IMPACTING FUTURE

Decisions made by top stars like Williams, Harrison could affect NFL combines ahead

The NFL scouting combine’s evolution from hidden gem into the league’s second-most anticipated offseason event has come with all sorts of twists.

The question is whether this year’s new ones could affect future combines.

All-american receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State skipped media interviews, while Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams of USC took the highly unusual step of opting out of the medical exams — a primary reason for holding the combine each year.

Harrison and Williams are both expected to be selected in the top five of April’s draft.

And while their rankings are unlikely to be affected by their opt-outs, it could raise questions with teams. The Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 overall pick.

It also will force Williams to endure multiple exams.

“I’ll be doing the medical stuff, just not here in Indianapolis,” Williams said Friday, who like Harrison does not have an agent. “I’ll be doing them at the team interviews. Thirty-two teams cannot draft me, there is only one of me, so the teams I go to for my visit, those teams will have the medicals. That’s it.”

There are also the potential long-term ramifications for Williams.

Teams invest significant resources into evaluating players, particularly quarterbacks, and refer to those scouting reports when considering free agent deals or trades.

Franchises without Williams’ initial medical reports could be missing a key component for those future decisions — should his career not work out with whatever team drafts him.

“You want to have a thorough evaluation on all the players because you go back to those, and you look at those evaluations as those guys grow in the league and go through free agency,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said last week.

But will it become a trend? Combine organizers, team executives and coaches won’t know till everyone returns to Indy next winter.

MICHAEL CONROY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS USC quarterback Caleb Williams, watching players run a drill at the NFL scouting combine, opted out of medical exams at Indianapolis.