INDIANAPOLIS — Ted Thompson realizes his team's 60 allotted 15-minute interviews with draft prospects at the NFL scouting combine won't unearth many deep, dark secrets about a player or provide all that much insight into their personalities.

But aside from the medical examinations, the Green Bay Packers general manager views the face-to-face meetings as the most valuable part of the process, even if they're not exactly Dr. Phil sessions.

"The best you can, you're trying to get to know someone in 15 minutes and be willing to invest a draft pick and a large amount of money in that player," the Green Bay Packers general manager said before continuing the interviewing process Sunday night at the players' Crowne Plaza Hotel. "But there are questions in one's past that come up sometimes on a character issue that we try to ferret out the best that we can."

While Thompson acknowledged that players are now prepped by their agents and often sound rehearsed in the interviews — "Guys are coached up pretty good when they get here," Thompson said, "Most of them are not going to be jerks, and even if they are a jerk, they're not going to be a jerk here" — he isn't alone in seeing the value of the meetings.

"The interviews, I always think that's one of the most interesting parts of the combine," New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Sunday. "I've never thought you can ever analyze a player in a 10-minute interview. That's really stretching it. I just find it interesting to see where these kids have come from, what their background is, who's important to them in their life ... I find that very interesting. We've certainly had a lot of interesting ones this week."

Thompson said the Packers don't put prospects through additional psychological testing or hire outside consultants, although player programs director Rob Davis does participate and share his observations with Thompson afterwards.

"I think he's got a very good grasp of people," Thompson said.

Teams must submit their list of 60 players two weeks before the combine kicks off, but they can also talk with players informally during certain downtimes. Thompson also admitted that some interviews are scheduled to throw opposing teams off the scent, leading them to believe that the Packers are interested in a player they really aren't.

Ohio State cornerback Malcom Jenkins and Florida State Everette Brown, have been among the Packers' interviewees.

"Sometimes, we have guys who we're very interested in, sometimes we have guys that maybe we're not so interested in," Thompson said. "Are we fooling anybody? Probably not."

Extra points

According to several coaches, University of Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill represented himself well in interviews. Hill confirmed via text message that he did not run the 40-yard dash with the other running backs Sunday and will wait to run until UW's pro day on March 4. ... Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, considered the top receiving prospect in the draft, confirmed Sunday that he will postpone surgery on the stress fracture in his left foot until after he runs the 40 at his campus workout March 26. He made a bizarrely brief statement at the podium, calling it an "injury I've been having. I've never had any pain in it. I will run my 40 and after I do that I'm going to have surgery. And I'm looking forward to going to the next level." ... Belichick made a surprise appearance in the media room and delivered a rambling 12-minute soliloquy, in which he bemoaned how many veteran head coaches are out of work and spoke glowingly of many former colleagues, including new Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who spent last season with the Patriots. "Dom Capers was a class guy, one of the classiest people in our business. I'm happy for him, (getting) his new position at Green Bay," Belichick said. "I'm sure he'll do a great job there."