2025 NFL Scouting Combine Winners & Losers

The NFL Combine is wrapping up and it’s a good time to look back at the week that was. Who helped themselves with a strong showing? Who might not have put up the numbers they wanted? A lot of the important stuff at the Combine happens behind closed doors, but what happens on the field makes or breaks prospects every year.

One note from me before we dive in. It’s important not to “double count” information from the Combine. What I mean is that if we’re already ranking a prospect as a great athlete and he tests like a great athlete, we shouldn’t automatically raise him in our rankings. We were already ranking him as a great athlete, that was already being considered.

What is needle-moving is when a prospect does something we didn’t expect. Maybe they blow the testing out of the water even more than we thought they would, or perhaps someone who was seen as a mediocre athlete proves that assumption wrong. This is what makes the Combine special for viewers, and every year a few players dominate the headlines for the week and see that pay off on draft weekend.

If you’re looking for more draft information, check out my Top 100 Big Board and positional rankings below. More draft coverage will be coming between now and the end of April, so stay tuned as we’ll have you covered for all of your pre-draft needs.

Updated Position Rankings:

Without further ado, let’s check out some winners and losers from the 2025 Combine!

Winners: Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel and Texas QB Quinn Ewers

It’s a down quarterback class, and the consensus top two prospects in Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders didn’t work out at the Combine, leaving a chance for one of the other quarterbacks in this class to step up and take firm command of the QB3 spot. That didn’t happen, but several prospects still put together good throwing sessions.

Gabriel was the best passer on the field Saturday. He was comfortable and in command, hitting his receivers in stride and delivering on-time with consistent mechanics. His deep passes hung up in the air a bit more than you’d like, but that was to be expected. In a class with a lot of question marks at quarterback, Gabriel cemented himself as a reliable Day 2 option.

By comparison, Ewers wasn’t as flawless rep-to-rep as Gabriel. But he was good in his own right. The wonky mechanics he put on tape with the Longhorns were largely absent from his on-field workout, and as a result, he was more accurate and timely in his passes. He still struggled to hit the deep ball consistently, and until we see his refined mechanics in game-action it’s worth taking them with a grain of salt. But in a class of raw prospects, Ewers showed some upside on the field that others just didn’t.

Loser: Ohio State QB Will Howard

Howard struggled with ball placement and accuracy during the drill portions of the workout. His fastball is among the best in class, but he failed to hit passes at more varied speeds. It was a similar workout to Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, but while Milroe is known as a raw, unfinished prospect, Howard has five years and 50 starts under his belt. You wouldn’t have guessed that watching them throw on Saturday.

Winners: Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten and Kansas State RB DJ Giddens

Tuten tore up the athletic testing, running a 4.32 40-yard dash — which was not just the fastest this year but tied for the fourth-fastest time ever recorded by a running back in Combine history — and 1.49 10-yard split, all while jumping 40.5 inches in the vertical and 10 feet 10 inches in the broad. The 10-yard split and vertical jump were both tops in the class, while his broad jump was tied for second.

It’s a crowded and deep running back class, and Tuten was among a group of backs that could be taken anywhere from the second to fourth rounds. This level of athletic testing in speed and explosiveness likely solidified his status as a Day 2 pick with the potential to jump into the top 50.

Giddens didn’t wow the same way Tuten did, but he checked the boxes he needed to. On tape, he’s a refined and powerful runner, but there were lingering questions about his overall speed and athleticism. With a 4.43 40-yard dash and the second-best jump numbers in the class, Giddens answered those questions emphatically. I had him as my RB14 in my pre-Combine rankings, but he’s likely to move into the top 10 at the position when I update them next and is now in prime position to be a Day 2 pick.

Loser: Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II

It’s been a tough year for Gordon. After winning the FBS rushing title in 2023 and being hailed as the next great running back prospect, he crashed back down to earth in 2024. He struggled to produce in an anemic Oklahoma State offense, raising questions about his athleticism and ability to succeed in traditional offensive systems.

Unfortunately, he didn’t do anything to assuage those fears at the Combine and may have made things worse for himself. A 4.61 40-yard dash was the second-worst at the position, and he ranked near the bottom in the 10-yard split and both jumps as well. Subpar testing in the speed and explosiveness categories is a tough thing to overcome on his profile, particularly with how much competition there is at running back in this class.

Winners: Texas WR Matthew Golden and Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor

Golden only did one thing on Saturday: he ran a 4.29 40-yard dash and called it a day. He’s been a major riser over the last few months, putting on a show for the Longhorns and garnering more attention from the draft community.

On tape, Golden is an advanced route runner who gets separation at every level of the field. The question was just on his athletic testing. Being the fastest receiver at the Combine locked him into the first round, and he could even push his way into the top 15 before it’s all said and done.

Ayomanor did some important work in his own right. He ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at 6-2, 206 pounds, adding a 38.5-inch vertical and 10-7 broad. Those are strong athletic testing numbers, backing up the top speed and short-area quickness visible on his tape. He projects as a prototypical X-receiver in the NFL and stated his case to be taken in the first round.

Winners: Iowa State WRs Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel

The two Iowa State receivers had themselves a day. Both entered the week as potential Day 2 picks and both leave it more likely to be taken in Round 2 than Round 3.

Higgins ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at 6-4 and 214 pounds. Combined with top-10 positional numbers in both the vertical and broad jumps, Higgins put together a quality Combine. He’s an experienced player and excellent route runner, and he backed up his tape by proving to be a good athlete which should help allay any concerns about his ability to separate.

Noel ran a 4.39 40-yard dash and paired it with the best jump numbers of any receiver at the Combine. At 5-10, 194, he’s a well-built slot receiver with an advanced route tree. He was a smooth mover in the drills and looked the part of a starting NFL receiver. Testing as a plus athlete wasn’t necessarily expected, but in combination with his polish and savvy, it makes him an enticing prospect.

Loser: Texas WR Isaiah Bond

Bond’s selling point as a prospect was his elite speed. Despite lackluster college production and relatively poor route running abilities, evaluators kept him in the Day 2 range on their boards because he was supposedly one of the fastest receivers we’ve seen in years. Bond talked a big game before the event, too, saying he would beat former Texas WR Xavier Worthy‘s record 4.21-second 40. Bond ended up at 4.39 seconds after initial times in the low 4.4s — a quality number but far away from the lofty standard he and others had set for himself, and it puts his stock in precarious position.

Winners: Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson and LSU TE Mason Taylor

Ferguson is a notable riser from Friday’s workouts. His 4.63 40 time was the fastest among all tight ends in attendance, and he added to that with the best 10-yard split and vertical jump at the position (and the third-best broad jump as well).

On the field, he might’ve been the best tight end performer. His tested athleticism showed up in the drills, as he was fluid and bursty on the move. Ferguson has a reputation as one of the most fundamentally-sound players in this draft, and he may have boosted his stock into the second round.

Taylor didn’t test, but he excelled in the on-field drills. His reliable hands and smooth hips were on full display, as he looked like one of the most natural receivers in the tight end group.

Loser: Texas TE Gunnar Helm

It was a rough day for Helm, as his 4.84 40-yard dash was the third-slowest among tight ends at the event. With just one year of starting experience under his belt, Helm’s game is predicated on stretching the defense vertically and beating opposing coverage one-on-one. With his poor athletic testing, his ability to do that in the NFL comes into question.

Now, it should be noted Helm sprained his ankle just before running his first 40 and will test again at his pro day. He’ll have a chance to set the record straight, hopefully on a healthy ankle. If he does, it becomes a non-issue. For now though, Helm’s stock is in flux.

Winners: Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery and N.C. State OT Anthony Belton

Ersery was an immediate winner for me as I was watching the Combine. He measured in at 6-6, 331, and proceeded to run a 5.01 40 with a 29.5-inch vertical and 9-3 broad jump — just outstanding numbers for an athlete his size. His quick feet and smooth hips were easy to see watching the drills, and he might hear his name called at the tail end of Round 1.

Belton’s meteoric rise continues. He measured at 6-6, 336, but looked fluid and quick out in the drills. His 5.26 40 won’t make headlines, but he built upon a good Senior Bowl showing to make a strong case for a Day 2 selection.

Winners: Missouri OT Armand Membou and Arizona OT Jonah Savaiinaea

Membou stated his case to be OT1 in this class, running a 4.91 40 with a 34-inch vertical and 9-7 broad jump at 6-4, 332. His insane athleticism is visible on tape, and he tested like one of the best athletes on the offensive line we’ve seen in some time. The way he moves at that size is unreal, putting him in the conversation as the top pure tackle on the board.

Savaiinaea checked in at 6-4, 324, then proceeded to run a 4.95 40 with a 29-inch vertical and 8-10 broad jump. Endless debates as to where Savaiinaea should play continue to rage, but he moves quite well at his size and I think he has a chance to be an excellent tackle in the league.

Loser: LSU OT Will Campbell

Campbell would be among my winners if it weren’t for one number: 32 and 5/8 inches. That’s how long Campbell’s arms are, and it puts him well below the 33-inch benchmark most NFL teams have for their tackles. Most prospects who fall below that threshold are automatically relegated to guard in the NFL, and Campbell already struggled to defend length in the SEC.

Now, Campbell was excellent in everything he could control. His 4.98 40 yard dash, 32-inch vertical, and 9-5 broad jump at 6-6, 319 makes him one of the best athletes at the Combine at any position. He was quick, explosive, and fluid on the field, and looked every bit the part of a top-10 pick. Unfortunately, it may be at guard instead of tackle.

Winners: Georgia G Tate Ratledge and C Jared Wilson

Ratledge was a surprise standout for me. He’s a mauler in the run game and a cerebral player who rarely makes mistakes. But he’s only an average pass protector and wasn’t supposed to be much of an athlete, so to see him run a 4.97 40-yard dash with a 32-inch vertical and 9-5 broad jump — all at 6-6 and a half and 308 pounds — was incredibly impressive. He’s gone from a mid-round pick to potentially the late second, early third.

Wilson might have staked his claim to the title of top pure center in the draft. A ludicrous 4.84 40-yard dash at 6-3, 310, to go with a 32-inch vertical and 9-4 broad jump, puts him in elite company. Few people move like that, and he showed out in all the agility drills. He should be a safe Day 2 pick.

Loser: Alabama G Tyler Booker

Booker likely still holds the top spot in most evaluators’ interior offensive line rankings, but it was not a good week for him. His 5.38 40-yard dash was second-worst among all offensive linemen, and his 27-inch vertical and 7-10 broad jump were just as bad. He checks all the size boxes you want at 6-5, 321 (with 34.5-inch arms to boot) but poor speed and explosive testing is a problem.

The biggest issues on Booker’s tape are his struggles in space. He can’t climb to the second level or execute reach blocks as effectively as other prospects, and he’s not great in the open field. Subpar athletic testing will only enhance those concerns, though teams still love his size, mentality and intangibles.

Winners: Tennessee ED James Pearce Jr. and Arkansas ED Landon Jackson

After a head-scratching 31-inch vertical that had people questioning his explosiveness, Pearce responded with a 4.47 40-yard dash and a 10-3 broad jump at 6-5, 245. It was exactly what he needed to do, cementing himself as one of the fastest (and quickest) edge defenders to come out of the draft in some time.

Jackson was one of the biggest winners of the entire week. After measuring in at 6-6, 264, he put together a clinic in the athletic testing. A 4.68 40-yard dash, 40.5-inch vertical, 10-9 broad jump puts him in rare company at that size. On tape, Jackson wins more through power and length than bend and burst, but he looked smooth in the drills as well. He was sitting somewhere in the Day 2 range before the week and is a surefire top-50 selection now.

Winners: Oregon ED Jordan Burch and Texas A&M ED Shemar Stewart

For Burch, checking in at 6-4 and 279 pounds yet running a 4.67 40-yard dash was eye-opening. I thought he looked great on the field, showcasing his powerful hands and moving with some quickness I wasn’t sure was in his game. Burch likely solidified his status as a Day 2 pick.

Stewart deserves a shout because anyone who runs a 4.59 40 with a 40-inch vertical and a 10-11 broad jump at 6-5, 267 is special. This is about what I expected from the uber-athletic Stewart, so he won’t shift much on my board from this alone. But it was good for him to put firm numbers to something we all saw on tape, and it’s a special level of athleticism at size. Stewart didn’t do the agility drills but the results he did put up gave him the No. 3 Relative Athletic Score of any defensive end in nearly 40 years of data.

Loser: Texas A&M ED Nic Scourton

It’s tough to put Scourton in the losers category, as he didn’t do much to hurt himself. But I think you have to given all the other defensive linemen who showed out on Thursday. Scourton didn’t test, but he measured in at 6-3 and 257 pounds. That’s almost 30 pounds lighter than he was listed at both Texas A&M and Purdue, something that immediately jumped off the page.

It’s not just the lighter weight, it’s that he didn’t look comfortable on the field. He slipped a few times during the drills, struggling to turn the corner as sharply as some of his peers. The power he plays with was still on display, but the reason for slimming down is usually to perform bendier and more explosive, and that didn’t happen for Scourton.

Scourton’s been sliding down boards throughout this pre-draft process, as other players have stood out more and usurped his position. He entered the 2024 season as a potential top-10 pick, now he’s looking more like an early Round 2 player. He’ll have a chance to test at his pro day and claw his way back into the first round, but he didn’t do enough to help himself at the Combine.

Winners: Toledo DT Darius Alexander and Oregon DT Derrick Harmon

Both Alexander and Harmon ran identical 4.95 40-yard dashes. Alexander followed that up with a 31.5-inch vertical and 9-3 broad jump at 6-4, 305. Harmon didn’t jump but nonetheless impressed at 6-4 and a half, 313.

Alexander popped off in the drills portion of the Combine, showcasing a serious power profile to go with great quickness and agility. Harmon displayed the burst he’s so well known for while weighing heavier than expected, a major win for him. Both players solidified top-50 status.

Loser: Kentucky DT Deone Walker

The tough pre-draft process for Walker continues. He didn’t run, but he put up bottom-five numbers in both jumps. That normally wouldn’t be a huge issue for a player who measured in at 6-7, 331, but Walker is a unique case.

What’s intriguing about Walker is how athletic and versatile he is at his size. Despite playing nose tackle, he can line up across the defensive line, rush the passer, and even play a little coverage. But not testing well puts a damper on all the other fun stuff and brings attention back to his tape at nose tackle. Right now it’s not up to par, and Walker risks falling into Day 3.

Winners: Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell and UCLA LB Carson Schwesinger

Campbell entered the day as the top linebacker on most boards and only enhanced his claim to that spot. He ran a 4.52 40 at 6-3, 235, and looked fluid and confident in the drills. First-step explosiveness is the sell on Campbell and he checked that box with gusto.

Schwesinger, on the other hand, exploded up draft boards with one number. After rumblings that he played under 220 pounds in 2024, he checked in at 6-2 and a half and 242 pounds, adding a 39.5-inch vertical to that, underlining his explosive power. He ended up sitting out of drills with a minor hamstring injury, so how he moves at that weight is still an unknown. Regardless, that prototypical size moves him squarely into Day 2 range and likely the second-round conversation.

Loser: Iowa LB Jay Higgins

Higgins was never going to excel at the Combine, as his game is predicated on his intelligence, experience, and grit — not flashy testing numbers. Still, his performance was extremely concerning. His 4.82 40-yard dash was the worst of the linebackers by almost a full tenth of a second, with the third-worst vertical and worst broad jump at the position. At only 224 pounds, it might be tough for Higgins to get drafted at this point, as teams will have a hard time taking someone with athletic testing numbers that poor. Instead of being a mid-round pick, we might see Higgins as a priority undrafted free agent.

Winners: Ole Miss CB Trey Amos and Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston

Amos came into Combine week as a solid second-round pick with some athleticism questions. He silenced any doubts about that, with a 4.43 40, 32.5-inch vertical and 10-6 broad jump at 6-1, 195. He’s been a steady riser since the Senior Bowl and was one of the better cornerbacks on the field Friday, putting himself in fringe first-round territory.

Hairston, on the other hand, set the football world ablaze with his testing. A 4.28 40-yard dash is exciting enough, it was the best time of any player this past week in fact, but to follow that up with a 39.5-inch vertical and 10-9 broad jump at 5-11, 183 pounds is impressive. Hairston battled a shoulder injury in 2024 and his tape is up-and-down, but he’s an uber-athletic slot corner that just oozes traits.

He’s big enough to potentially play outside, despite typically being projected as a slot option. Regardless, Hairston was arguably the most impressive defensive back in the on-field drills portion of the event, with his easy movement and plus ball skills evident. He’s gone from a top-50 player on most boards to a potential first-round pick.

Winners: Iowa State CB Darien Porter and Kansas State CB Jacob Parrish

Let’s quickly shout out two more corners who stood out in testing. Porter got the impressive week for the Cyclones started with just bonkers testing numbers. He ran 4.3 flat with a 35.5-inch vertical and 10-11 broad jump, all at 6-3, 195. He didn’t stop there, with great numbers in the three-cone drill and short shuttle, showcasing his all-around athletic profile. Concerns still remain, with Porter being an older prospect and late breakout, but he likely locked in a second-round selection on Friday.

Parrish didn’t have as much to prove but he may have just played his way into the second round himself. His 4.35 40-yard dash was the fourth-fastest for a corner at the event, and he also clocked great explosiveness testing with a 37.5-inch vertical and 10-9 broad jump. At 5-10, 191, he’ll be limited to the inside in the NFL but will likely be the first pure slot corner taken in April’s draft.

Loser: LSU CB Zy Alexander

Like some of our other “losers,” Alexander didn’t have a bad day. He just didn’t stand out in a crowded position group. His 4.56 40-yard dash isn’t damning, but it was the third-worst among corners. His 31.5-inch vertical and 9-8 broad jump also ranked poorly. At 6-1, 187, athleticism was always the question mark with Alexander, and unfortunately it appears to be a negative on his profile. He can still succeed in systems that ask him to play off-coverage with safety help, but he’s been surpassed by prospects that don’t project to need that kind of scheme protection.

Winners: South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori and Wisconsin S Hunter Wohler

Emmanwori was the buzz of the Combine after the show he put on. A 4.38 40 at 6-3, 220 is special, as is a bonkers 43-inch vertical and 11-6 broad jump. Those are just ludicrous testing numbers for anyone, let alone someone with Emmanwori’s combination of size and strength. He’s been getting a little first-round hype, and that will only intensify now. When the NFL Network broadcast keeps comparing you to D.K. Metcalf, you know you’re doing something right.

For my other winner at safety, I thought I’d take a look at Wohler, a Day 3 prospect who cleaned up the testing portion of the afternoon. At 6-2, 213, his 4.57 40-yard dash was underwhelming, but he had strong jump numbers with a 37-inch vertical and 10-0 broad. A 9.49 RAS is excellent, and his tape for the Badgers suggests he could end up being an impact pick in the middle rounds.

Loser: Georgia S Malaki Starks

Testing was not kind to Starks, as he clocked a 4.50 40-yard dash with a 33-inch vertical, putting him near the bottom of all safety performances. He looked much better in the drills, but subpar athletic testing likely puts the nail in the coffin for his chances to go top 15.

He could still be a first-round pick, as his 2023 tape is truly excellent. I thought he struggled more in 2024 though, and there’s recent precedent for great safeties who don’t test well to fall out of Round 1. Brian Branch comes to mind, and I had him rated as a much better prospect than Starks is.

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