Winners and Losers of the 2025 NFL Combine
A lot of the "winners" and "losers" here are just confirming what we saw on tape, but it's good to have even more confidence in our film evaluations when the testing results come in. These prospects are generally listed by projected draft capital.
But there's still a lot of testing and interviewing to go. If you are an NFL Combine sicko, then you'll love our listed forty times in the Underdog Fantasy Pick'em lobby. I went 2-for-2 yesterday and am hunting for more through the weekend. Show off your draft knowledge. We have a promo link for you here:
2025 NFL Combine Losers
Participation: I ranked the top 55 players I've watched before the event. Here are the players who chose not to participate even if they were healthy: Cam Ward (2), Travis Hunter (3), Mason Graham (7), Ashton Jeanty (10), Tyler Warren (17), Will Johnson (18), Shedeur Sanders (35) ... Then there were the injured players with a varying degree of "injured" I'd say: Abdul Carter (1), Kenneth Grant (8), Colston Loveland (11), Mike Green (27), Elijah Arroyo (49). ... And then of the prospects who participated in some of the event, there were equally as many who opted out of some drills. It's not a good sign for the event, even if it's smart for players to do what's best for them. Sad!
EDGE Abdul Carter: A foot injury popped up during medical checks. He's opting to not get surgery right now, but it is an injury with aggravation risk later on. Is it enough to drop him in the draft? Not out of the top 4 and possibly not at all. But Cam Ward and Travis Hunter are great prospects in their own right, so it's not as obvious as a 1.01 pick now.
QB Shedeur Sanders: Without exception, the people I spoke to about Sanders didn't believe in him as a top-10 overall pick. In fact, some believed he is a Day 2 player with a capped ceiling. The national perception of him seems to be much higher than that, and he still may go really high, but the slide odds do seem real to me. I personally didn't see 1st-round traits, and he also didn't seem ready to start as a rookie either. That offense was extremely sloppy and unlike most NFL offenses. So many screens. So many 50/50 balls to Travis Hunter and the underrated WR depth they had. I predict the narrative of Sanders' profile becomes more realistic as we get to the NFL Draft. The class is only headlined by Cam Ward.
DT Mason Graham: His 296-pound official weight came in 20 pounds lighter than listed in college. His arms are also in the 12th percentile, and he opted out of the athletic testing aside from the bench press. Honestly, that is pretty based to at least do that, but the entire profile for a potential top 5 pick is abnormal, even if we are impressed with his pass-rush quickness. I have him penciled in at 9th overall instead.
NEW ... OL Will Campbell: The LSU left tackle is a great athlete, but there are thresholds to meet. His arm length is under 33 inches and his wing span is the worst in Mockdraftable's database among tackles. He's probably going to be viewed as an interior player by most. Guards typically don't go top 5. We shall see. He also fell over twice in the on-field drills.
EDGE Jalon Walker: He's a freak athlete, but he is a total outlier with his size, which was a bit smaller than projected. His height is in the 2nd percentile, while his arms are in the 5th percentile among edge rushers. I have him ranked as the 13th overall player, noting his upside but also acknowledging the risk with the profile. Opinions will be split.
EDGE Mike Green: At the podium, he addressed two sexual assault allegations. One in high school, and then one at Virginia that led to his dismissal. He's maintaining his innocence. If there's a draft night fall, then that could explain it. On top of that, Green picked up a hamstring injury the day before the event and will have to work out at his Pro Day instead. His hands are in the 2nd percentile, too.
S Malaki Starks: After a less impressive junior season, Starks checks in with 15th percentile weight and his vertical jump (33 inches) was 10 inches shorter than his primary safety competition. His forty time (4.50) is okay, but once again, a lot slower than his counterpart's at 4.40. We knew this on tape and I trust Starks far more, but now we have it confirmed.
NEW ... OG Tyler Booker: His 10-yard split and forty times are well below average, even for the interior. He looked tight in his movements, probably eliminating him from wide zone boards inside the top-15. He's all power and size. There's a chance his composite score is the worst of any 1st rounder over the last five years.
WR Luther Burden: He has 8.5-inch hands, which puts him in the bottom 5th percentile. Does this mean he's a bust? No. Is it a bad thing in general? Yes. The outliers who have been able to succeed are Tyler Lockett, and T.Y. Hilton, with Ladd McConkey, Jordan Addison, and George Pickens being just bigger than that.
RB Kaleb Johnson: He's a big dude (80th percentile weight), and that's how he played on tape in their zone system. His 10-yard split (1.62) is only in the 18th percentile. He'll be more smooth, strong, and smart than explosive. That's a recipe for success still, even if the other Round 2 RB prospects have more juice.
EDGE Jack Sawyer: His arms are in the 3rd percentile, he skipped the forty, and then was slipping in the on-field drills. He's trending towards Round 3 if you pick up the hints Daniel Jeremiah drops.
WR Isaiah Bond: Rug pull. He claimed to run 4.1 or 4.2 in the forty. He then ran 4.39. Come on. He rightfully was booed at the event.
WR Tez Johnson: He ran the forty in 4.51 seconds at 154 pounds. That's close to Joever for his Day 2 status.
2025 NFL Combine Winners
QB Cam Ward: He's good! I only heard how big of a gap there is between him (QB1) and everyone else. On top of that, there's a chance he goes 1st overall depending on the Matthew Stafford landing spot. If the Giants can't get Stafford, then who is their QB? Reports suggest they could be ready to move up to 1.01 for him, especially with everyone adamant that the Browns (2nd overall) have their eyes on Ward. I really don't see him slipping outside of the top 3. And I think a mystery team like the Saints could be involved, too.
EDGE Shemar Stewart: Boom. Top 10 potential confirmed. He had a 40-inch vertical (96th percentile), 10-foot-11 broad (98th percentile), and 90th-percentile speed score (4.60 forty). He was listed between 280-290 pounds in college, but he showed up to the NFL Combine at 267 pounds. Stewart didn't finish plays enough and profiled as a potential tweener at his previous size. I like him down in weight and staying at edge rusher. The athleticism is what you want at this position.
LB Jihaad Campbell: A 90th percentile broad jump and a 84th percentile speed score with average size for off-ball linebacker. If that wasn't enough, he was smooth in the drills, and even did the pass-rushing drills at some teams' request after the event was over. As a reminder, he was the No. 1 EDGE recruit out of high school. He's such a good athlete that he became the top off-ball linebacker prospect while switching positions at Alabama. Dog.
CB Jahdae Barron: 4.40 forty is an incredible time versus expectations, even if his shorter arms keep the outside CB concerns alive. Crushing the podium doesn't matter all that much, but he was phenomenal up there and clearly is football obsessed with his ability to describe the game, too. He's been used everywhere--from dime linebacker to safety to nickel to outside corner. I ultimately like him as a game-changing slot CB with the ability to kick outside.
DT Derrick Harmon: Daniel Jeremiah noted he's been "outstanding" in interviews, and then he ran 4.97 in the forty with great size and length (84th percentile size-adjusted forty aka "speed score"). His film was great, and he had a 17% pressure rate. I'm not sure what I'm missing here. He's at least a top-25 player, if not much higher.
WR Matthew Golden: 4.29 in the forty wasn't fully expected. That's blazing Round 1 speed.
EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku: The reports on his team interviews are great, and he crushed his workout. His three-cone time is in the 90th percentile, as his short shuttle. That's key because he's an outside-lane speed rusher.
S Nick Emmanwori: He checked in at 89th percentile weight, then proceeded to post 99th percentile scores in the vertical (43 inches) and broad (11-foot-6) jumps with a 95th percentile speed score (4.40 forty). That's preposterous. Emmanwori is firmly in the late Round 1 discussion after the Combine confirmed the freaky traits he had on tape. His instincts and coverage ability are a work in progress. The tools, well, they are obvious.
CB Maxwell Hairston: 4.29 forty. Enough said. It was Field Yates and myself on Round 1 island with him before Indy. I assume we see him mentioned there more now. Whew.
LB Carson Schwesinger: He surprisingly showed up at 242 pounds after being listed in the mid 220s. That's the difference between outlier levels to prototypical full-time size (63rd percentile). He's a baller in coverage on tape. Instincts are there against the run. Now we check size and 91st percentile vertical jump ability? I'm happy to have him inside the top-32 overall players.
EDGE Nic Scourton: The same thing as Stewart applies to his teammate here. He showed up in Indy at 257 pounds, likely a better weight for his pass-rush abilities.
RB Quinshon Judkins: The 221-pounder jumped out of the jump with a 98th percentile broad jump, then hit the forty in 4.48 seconds to give him 76th percentile size-adjusted speed. That's what a potential lead back looks like. His frame is ideal just looking at him.
WR Jayden Higgins: The 6'4"/214 outside receiver hit 4.47 seconds in the forty with a 39-inch vertical, making him a well-above average athlete for the position.
WR Jaylin Noel: Welcome to the Round 2 conversation. He had a 4.39 forty, 41.5-inch vertical, and an 11-foot-2 broad jump. Those are 95th percentile jumps and 87th percentile speed. The Athletic's Dane Brugler believes he could be in the top-50 for teams with a Christian Kirk comparison.
TE Terrance Ferguson: The entire group looked terrible, so his numbers especially stood out. A 39-inch vert puts him in the 96th percentile. His 4.63 forty was in the 73rd percentile and he did so with every-down size (6'5"/247).
EDGE Landon Jackson: 40.5-vertical (98th percentile) at 270 pounds (71st percentile). NFL Network noted that's Myles Garrett and Mario Edwards territory. For a player of his size and upright stance, he was able to maneuver around the on-field drills at a high clip.
CB Darien Porter: He was a fringe Day 2 prospect before this, but he's now flying up boards with a 4.30 forty at 6-foot-3. All of his testing metrics were well above average, too. I'll have to watch soon.
RB Bhayshul Tuten: 4.32 forty. 132-inch vert. 40.5-inch vert. 99th, 98th, and 94th percentile. And he did so at a respectable 206 pounds. I'll watch his tape ASAP. Of note, his 4.42 short shuttle time is somehow in the bottom 16th percentile.
RB DJ Giddens: He has 81st percentile weight-adjusted speed (4.43 at 212), 89th percentile vertical, and 94th percentile broad jump. That's an explosive player with NFL size. Throw in he's an early declare with solid production out of Kansas State, and we might have a Round 3 profile on our hands.
WR Jaylin Lane: His composite athleticism score (my adjusted SPARQ metric) is in the 96th percentile after his forty (4.34), ten split, vert, broad, shuttle, and three cone came in the 80th percentile or above. That puts him in the Round 3-4 conversation. I'll get eyes on him soon.
WR Isaac TeSlaa: He stands at 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds with long blonde hair. He's hard to miss, unless you are watching him run. He had a 4.44 forty (80th percentile size-adjusted) and 85th-percentile vertical jump. I'll get eyes on him soon.
WR Chimere Dike: His composite athleticism score is in the 80th percentile thanks to a 4.34 forty.
WR Dont'e Thornton: He's a low-volume player in a fake Volunteers offense, but he's 6-foot-5 and hit 4.30 in the forty. That's someone we have to get eyes on.
2025 NFL Combine Bizarros
EDGE James Pearce: Coming into the week, there were reports about his character being questioned. So him forgetting his shirt at the hotel during his testing does completely check out there. At the same time, he did run the forty at 4.47 flat, translating to a 93rd percentile speed score. That's not adjusted for wearing a damn hoodie!!! If things couldn't get weirder, his 31-inch vertical is in the bottom 10th percentile. Josh's comp is beautiful: Randy Gregory.
TE Harold Fannin: He was truly all over the place. His weight of 241 pounds is bigger than expected and puts him near Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and Sam LaPorta. Throw in the 22-rep bench press, and that's quite good. His three cone (6.97) puts him in the 79th percentile, while his forty (4.71) looked weird and is in the 43rd percentile. The jumps were in the 52nd and 55th percentile. His blocking rep put the sled sideways (derogatory), but he looked smooth as a pass catcher. Ultimately, this was a bad day if you're a hater, and it was a mild day if you're a believer. There are starting players with this athletic profile, and none of them have his college-leading production.
If I were to update my top-55 players after the combine:
WR1 Travis Hunter
QB1 Cam Ward
EDGE1 Abdul Carter (faller)
OT1 Armand Membou
OT2 Will Campbell
LB1 Jihaad Campbell
EDGE2 James Pearce
WR2 Tetairoa McMillan (faller)
DT1 Mason Graham (faller)
RB1 Ashton Jeanty
OG1 Tyler Booker
EDGE3 Shemar Stewart (riser)
TE1 Colston Loveland
DT2 Kenneth Grant
DT3 Derrick Harmon (riser)
EDGE4 Jalon Walker
CB1 Jahdae Barron (riser)
TE2 Tyler Warren
EDGE5 Mykel Williams
OT3 Kelvin Banks Jr.
WR3 Emeka Egbuka
CB2 Will Johnson
OG2 Donovan Jackson
S1 Nick Emmanwori (riser)
EDGE6 Donovan Ezeiruaku
WR3 Matthew Golden (riser)
QB2 Jaxson Dart
CB4 Maxwell Hairston (riser)
DT4 Walter Nolen
EDGE7 Mike Green
DT5 T.J. Sanders (riser)
S2 Malaki Starks
RB2 Omarion Hampton
LB2 Carson Schwesinger
OG3 Grey Zabel
QB3 Tyler Shough
QB4 Shedeur Sanders
WR4 Luther Burden III
EDGE8 Nic Scourton
DT6 Tyleik Williams
OT4 Josh Simmons
CB5 Shavon Revel Jr.
RB3 Kaleb Johnson
RB4 TreVeyon Henderson
RB5 Quinshon Judkins (riser)
TE3 Mason Taylor
TE4 Elijah Arroyo
WR5 Tre Harris
OT5 Josh Conerly Jr.
TE5 Harold Fannin Jr. (faller)
EDGE9 Jack Sawyer (faller)
EDGE10 JT Tuimoloau
DT7 Deone Walker
DT8 Omarr Norman-Lott
TE6 Gunnar Helm (faller)
On the watch list next: QB Jalen Milroe, QB Will Howard, RB Dylan Sampson, WR Jayden Higgins, WR Jaylin Noel, WR Elic Ayomanor, WR Jaylin Lane, WR Isaac TeSlaa, TE Terrance Ferguson, RB Bhayshul Tuten, RB DJ Giddens, OT Aireontae Ersery, OT Marcus Mbow, OG Jonah Savaiinaea, EDGE Landon Jackson, EDGE Princely Umanmielen, EDGE Josaiah Stewart, DT Alfred Collins, DT Shemar Turner, DT Joshua Farmer, DT Darius Alexander, DT Jordan Phillips, LB Demetrius Knight Jr., CB Azareye'h Thomas, CB Benjamin Morrison, CB Darien Porter, and S Xavier Watts.