NFL Combine 2013 schedule: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers to hit the field

The biggest day of the 2013 NFL Combine is at hand on Sunday, as quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs will be hitting the field for workouts and drills. While every other position is plenty important, these three positions get much of the glory in the build-up to the NFL Draft.

The 40-yard dash and other such drills will get plenty of time on camera, but the individual positional drills always strike me as more interesting to watch. Seeing a wide receiver run the Gauntlet or a quarterback throwing the route tree is so much more interesting to me than the monotony of the 40-yard dash or the vertical leap.

Quarterbacks will be involved in a variety of throwing drills on Sunday. These will include going through a series of three, five and seven step drops while throwing the route tree, which includes slants, outs, ins, corners and deep routes. Not every quarterback will take part in these drills, as some will elect to wait until their Pro Day, when they can use their own receivers.

Here are the top five quarterbacks according to Mike Mayock and Mel Kiper:

Mayock

1. Geno Smith, West Virginia
2. Matt Barkley, USC
3. Mike Glennon, NC State
4. Ryan Nassib, Syracuse
5. Landry Jones, Oklahoma

Kiper

1. Matt Barkley, USC
2. Geno Smith, West Virginia
3. Mike Glennon, NC State
4. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas
5. Ryan Nassib, Syracus

The running backs will get plenty of looks at their 40 times, but their position drills will give teams a chance to see how a player cuts, and what kind of explosiveness he brings to the table. The first ten yards of the 40-yard dash help in measuring explosiveness, but there's something to be said for actually carrying a football and doing "running back things" while showing off that explosiveness.

Here are the top five running backs according to Mike Mayock and Mel Kiper:

Mayock

1. Eddie Lacy, Alabama
2. Montee Ball, Wisconsin
3. Andre Ellington, Clemson
4. Giovani Bernard, North Carolina
5. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina

Kiper

1. Eddie Lacy, Alabama
2. Montee Ball, Wisconsin
3. Kenjon Barner, Oregon
4. Giovani Bernard, North Carolina
5. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina

While the 40 time will be a big deal for receivers, they also get to run through the Gauntlet. This tests a receivers hand-eye coordination and of course their ability to actually catch footballs under pressure. It won't make or break a receiver, but a poor showing in the gauntlet will be talked about.

Here are the top five wide receivers according to Mike Mayock and Mel Kiper:

Mayock

1. Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee
2. Keenan Allen, California
3. Terrance Williams, Baylor
4. Tavon Austin, West Virginia
5. Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech

Kiper

1. Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee
2. Keenan Allen, California
3. Tavon Austin, West Virginia
4. Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech
5. Aaron Dobson, marshall