2014 NFL Draft: Did Blake Bortles Win the Scouting Combine?

Feb 23, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles throws the ball during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

There’s so much talk about what happens on the field at the Scouting Combine, but you don’t hear enough–and probably rightfully so–about what happens off of it.

Much more important than the obligatory workouts at the Combine are the interviews players conduct with teams. How they handle themselves with the media is one thing, but how they do in an actual NFL interview setting is another entirely.

The player that sounds like he really won the Combine in this regard is UCF quarterback Blake Bortles, who may have separated from the pack as far as being the number one overall pick over Johnny Manziel.

Reports indicate that Bortles did very well during the interview process, and that’s not to say that Manziel didn’t, but Bortles obviously has the preferred measurable traits that NFL teams covet in a quarterback prospect.

The real ‘winning’ of the Combine won’t come from a 40 yard dash or vertical jump  that blows people away, but it’ll be how much someone’s draft stock is affected by their workout and interview process. Bortles may have propelled himself from a top 10 selection to the first overall pick for the Texans as they are getting one of their first looks at meeting him.