a strong showing at workouts, drills and the interviewing process, but he can also place a tough burden on himself with a poor showing. With representatives from every team in the league in attendance, every player will look to put on a show.

The 2012 NFL Draft is right around the corner and just about every top-prospect will be in Indianapolis this week for the events. The latest mock draft from SB Nation takes a look at the Arizona Cardinals and who they may select with the No. 13 overall pick.

13. Arizona Cardinals, David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

DeCastro might be the best offensive lineman in the draft behind Matt Kalil. He is, however, a guard, a position less hyped than outside pass protectors. Either way, Arizona needs help, and with Reiff and Martin off the board, DeCastro is their next best pick. The question on everyone's mind between now and April is whether DeCastro will be picked higher than this.

All eyes will be on DeCastro, a junior, as he arrives at the 2012 Combine this week. As mentioned above, there are those with a concern regarding his positional value at the next level, but he figures to have a long and successful career in the NFL. Should he really impress a team or two this week in Indianapolis, there is a good chance he will not be on the board once the 13th pick rolls around.

For more on the Cardinals and to discuss their potential draft plans, head on over to Revenge Of The Birds.

2012 NFL Scouting Combine: A Quick Reference Guide To Player Drills

The NFL Combine is made up of several tests for teams to further evaluate potential players and is meant to measure a number of different things - athleticism in general, top-end speed, explosiveness, agility, power, and strength. Intelligence, skills, hand-eye coordination, and maturity. Essentially, the skills needed to play at a high level in the NFL.

Arizona has a couple of high-profile participants in this year's Combine - ASU will be represented by LB Vontaze Burfict, WR Gerell Robinson, CB Omar Bolden and QB Brock Osweiler. Arizona will be sending QB Nick Foles, CB Trevin Wade and WR Juron Criner, to name a few. Each one of these players has a lot to gain by performing well this week. So - what should you be watching?

Fans like to place a lot of emphasis on the '40-time' a player records and that's typically the number that gets thrown around the most, but there are many tests to monitor as you watch the Combine this week. The typical tests administered at the Combine include: 40-yard dash, bench press (225 lb repetitions), vertical jump, broad jump, 20 yard shuttle, 3 cone drill, 60-yard shuttle, position-specific drills, interviews - each team is allotted 60 interviews in 15-minute intervals, physical measurements, injury evaluation, drug screen, the Cybex test and the Wonderlic Test. Let's run through them quickly.

The 40: Yes, this is the sexiest of them all. The 40-yard dash measures how quickly the athlete can run 40 yards, starting from a dead stop. This test is broken down into splits as well - 10 yards and 20 yards, to measure acceleration vs top-end speed. Fast split times indicate quick twitch acceleration and is valuable for any player in this league.

A good 40-time is going to be in the 4.4 to 4.5 second range for receivers, running backs, and defensive backs. 4.6-4.8 is what you could expect from a lot of the other positions - linebackers, defensive ends, tight ends, and some quarterbacks. Most linemen are going to run 4.9 or higher. If you see anyone run in the 4.3s or even the 4.2s, you're seeing something special.

Bench: This is mainly for the big guys - linemen and linebackers. It measures strength and stamina, mostly. Oregon State's Stephen Paea set the all-time Combine record last year with 49 reps at 225 pounds but anywhere in the 30s is pretty good. Guys with longer arms don't do as well because they're lifting the weight further, but in general I don't think teams look too much into the bench press test, unless a player just does horribly. That would indicate lack of dedication most likely - failure to hit the weights or prepare yourself.

Vertical Jump: This test tells teams how much lower body explosiveness a player has. You're not allowed to run and jump; you take off from a standing position, and a benchmark for the elite group in terms of vertical jump is 38" to 42". Anything more than that, you're looking at a freak of nature. Well, all these guys are kind of freaks in that sense, but 43", 44" or more is pretty rare. Virgil Green of Nevada hit 42.5" and Jonathan Baldwin of the Chiefs hit 42" on his vert last year to lead the way.

I'd say this test is probably more important for the receivers and defensive backs but really, lower body strength and explosiveness is pretty important for any player.

Broad Jump: Similar to the vertical, this test measures lower body strength and power. Explosiveness. The player jumps forward as far as they can from a standstill. 10 feet is the baseline for 'good', but if you get into the 10'6" range, you're looking impressive. Julio Jones blew everyone out of the water last year when he registered an 11'3" broadjump. The recent best was Cincinnati's Jerome Simpson in 2009, who jumped 11'4".

20 yard Shuttle (AKA "short shuttle"): Also referred to as the "5-10-5", it's a test of a player's lateral movement ability. The player basically starts in the middle of an area that's 10 yards long - he bursts out of a 3-point stance and fun five yards to the right, switches gears and go ten to the left, then again to the right to finish off. This drill is a lot more important than many people believe - some say it's more important than the 40-yard dash because it measures short-area quickness and agility, things any player on the NFL field requires. A good test in this area can get you noticed. Boise State's Austin Pettis set the bar last year with a 3.88 second short shuttle. Anything below 4-flat though, and you're getting looks.

3-Cone Drill: Similar to the 20-yard shuttle in importance. It measures change of direction, short-area burst, agility, and importantly, balance. Also known as the "L" drill. Players start out in a three point stance at the first cone, run forward five yards to the second, change direction back to where they started, change direction again and back to the second cone again. Instead of stopping there, they hang a right and around the third cone at the end of the "L". Coming back, the player again makes a 90 degree turn to their left then through the finish. Basically, it measures a players ability to keep their speed up through sharp turns and is especially important for receivers, corners, and defensive ends.

Benchmark for 'good' is 7 seconds. Benchmark for 'elite' - 6.5 seconds. Jeff Maehl turned some heads last year and ran a 6.42 for the best time at the Combine. He wasn't drafted, but caught on with Texas as an UDFA. Teams will be watching this time very closely, especially for those three positions.

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Those are the mains physical tests to keep an eye on. A good 40-time will get a player some recognition, but a strong 3-cone drill and/or short-shuttle makes a big difference as well. You may have the best hands in the world as a receiver, but if you can't make quick cuts and maintain your speed, you're going to have more trouble against elite cornerbacks in the NFL. Visa versa as well for the defensive backs, and obviously for defensive ends, if you can't get by a left tackle your career at that spot may not last long.

Teams will also put players through positional drills to test their skills in catching, coverage, throwing, and a myriad of other 'football' skills. They'll interview players to evaluate their maturity, dedication, intelligence, etc. They will administer the Wonderlic Test, which is a timed test to measure IQ. The Cybex test is meant to measure fitness and joint movements.

The NFL Combine is the first best way for front offices to gather information on the players that they are potentially going to invest millions of dollars in. It's going to be exciting.

2012 NFL Combine: Schedule For The Week

Looking at the schedule of events for the NFL Combine that starts on Wednesday.