The NFL Scouting Combine has made it’s way back to Indianapolis, Indiana and that means it officially feels like NFL Draft season! Later this week, we’ll see which running backs run the fastest, which defensive backs are the most fluid and so much more.
For now, we sit and speculate on what could happen this week. I’ve got some opinions and scouting notes on certain players, position groups and team needs for the 2025 NFL Draft. Let’s dive in!
Quarterbacks throwing and not throwing at the Scouting Combine
Every year, there always seems to be a debate on quarterbacks throwing and not throwing at the Scouting Combine. I’ll be the first to say that I believe all players should take every chance they get to compete and prove what they can do for the teams drafting them. That said, we should always expect some of the top names in the quarterback group to not throw at the Scouting Combine.
It’s been a common trend over the years. We’re seeing more quarterbacks opt for their scheduled Pro Days. This gives them more time to prepare and it features scripted throws with their college teammates and coaches. As of now, the only quarterback that is confirmed to not partake in drills at the Combine is Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Sanders tape is good enough to be the QB1 of this draft class. It may not be a consensus decision like we’ve seen for other quarterbacks in previous drafts but there will be teams that have Sanders as their top quarterback. On my draft board, that’s where Sanders should end up.
As for Miami (FL) QB Cam Ward, it’s unclear if he’ll be throwing or not. There’s much belief that he will not throw and he’ll wait for his Pro Day. If he does end up competing at both events, there’s potential that teams could view him as the top quarterback in the draft, if they don’t already.
Now we do know that Ole Miss QB Jaxon Dart will be throwing at the Combine. Since the Senior Bowl, there’s been steady buzz surrounding Dart and his draft status. On film, he makes some impressive throws and has the desired arm strength to place the ball anywhere on the field. In fact, there may not be a quarterback with better tools in this draft.
Moving past the consensus top-3 quarterbacks, it becomes quite the guessing game. We’ve got players such as Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe, Kyle McCord, Will Howard and Tyler Shough. All five of these players have inconsistencies in their game. Fortunately, each of them have enough strengths on tape to get drafted.
Recently, there’s been plenty of love for McCord and Shough in scouting circles. One scout told me this about Tyler Shough, “get him healthy and in the right system and he can be a good starter for a team.”
We’ll see what happens with Shough but I’ll be paying close attention to what Jalen Milroe and Will Howard do at the Combine. I think Howard does a good job operating within the structure of an offense. His mobility is a plus to his game. But within his game, there are limitations with arm strength and how he gets through progressions. There are times that Howard reminds me of Brock Purdy so it would be interesting if the 49ers consider adding another quarterback for insurance if they can’t get a long-term deal sorted out with Purdy.
As for Milroe, he’s such a weapon with the football in his hands. He needs to improve his ball placement and has to start throwing with better touch. But prior to the Senior Bowl, I had some scouts tell me that Milroe was the 3rd best quarterback in the class. Haven’t heard much else since that point. It is worth noting that his former offensive coordinator [Tommy Rees] at Alabama is now the OC with the Cleveland Browns. Could we see the Browns select Hunter or Carter and then opt for a QB such as Milroe?
Every year, all eyes will be on the quarterbacks. I don’t love this class but that doesn’t mean the NFL will feel the same. We could easily see three quarterbacks selected in the top-10 of the draft. Some teams may even mortgage their entire future for one of these guys. Time will tell.
Every team should draft a defensive lineman
This is one of the deepest drafts along the defensive line that I can remember. It’s not necessarily top heavy because once you get past Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter and Michigan IDL Mason Graham, it becomes a challenge on where the dominoes fall. But there’s reason to believe that we’ll see 5-to-7 defensive lineman (EDGE & IDL) drafted in each round.
Essentially, every team should draft at least one defensive lineman this year.
Starting at the top, we won’t see Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter competing at the Combine. He’s recovering from a shoulder injury that he suffered in their bowl game against Boise State. Carter should be good to go for the start of the season but any injury is worth monitoring. He will participate at his Pro Day.
As for Michigan IDL Mason Graham, he’s expected to workout. If all goes right, we should hear his name called somewhere in the top-10 of April’s draft. Graham is a spark plug for a defense with active hands and a never ending motor.
Looking at other pass rushers, it gets interesting after Carter. There’s plenty to like with Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams. He’s got great length and size for the position. More of a power rusher that can squeeze down against the run will win quite a few teams over. His hand speed and usage needs refinement but I’d expect Williams to test well as there’s been speculation that he will run a sub 4.6 time in the 40-yard dash at 6’5″ and 265 pounds. If so, it’s hard to imagine him not going early in the draft.
Possibly the best pure pass rushers outside of Carter would be Marshall EDGE Mike Green and Tennessee EDGE James Pearce. Both players are explosive and have the desired athleticism to become double digit sack producers in the NFL. However, there’s some off-the-field concerns surrounding both players.
It’s gotten to a point with Pearce that we’re seeing him fall out of the first round of mock drafts from the national media. We do know that in the winter of 2023, Pearce got arrested after disobeying police during a traffic stop on suspicions of speeding and driving on a suspended license. However, chargers were dismissed.
For Green, he has issues that stem back to high school and from his time at Virginia. Both players will need to solidify their first round draft status this week by testing well and clearing up their off-the-field issues.
Regardless of what either player does, everyone should put a star next to Texas A&M EDGE Shemar Stewart. Listed at 6’5″ and 281 pounds, he’s predicted to run a sub 4.6 time in the 40-yard dash. Additionally, the lack of production doesn’t seem to be scaring off scouts.
After the Senior Bowl, one scout in the AFC told me, “I wish we picked sooner. Kid [Stewart] is the total package but he’ll be long gone when we pick.” If that team can’t draft Stewart, maybe they’ll consider picking one of his teammates in Nic Scourton or Shemar Turner at some point in April.
As I said, there’s easily 5-to-7 defensive lineman for each round. Some of them are pure pass rushers off the edge and others are more “tweener” types that will align everywhere on the defensive line. I could go deeper and deeper about this group but for now, we’ll leave it there with the defensive lineman.
Good luck ranking these running backs
Similar to the defensive lineman, this is such a fun and deep class of running backs. Once you get past Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, it’s like getting ice cream. Just pick a flavor and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
For those wondering, I do think Jeanty is one of the five best players in this draft. He impacted games more than any offensive player in this draft or just about any player in college football this season. After Jeanty, I think you could make a case about the pair of Ohio State running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.
Between both backs, they combined for over 2,000 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns. It wouldn’t be surprising if both players ended up being the second and third running back off the board. Keep in mind, their offensive coordinator [Chip Kelly] left Ohio State for the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders. On day two of the draft, the Raiders have 3 picks (37, 68 and 73) and they need a running back. We’ll see if he pushes for one of his guys.
Don’t forget about Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson, too. He can scoot in the open field and even hit 22 MPH on Iowa’s GPS tracking system. On tape, he displays great burst and it just feels like he’s a home run threat whenever he touches the football. Put him in a zone scheme and he could really flourish in the NFL.
If you’re looking for tone setters, then you’re in luck because this draft features three guys that really could be that and more in the NFL. Those three backs are North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton, Miami (FL) RB Damien Martinez and Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter.
All three backs absorb contact well and have shown they can handle a heavy workload. Neither back will be known for their long speed but every team could use these types of players. I’d expect all three backs to be gone by the end of the 4th round in April. There’s some belief that Hampton could end up sneaking in the 1st round but much of that will depend on how he tests this week.
As mentioned, it’s a long list of running backs at the Scouting Combine. We’ll see plenty of them drafted in April. The order will sort itself out. If you’re looking for who might be the fastest running back, that may end up being Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson.
Watching the Volunteers offense is infuriating due to poor play calls and an atrocious blocking scheme but Sampson can fly. In high school, he ran track and his PR for the 100-meter dash was 10.48 seconds. We will absolutely see quite a few starters and key contributors selected from this group.
Other key names to monitor at the Scouting Combine
Without going position by position, there’s still quite a few key names and surprises worth monitoring at the Scouting Combine. One of the players that’s expected to run extremely well is Georgia WR Arian Smith.
Smith wasn’t very productive at Georgia until this year with 48 receptions for 817 yards and four touchdowns. That said, teams may not be lining up to watch him run routes. Instead, they may just want to see how fast he can run. Predicted to be one of the fastest players in this year’s draft, Smith was a track star in high school. His PR for the 100-meter dash was 10.10 seconds. He should fly on the field this week.
Have you ever heard the saying, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it? That applies to LSU OT Will Campbell. There’s a common belief that he’s going to be a Hall of Fame player but only if he plays guard. Have people not watched his tape at offensive tackle? He’s one of the most consistent players in this draft and he plays a premium position. Additionally, he’s been playing at a high level against premier competition since he was a true freshman. I think he’ll be just fine at left tackle.
Move Alabama DB Malachi Moore up your big board. Wherever he’s ranked, it’s probably too low. There’s so much to like with Moore’s game and I’m hopeful that he tests well to solidify where he should be drafted. On tape, Moore is a physical defender that levels the opposition. He’s got the desired versatility to cover the slot, play as a single-high safety or split-safety. Productive his entire career for the Crimson Tide, Moore enters the NFL with a knack for being around the football. It shows with good production — 31 career pass deflections and 7 interceptions.
As of right now, there’s no right or wrong answer when ranking the wide receivers for the 2025 NFL Draft. Similar to the running backs — it’s like ice cream, just pick your flavor. At the top, I’d expect the consensus to be somewhere between Tet McMillan (Arizona), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) and Luther Burden (Missouri). You can be a fan of all three players. I certainly am. All three of them can be excellent in the NFL.
One receiver that consistently catches my eye is TCU WR Savion Williams. He’s fluid and has the desired size (6’5″ and 225 lbs), speed and burst to beat defenders consistently. Teams will love the alignment versatility he provides at his size but the biggest issue is that he struggles to catch the football. His 11.8% drop rate is concerning. Especially when you watch him beat a defender vertically and he drops the ball despite being wide open. Hopefully, his test results replicate what he shows on tape.