The NFL Combine is fast approaching, and the NFL has released a list of the 330 participants who will take the field to be measured, interviewed and worked out this year at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
RELATED: Full List of Combine Participants
330 players is an overwhelming number of athletes, so let's break that number down into more digestible information.
Here's a look at which conferences lead the way in terms of combine participants:
NFL Combine participant breakdown by conference
It should come as no surprise that the SEC leads the way with 66 participants, with the ACC close behind with 60 and the Big Ten and Pac-12 next with 51 and 46, respectively.
What might surprise you is the drop-off for the Big 12. Just 19 Big 12 athletes will participate at the combine. The FCS level is also sending 19 athletes to the combine, and conferences like the AAC (18 prospects), Conference-USA (11 prospects), the MAC (11 prospects) and the Mountain West (11 prospects) aren't far behind. Also noteworthy, the D2 football level has seven prospects heading to the combine.
Moving on from the conference to the schools, here's a look at the schools who are sending the most NFL Draft prospects to the combine.
NFL schools with most combine participants
Again, there's not too many surprises anywhere on this list. Michigan leads the way, with perennial powerhouses LSU, Alabama and Clemson right behind. All four playoff teams (Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Washington) have at least six players heading to the combine.
Let's look at the players as a whole, now. Of the 330 prospects, more than two-thirds are upperclassmen:
NFL Combine participant age
And if we dive into the position groupings, we can see which positions are most-represented at the combine:
NFL Combine participant breakdown by position
The biggest thing that jumps off the page is the vast number of wide receivers (58) compared to the next highest position group (31).
But, if you combine similar positions, you'll see that while receivers still far outweigh other positions, groupings like offensive linemen catch up a little bit:
Offensive breakdown by position
As you see, there are nearly 50 offensive linemen heading to the combine when you factor in the different positions.
On the defensive side of the ball, the position splits are even more close together (we threw the special teamers in here, too):
Defense/special teams breakdown by position
Considering today's NFL, is it surprising that the best-represented positions at the NFL Combine are receivers and defensive backs?
The NFL Combine is set for February 28-March 6. Stay tuned to HERO Sports for more on NFL Draft prospects as the off-season continues.
