With the 2018 NFL draft approaching, the Scouting Combine is coming up on March 1. This is a showcase of talented college prospects who are looking to earn a spot on an NFL roster.

Prospects in each position showcase their talents during the three-day event. Teams spend millions of dollars to fly scouts in from around the United States to the event in Indianapolis, Indiana. Evaluating athletes that have caught the eye of scouts is a top priority for NFL coaches.

2018 is the year of the cornerback and the quarterback, each of which is critical for teams in the hunt for a championship.

Quarterbacks are needed in many organizations, including three of the teams in the top four picks of the draft. The top four quarterbacks in the draft are all projected to be drafted in the first round, unheard of in an era which has largely lacked slam-dunk talent at quarterback.

The talent to keep an eye on is Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. He has great speed, arm strength and the ability to extend the play with his legs, but faces questions over his personality traits this year for comments and actions during a game earlier this season.

Iowa’s Josh Jackson is currently ranked the number one cornerback prospect in the draft going into the combine. The football world will be watching to see if his athletic ability can match his size and ball hawking ability He will be the highest drafted Iowan since Brandon Scharef in 2014.

I have my top three prospects in the draft picked out before the combine. Number one is running back Saquan Barkley of Penn State. Barkley will easily fall in the top three of the draft and has shown promise everywhere on the offensive and will surely slot easily into any team’s offensive.

Second is safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from Alabama. Fitzpatrick is easily the safest pick in the draft. Unmatched as a defensive back, dominant against the run and pass, Fitzpatrick will surely find himself on a team in the top five of the draft.

Finally, and most exciting, is quarterback Sam Darnold from the University of Southern California (USC). Darnold has decided to not throw at the combine, but is still easily the number one quarterback in the draft for me.

He has the talent to stay in the pocket and complete passes at all ranges.

As many teams have some need for a quarterback, there will surely be a spot on any roster for Darnold.

The combine only comes by once a year, and in no way is the best predictor of how a player will preform. However, it is always entertaining to see all the different athletes perform in events like the 40-yard dash. We will have to see how those who shine in the combine perform at the NFL level.