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2025 NFL combine winners and losers: Which prospects stood out in Indianapolis?
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- 2025 NFL combine winners and losers: Which prospects stood out in Indianapolis?
The 2025 NFL scouting combine brought hundreds of future NFL players to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for four days of interviews, measurements, on-field drills and events.
Thursday saw the defensive line and linebacker groups go first with multiple future first-round picks taking the field. A deep tight end class and defensive back group put on a show on Friday, including the fastest 40-yard dash of the weekend.
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Saturday was all offense with running backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks going through drills on the field. Sunday wrapped up the action with a huge offensive line class showing off their athleticism from Indianapolis.
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Some players outperformed expectations while others did not. Here are 10 winners and 10 losers from the combine this weekend:
2025 NFL combine winners
WR Matthew Golden
Golden's teammate Isaiah Bond was expected to challenge former Longhorn Xavier Worthy 's 40-yard dash record (more on that later). Instead, it was Golden who paced the wide receivers with an impressive 4.29 with a 1.49-second 10-yard split.
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That was it for the drills for Golden but it was more than enough. The Texas wideout was considered a late first-round player but could go a few spots higher after his day in Indianapolis.
Edge Landon Jackson
Jackson was a top 50 prospect entering the combine but now is squarely in contention for the first round. The Arkansas product put on a show in the drills: 40 1/2 inches in the vertical (best at the position) and 10 feet, 9 inches in the broad jump (second). At 6-foot-6 and 264 pounds, Jackson offers a lot for NFL teams.
CB Maxwell Hairston
Hairston beat Golden for the title of fastest player in the 40-yard dash at the combine this year by hitting 4.28 seconds. He then hit 39 1/2 inches in the vertical jump and 10 feet, 9 inches in the broad jump, all near-elite marks.
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Hairston had questions about his speed and missed time for Kentucky last season with a shoulder injury. This performance should quell the speed questions and move him into at least second-round consideration.
S Nick Emmanwori
Emmanwori was expected to put on a show at the combine and delivered. He finished Friday as one of the most athletic defensive backs in combine history . His mix of size, athleticism and production make the South Carolina product a sure-fire first round pick even at a less valuable position.
Iowa State prospects
The Cyclones had standout performers at wide receiver and defensive back in Indianapolis.
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Cornerback Darien Porter performed very well on Friday to kick things off. He's one of the older prospects at the position in the class but has great size (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) and had the second-best 40-yard dash at the position at 4.30 seconds.
On Saturday, wide receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins had great performances. Noel posted a good 40-yard dash (4.39 seconds) but was elite in the vertical (41 1/2 inches) and broad jumps (11 feet, 2 inches). If you were worried about his strength at 5-foot-10 and 194 pounds, don't be. He hit 23 reps in the bench press.
Higgins is a different type of receiver at 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds but had a good 40-yard dash for his size at 4.47 seconds. He was a bit behind Noel in the jumps but still hit 39 inches in the vertical and 10 feet, 8 inches in the broad jump, both among the best at the position.
CB Jahdae Barron
As a prospect, Barron's versatility, football IQ, ball skills and physicality showed up on game tape for Texas. The main concerns entering the combine were his size and speed.
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Size questions remain as he measured in at 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds but speed is not. His 4.39-second 40-yard dash could work him into consideration as one of the first three cornerbacks off the board in the first round.
OL Armand Membou
Membou's become a first-round prospect thanks to the mix of size and athleticism he put on tape at Missouri . Membou backed that up in Indianapolis with a 4.91-second 40-yard dash and a 34 inch vertical jump, both in the top four of all offensive linemen. He took the top spot in the broad jump at 9 feet, 7 inches. That kind of movement at 6-foot-4, 332 pounds with 33 1/2 inch arms bears out well for his outlook.
QB Brady Cook
There weren't many quarterbacks participating in drills but Cook made the most of it. The Missouri quarterback was expected to go undrafted even in a weak class but his performance on Saturday likely changed that. Cook was one of the best throwers among the quarterbacks and posted elite marks in the 40-yard dash (4.59 seconds), vertical jump (37 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches).
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Running backs
This running back class has been touted as one of the best in modern history and the results from Indianapolis back that up. Top prospect Ashton Jeanty didn't participate but the rest of the group picked up the slack.
North Carolina 's Omarion Hampton and Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins all backed up their standing as Round 2 talents. Virginia Tech 's Bhayshul Tuten was the most athletic of them all and may have jumped up a full round with his incredible performance.
Likely Day 3 prospects Brashard Smith (SMU), RJ Harvey ( UCF ), DJ Giddens (Kansas State) and Trevor Etienne (Georgia) all had good performances as well.
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Edge Shemar Stewart
Stewart was touted as one of the most athletic prospects at the position and delivered with an impressive 4.59-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds. The Texas A&M product hit 40 inches in the vertical jump and 10 feet, 11 inches in the broad jump, both in the top fifth percentile of all prospects since 1999.
2025 NFL combine losers
WR Isaiah Bond
Bond talked a big game about breaking Worthy's record and came up very short. There were concerns about the Texas wide receiver's consistency after a down final year in college with the Longhorns . A lot of positivity was pinned on his deep speed but that's now in question after his 40-yard dash performance.
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Edge Abdul Carter
The news of Carter's foot injury found in medical examinations could change his status as a No. 1 overall pick contender. The Penn State product may need surgery ahead of the draft. Carter also played through a shoulder injury in Penn State's loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals, making overall health a bigger concern than previously thought.
DT Mason Graham
Like other top prospects, Graham did not participate in many drills but got his measurements done at the combine. They were not great. He weighed in at 296 pounds (down from estimates around 320 from Michigan ) and measured at 32-inch arms (26th percentile for the position). Other interior defensive linemen in a deep class measured in better and performed well in the athletic drills.
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QB Dillon Gabriel
There weren't many quarterbacks who participated in the combine. Gabriel did and his accuracy didn't compare well to others in the class. His average arm strength meant he needed a longer windup for deeper shots and they were not as accurate as other throwers in Indianapolis.
S Malaki Starks
Starks is the consensus top safety prospect in the class and one of the 10 best players, regardless of position but he did not test well. Starks' 10-yard split was good (1.51 seconds) but his 40-yard dash time at 4.50 seconds was lackluster compared to his film. He also didn't run well in the shuttle or 3-cone and his 33-inch vertical jump was third-worst at the position.
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QB Will Howard
Howard presents a big, strong-armed option with championship pedigree for teams looking for a Day 2 or Day 3 option in a weak class. But he struggled with accuracy as well and missed multiple downfield passes. Of the handful of prospects who participated in athletic drills, Howard was the worst in the broad jump and vertical jump.
OT Will Campbell
Campbell was one of the more athletic players at tackle but the big concern coming in to the combine was his arm length. He measured in at 32 5/8 inches, putting him more than an inch below the standard many teams (34) like to see at the position. His athletic showing was very promising but that arm length means teams will want to get their own measurements.
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WR Tez Johnson
Johnson is an outlier at wide receiver at 5-foot-10 and 154 pounds. That made him the lightest skill position prospect since 1999. Teams knew he would be lean but hoped he'd make up for that with speed. He ended up at 4.51 seconds in the 40-yard dash, one of the slowest times at the position, likely moving him down many boards.
Edge Jack Sawyer
Sawyer didn't participate in many drills but did measure in at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds. Like Graham, his arm length is concerning, even more so considering he lines up at edge. Sawyer's 31 3/4-inch arm length puts him well inside the bottom 10th percentile among all defensive linemen since 1999. His performance in drills was more promising but teams will see that arm length and have concerns.
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The Senior Bowl
This all-star game is often the first major event ahead of the NFL draft before the combine. It gives teams and their scouts a chance to see prospects out of the context of their college teams and in more isolated reps.
They also take measurements at the Senior Bowl but this year's figures weren't adding up compared to the NFL combine. Quarterback Jalen Milroe 's hands measured in at 8 3/4 inches at the Senior Bowl. At the combine a month later, his hands were 9 3/8 inches.
Offensive linemen as a whole saw shorter arm length measurements than at the Senior or Shrine Bowl. This means teams will have to do their own measurements when meeting with prospects ahead of the NFL draft.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 NFL combine winners, losers: Matthew Golden, Mason Graham
