The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is upon us. The week-long event will provide talent evaluators with an opportunity to see how prospects at each position stack up with one another and inform draft decisions made in April.
Here are some of the questions that will be answered in Indianapolis:
What’s the biggest storyline entering the combine?
Ryan Wilson: “The obvious one is not only the race for QB1 — the media have anointed Cam Ward that spot but 12 months ago no one in the media thought Bo Nix would be a top-12 pick, either. A lot can change, especially after NFL teams get an opportunity to meet with these players in person. Beyond that, QB3 remains wide open and taking it a step further, will, say, Jaxson Dart find his way into the first round. Here’s where I come down on that idea: Dart is one of the toughest players in college football and his teammates, to a person, point to him as a fantastic teammate and leader. And if he were in the 2022 draft class, he would’ve been QB1 ahead of Kenny Pickett, who was the first QB off the board at pick No. 20. But right now, I like Dart as a Day 2 prospect though, with two months until the draft, a lot can change.”
Chris Trapasso: “Which defensive linemen separate themselves from a loaded group. Early in the pre-draft process it’s unanimous — everyone is enamored with the depth of this defensive line class. But which edge rushers and interior defenders test themselves ahead of the pack in Indianapolis?”
Mike Renner: “How talented the pass-rushing group is. Defensive line is also the position where combine performance holds the most weight so I think the numbers put up will break a lot of ties in the class.”
Josh Edwards: “From a general public perspective, the biggest storyline will be just how much each quarterback will do at the event and whether there is some separation created. From the perspective of the sickos that have been following the draft for months and are intimately familiar with the names performing, it will be the performance of the edge rushers. There is a real opportunity for players to improve upon or cement their first-round status, which will result in substantial money earned.”
NFL combine 2025 where to watch: Dates, times, schedule, TV channel, live stream, full list of prospects, more
Josh Edwards
Which prospect will erupt at the combine?
Wilson: “For all the knocks on the lack of depth in this draft class … there’s a lot of depth, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Typically when we think of breakout combine performances, we think of Xavier Worthy breaking the 40 record. But there are going to be dudes who weigh north of 250 pounds — and some well north of 250 — putting up 40 times that rival some of the wide receivers. Shemar Stewart, Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, James Pearce and Mike Green — all edge rushers, all who will hear their names called in the first two days, and all players who will put up freakish numbers in Indy that will likely improve their draft stock even further.”
Trapasso: S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina. “He looks like one part Derwin James, one part Jeremy Chinn, one part Kyle Hamilton on film — crazy explosive at a ridiculous size. By the way, James, Chinn, and Hamilton all tested through out of Lucas Oil Stadium at their respective combines.”
Renner: WR Kyle Williams, Washington State. “I found myself not being able to stop watching his tape this past fall. In my opinion he’s the most underrated player and best deep threat in the class. He accelerates with such ease and cornerbacks can’t get steps back on him on vertical routes. If he runs above a 4.35 I’ll be surprised.”
Edwards: LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama. “Campbell has been among my Top 50 overall prospects for several months and has made appearances in first-round projections but the buzz suggests that he will solidify himself as a first-round pick in Indianapolis.”
Who will run the fastest 40-yard dash time?
Wilson: WR Arian Smith, Georgia. “Smith feels like the easy answer — he ran a 10.1 100-meter time in high school, which works out to a 40 time in the low 4.2s. I’ll also add Texas WR Isaiah Bond and Nevada S Kitan Crawford as dark horses.”
Trapasso: WR Arian Smith, Georgia. “With speed at the combine, height-weight combination is key. At the Senior Bowl, the burner, who averaged nearly 20 yards per catch in 2024 with the Bulldogs, measured in at just under 6-foot-0 and 175 pounds. Decently tall, very light. Essentially ideal to run super-duper fast. Xavier Worthy was 5-11 and 165 pounds last year. John Ross was 5-11, 188 in 2017. Smith is a blur on film too.”
Renner: CB Darien Porter, Iowa State. “The converted wide receiver has barely played, but his speed jumped off the tape. I said he was a threat to go 4.2s based on tape. That was before he hit the second fastest speed ever registered in the seven years the Senior Bowl has had GPS tracked (22.17 MPH). Only Tariq Woolen (4.26 40) was faster.”
Edwards: WR Arian Smith, Georgia. “It would be surprising if anyone other than Smith held the title of 2025 NFL combine’s fastest man. Generally speaking, most prospects should be encouraged to run the 40-yard dash at the combine rather than waiting for their respective Pro Days, because it is a climate controlled environment on a fast track.”
Which quarterback will have the best combine?
Wilson: Kyle McCord, Syracuse. “He’s been my guy since the fall. And he followed up a great season at Syracuse with an impressive Shrine Bowl, and I suspect he’ll keep the momentum going through the combine and the rest of the pre-draft process.”
Trapasso: Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss. “Dart should test reasonably well for the quarterback position and part of a class without a passer with ridiculous arm strength, Dart should be impressive in the throwing drills relative to his contemporaries in Indianapolis.”
Renner: Jalen Milroe, Alabama. “He may be the only quarterback that works out and he needs to put up numbers to sell teams on his upside.”
Edwards: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon. “My first thought was Miami’s Cam Ward, but it is unknown in which, if any drills, he will compete considering his stance as a near unanimous QB1. There is little he could show that would help. Gabriel is an experienced, accurate quarterback who should excel throwing on air.”
Which position group are you most excited to watch?
Wilson: Wide receiver. “This wide receiver class isn’t nearly as deep as last year’s group, at least at the top, but there will be some dudes, a few of whom are still flying under the radar. TCU’s Jack Bech is a really good player that balled out at the Senior Bowl, and Arkansas’ Isaac Teslaa, a late add to the Senior Bowl roster, is probably going to test pretty well in Indy — and that athleticism and playmaking shows up on tape. And someone like Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor, who reminds me of a young JuJu Smith-Schuster, could really help himself with a solid week in Indy.”
Trapasso: Defensive tackle. “Yes, the big men on the interior. It’s such a loaded class, and some of the largest defensive linemen — I presume Kenneth Grant from Michigan and even Deone Walker from Kentucky — are going to shock many fans with their springiness as athletes.”
Renner: Edge rusher. “It’s usually the position group I hone in on at the combine given its historical importance, but this year is especially impactful given it’s the most loaded position in the draft.”
Edwards: Running backs. “The running back class is very deep this year and the competitive juices should be flowing inside Lucas Oil Stadium as top prospects stands in one after the next.”
Which under-the-radar prospect is bound to be a household name after the combine?
Wilson: “I don’t think Marshall edge Mike Green is still under the radar after what he did during Senior Bowl practices, but a few other names to keep an eye on: Maryland DT Jordan Phillips, Cal CB Nohl Williams, and Ole Miss LB Chris Paul all balled out at the Shrine Bowl and all will likely be off the board by Day 2.”
Trapasso: LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama. “This feels oxymoronic, because normally Alabama defensive prospects are not under-the-radar entering the combine. After the first year after the Nick Saban era, Campbell doesn’t have the same hype as the other Crimson Tide linebackers of the past decade plus. On film, Campbell looks like a rocket to the football and has the sleek body type to test his way into the Top 20 or so picks in April.”
Renner: DT Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech. “Not many people had Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey as a first-rounder before the combine and he ended up a top-20 pick. I’m not saying Peebles rises that highly, but the man has high-level burst off the line of scrimmage that will show in his testing.”
Edwards: EDGE Sai’vion Jones, LSU. “I thought Jones would have positioned himself more favorably in the consensus already, but perhaps he builds upon a strong Senior Bowl with a strong Combine performance. I do not expect him to be a first-round pick, but there is room for him in the conversation of Day 2 clusters.”
Who needs a huge combine the most to save/boost their draft stock?
Wilson: QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama. “I’d love to see Jalen Milroe come out slinging it. He might be one of the 2-3 best athletes at the combine but after a ho-hum Senior Bowl week, he could really change the narrative by throwing lasers in Indy and looking crisp in the passing drills. It’s worth remembering, however, that neither Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix exactly set the world on fire during their Senior Bowl experience a year ago … and both were off the board by pick No. 12 in the 2024 draft.”
Trapasso: EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M. “Stewart’s built-in-a-lab frame leaps off his film. As does his flashes. But the production was not first-round caliber. Him eventually being picked in Round 1 hinges upon a freaky workout. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll be a Day 2 pick.”
Renner: EDGE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M. “Scourton had a disappointing junior campaign and looked noticeably heavier than his sophomore season where he was more productive at Purdue. He needs to trim that off and test well in a deep class to stay in the round 1 mix.”
Edwards: CB Will Johnson, Michigan. “Johnson is still a top prospect in this draft for me personally. However, it can not be argued that the 2024 season was below his standards and there are questions about his speed. NFL teams will be able to gain a better understanding of those questions in Indianapolis. Johnson was arguably the top overall prospect coming into the year but has now fallen out of that conversation.”
What happens with the No. 1 overall pick? Who makes it and who gets selected?
Wilson: “I think the Titans will entertain any and all opportunities to trade down but here’s the deal: if you don’t have a quarterback, you don’t have a chance. You can stock the roster with 21 hall of famers and if your QB is the weak link, you’re struggling to make the playoffs every year. I think Tennessee takes Cam Ward.”
Trapasso: “The Titans stay put and pick Abdul Carter from Penn State. Although it’s a new GM in Nashville, Mike Borgonzi likely understands the team’s desperate need for a serious edge-rushing threat, and while they’ll get some calls for the No. 1 overall pick, the offers won’t be enticing enough for Tennessee to move out.”
Renner: “The Titans take Miami QB Cam Ward. He’s the top quarterback and their need is desperate.”
Edwards: “As of today, I believe Tennessee’s intentions are to take a non-quarterback. However, I also believe that by the time we get to draft night, they will have come to the realization that taking Miami quarterback Cam Ward is in the best interest of the organization. Brian Callahan’s preference is to get a veteran in the building, but options are limited and they are not the only franchise looking for its fix.”
The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
Read the full article here
