INDIANAPOLIS – The NFL Scouting Combine officially kicks off today with most of the league's general managers and head coaches taking the podium for press conferences. That includes both Lions head coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn.
The first wave of players will be at the podiums for their media sessions on Thursday, and that's also when they begin their medical evaluations and interviews with teams. The running backs and offensive linemen are up first. The on-field drills begin Friday.
Combine week is a busy week, but it's a great time to get to know a little bit more about over 300 athletes taking part. It's hard to narrow it down to just five, but here some things to look out for this week:
PATRICIA & QUINN PRESSERS
Quinn and Patricia have a terrific working relationship and are lockstep in what they think this roster needs to improve. Both Quinn and Patricia will answer questions for around 15 minutes Wednesday.
During these sessions, Quinn is usually good in terms of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the draft class. Will he talk about team needs? What about the future of some of the team's current free agents?
Patricia was very open last year about the value he places on certain positions and his defensive philosophy. He'll likely field some questions on new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and the direction of the offense.
These are normally informative sessions with the head coach and general manager to kick off Combine week.
View photos of Detroit Lions players at the NFL Combine.
Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford runs a football drill at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Northern Illinois wide receiver Kenny Golladay runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Mississippi State defensive back Darius Slay runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
University of California Berkeley wide receiver wide receiver Marvin Jones runs up the field during the NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Arkansas defensive lineman Trey Flowers participates in the broad jump during the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, February 22, 2015 in Indianapolis, IN. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Rick Wagner, Wisconsin, 2013
Christian Jones, Florida State, 2014
Taylor Decker, Ohio State, 2016
Tracy Walker, Louisiana-Lafayette, 2018
A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama, 2016
Da'Shawn Hand, Alabama, 2018
Graham Glasgow, Michigan, 2016
Romeo Okwara, Notre Dame, 2016
Miles Killebrew, Southern Utah, 2016
Joe Dahl, Washington State, 2016
Steve Longa, Rutgers, 2016
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee, 2017
Frank Ragnow, Arkansas, 2018
Tyrell Crosby, Oregon, 2018
Nick Bawden, San Diego State, 2018
Chris Lacy, Oklahoma State, 2018
USC linebacker Devon Kennard runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Danny Amendola of Texas Tech runs a drill at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
John Atkins, Georgia, 2018
Tennessee defensive back Justin Coleman runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Penn State defensive back Amani Oruwariye runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 4, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Boston College defensive back Will Harris runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Miami defensive back Michael Jackson Sr. runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Clemson defensive lineman Austin Bryant poses for a headshot during the 2019 Scouting Combine,Friday, Mar. 1, 2019 in Indianapolis. (Logan Bowles via AP)
Old Dominion wide receiver Travis Fulgham runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Saturday, March 2, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Georgia tight end Isaac Nauta participates in the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough runs during a drill at the NFL football scouting combine on Friday, March 2, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
Wisconsin offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Georgia defensive lineman John Atkins runs a drill during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
UCLA offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Virginia offensive lineman Oday Aboushi goes through a drill during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Penn State tight end Jesse James runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas throws during a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Penn State linebacker Jason Cabinda poses for a headshot during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Friday, March 2, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
DEFENSIVE LINE CLASS
This class is loaded with defensive line talent both on the edge and the interior. Teams looking to boost their defensive front this offseason are in luck with this year's crop of talent. We could potentially see eight defensive linemen selected in the top 10 picks, that's how loaded this class is upfront on defense.
The Lions are selecting at No. 8, and could have a need on the edge with Ziggy Ansah becoming an unrestricted free agent next month and Romeo Okwara a restricted free agent.
There will be some impressive testing results from this group of linemen, and teams looking for help upfront will have a close eye on them all week. The talent and depth of this class will spill into Day 2 of the draft, so keep an eye on the entire class, not just the top players.
KYLER MURRAY MEASURMENT
As soon as Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Kyler Murray arrives in Indianapolis and is officially measured and weighs in, it will likely be the biggest news at the Combine. How tall is he, really?
There's no denying his talent as both a passer and runner. He's only the second quarterback in history (Deshaun Watson) to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for another 1,000 in the same season. But some teams are pretty particular about the measurement standards at the quarterback position. Murray is expected to measure in around 5-foot-10, which could be under that threshold for some teams.
It will be an anticipated measurement, that's for sure.
ROSS' RECORD
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross became the fastest man ever at the Combine two years ago with a 4.22-second 40-yard dash.
Massachusetts wide receiver Andy Isabella told reporters at the Senior Bowl he has run a 4.26-second 40 before, though it was hand timed. Isabella was a track star in high school, out-sprinting crosstown rival and current Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, who ran a 4.32-second 40 at the Combine last year.
Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman and Ohio State cornerback Kendall Sheffield should also run fast. Will it be fast enough to beat Ross? Stay tuned.
TIGHT ENDS AND RECEIVERS
The two biggest areas of need on offense for Detroit are at tight end and wide receiver. Quinn has to find a playmaker or two in the pass game at tight end. He's also on the lookout for a playmaker to pair with Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. at receiver. He could use both free agency and the draft to accomplish this.
Both the tight end and receiver classes this year are deep with talent that comes in all shapes, sizes and skill sets. They'll meet with the media on Friday and begin on-field workouts Saturday.
