AI used in NFL draft prep
NFL teams are using AI tools to project measurables for prospects who skip combine workouts, with scouts describing it as part of modern draft preparation. Coverage explains that teams apply predictive estimations when data is incomplete to assist decision‑making. (espn.com)
National Football League teams are using artificial intelligence to estimate combine-style numbers for draft prospects who skip testing, including projected speed from game film. (espn.com) The basic problem is simple: the National Football League Scouting Combine gives clubs standardized measurements like the 40-yard dash, but not every top prospect runs. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs skipped the 40 at both the 2026 combine and his pro day, forcing teams to answer the same question scouts have long asked on tape: how fast is he? (espn.com) Artificial intelligence systems fill that gap by using computer vision, which means software tracks movement in video the way a stopwatch tracks a sprint. ESPN reported that teams can use those tools to turn college film into objective speed data, even though college players do not wear the tracking devices used in National Football League games. (espn.com) Teams are not replacing scouts with software. Rob Brzezinski, the Minnesota Vikings’ interim general manager, told ESPN that analytics helped clubs gather information, while artificial intelligence also helps analyze it, calling that “a different level.” (espn.com) The timing matters because the combine remains one of the few leaguewide events that puts hundreds of prospects through the same drills in the same setting. More than 300 players were at the 2026 combine in Indianapolis, where clubs collected official measurements and workout data before the draft. (espn.com; nfl.com) When a prospect does test, teams can compare the model against a real result. Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese ran an official 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the 2026 combine, and Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey posted an official 4.50, giving clubs hard numbers alongside film-based projections. (nfl.com; pro-football-reference.com) The National Football League has also widened its technology partnership with Microsoft, saying in August 2025 that Copilot and Azure artificial intelligence tools would help clubs scout talent and streamline football workflows. The league said coaches and scouts had already used an Azure artificial intelligence app during the 2025 Scouting Combine for real-time prospect insights. (operations.nfl.com) That leaves draft rooms with one more layer of evidence, not one final answer. If a player like Downs declines to run, teams can still lean on film, interviews, coach background checks and now an artificial intelligence estimate before the picks are made. (espn.com)
