I’ve always wondered what the point of the broad jump in the NFL combine tells us. Loosely I can see why the 40-yard dash makes sense, but the broad jump? Well turns out my thoughts are somewhat justified. Jonah Lehrer adds to my argument that the combine is a big waste of time:

Combine measures examined in this study include 10-, 20-, and 40-yard dashes, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 20- and 60-yard shuttles, three-cone drill, and the Wonderlic Personnel Test. Performance criteria include 10 variables: draft order; 3 years each of salary received and games played; and position-specific data. Using correlation analysis, we find no consistent statistical relationship between combine tests and professional football performance, with the notable exception of sprint tests for running backs.