Numbers don't lie: the BOD POD at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine

The path to the NFL Draft continues at the Combine in Indianapolis, where more than 300 top prospects will continue on their quest to achieve their NFL dreams.

Numbers Don't Lie

COSMED will be at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine for the 9th consecutive year, providing the BOD PODs that will be used as the exclusive tool for body composition testing of the nation’s 335 most draft-eligible players.

COSMED USA, Inc., manufacturer of the BOD POD, and the Combine established this joint initiative in 2006 to assess %Fat, Fat Mass, Fat-Free Mass, and Total Body Mass in athletes. This information greatly benefits coaches and teams in preparing for the Draft, and increases athlete awareness of the effect of body composition on their performance, longevity, and overall health.

BOD POD data from the Combine shows an increase in performance from athletes who fall at or below position-specific body composition norms. This trend of relating fat-free mass to athletic performance is known as leanness to performance. Athletes in this category consistently perform better in speed, strength, and explosiveness tests, often due to strict diet and exercise programs.

Sport Science Advantage

Results from the past 8 years (2,629 players tested) were also compared to the number of years and games played in the NFL. This analysis showed a correlation between fat-free mass and longevity in the professional ranks. This finding is of tremendous importance for the training and evaluation of players, and supports the concept that a fitter athlete will last longer.

NFL teams and NCAA programs currently using the BOD POD have a clearer picture of this draft statistic and what it may mean to a player's position on their roaster.

They also have a baseline assessment for managing the diet and workout regimens of their players and success on the playing field.

2014 NFL Scouting Combine workout schedule

• Saturday, Feb. 22: Tight Ends, Offensive Linemen, Special Teams
• Sunday, Feb. 23: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers
• Monday, Feb. 24: Defensive Linemen, Linebackers
• Tuesday, Feb. 25: Defensive Backs

Here are some numbers for the players invited to participate at this year's NFL Scouting Combine

Position Breakdown

• Quarterbacks: 19
• Running Backs: 36 (including 3 Fullbacks)
• Wide Receivers: 48
• Tight Ends: 22
• Offensive Linemen: 50 (23 Tackles, 15 Guards, 12 Centers)
• Defensive linemen: 56 (30 Defensive Ends, 26 Defensive Tackles)
• Linebackers: 35 (20 outside, 15 inside)
• Defensive backs: 59 (30 Cornerbacks, 11 Strong Safeties, 9 Free Safeties)
• Specialists: 10 (5 Punters, 4 Kickers, 1 Long Snapper)

Conference Breakdown

• SEC: 71. Every conference school has at least one participant and eight have at least five.
• ACC: 48. Every conference school has at least one participant and five have at least five.
• Pac-12: 45. Every conference school has at least one participant and five have at least five.
• Big Ten: 36. Every conference school has at least one participant and three have at least five.
• Big 12: 25. Every conference school but one (Kansas) has at least one participant and two have at least five.
• FCS schools: 22. Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern and Tennessee State each have two.
• Mountain West: 22. Air Force, Hawaii and New Mexico have zero participants. The other league schools have at least one each.
• Independents: 15. BYU, New Mexico State and Notre Dame are the independents with participants, and BYU and Notre Dame have at least five each.
• AAC: 14. Cincinnati, SMU and Temple have zero participants. The other league schools have at least one each and one has at least five.
• Division II schools: 14. Bloomsburg (Pa.) and West Texas A&M each have two.
• Mid-American: 10. Ball State, Buffalo, Kent State, Massachusetts, Northern Illinois, Ohio and Toledo are the league schools with participants.
• Conference USA: 8. Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Rice, Southern Miss and Tulane are the league schools with participants.
• Sun Belt: 5. Arkansas State, Georgia State and Western Kentucky are the league schools with participants.

School Breakdown

There are 13 schools with at least six participants:

• Alabama: 12
• LSU: 11
• Florida State: 9
• Notre Dame: 9
• Florida: 8
• Stanford: 8
• Missouri: 7
• North Carolina: 7
• USC: 7
• Baylor: 6
• Ohio State: 6
• Oregon: 6
• Wisconsin: 6

Some Items of Interest

• Kansas is the only school in one of the five major conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC) without a participant.
• More than half of the quarterbacks at the Combine (10 of 19) are from the ACC and SEC (five each). There are zero quarterbacks from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12.
• Alabama, LSU and Florida have the most participants in the SEC, a combined 31. That number would be fifth-most among conferences.
• Florida State (nine) and North Carolina (seven) combined have one-third of the ACC's 48 participants.
• Ohio State and Wisconsin lead the Big Ten with six participants each. Having six participants would rank fifth in the SEC, third in the ACC and Pac-12 and tied for first in the Big 12.
• Baylor is the only Big 12 school with more than five participants and one of only three league schools with more than two.
• The Big Ten is a league long known for its line play. But the SEC has a combined 28 offensive and defensive linemen at the Combine, while the Big Ten has just 10. There are just two defensive linemen from the Big Ten; the ACC's Boston College has two by itself.
• Ball State from the MAC and Western Kentucky from the Sun Belt have three participants each; that's more than all but three teams in the Big 12 and more than all but four teams in the Big Ten.
• FCS member Georgia Southern (two) has as many participants as Georgia and one more than Georgia Tech.
• Division II Colorado State-Pueblo has as many participants as Colorado (one each).
• Tennessee has five players at the Combine, and four are offensive linemen.