INDIANAPOLIS -- Thursday marked the first day of on-field events and the second day of prospect press conferences at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. Defensive linemen and linebackers worked out, while defensive backs and tight ends stepped up to the podiums. Here are the biggest things we learned from the day's events.
Programming note: Tune in to NFL Network and NFL+ for live coverage of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine beginning at 3 p.m. ET on Friday and 1 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
ON THE FIELD
1) Edge rusher blazes flashy 40. Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. ran the fastest 40-yard dash among the defensive linemen at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday, clocking an impressive 4.47-second time.
On his first crack at the 40, Pearce ran a 4.50 -- with a 1.58-second 10-yard split. On his second try, he improved both numbers, running a 4.47, with a 1.56-second split.
We knew Pearce was fast; he reportedly hit 23 mph on a pick-six vs. Iowa in the 2024 Citrus Bowl. But those 40 times will raise his profile.
The top 40 times among edge rushers at the 2024 event were posted by Alabama's Dallas Turner (4.46) and Penn State's Chop Robinson (4.48). They ended up being drafted 17th and 21st overall, respectively.
The 6-foot-5 1/4, 245-pound Pearce, a possible first-round pick who is ranked 21st overall by NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah and No. 2 among outside linebackers by NFL.com draft analyst Bucky Brooks, also recorded a 10-foot-3 broad jump, which is a respectable number.
Still, scouts can nitpick Pearce's athletic profile. His 32 3/4-inch arm length is suboptimal, but it was Pearce's high-jump result (31 inches) that likely raised the most eyebrows. That's a number that typically would be associated with an offensive lineman, not an edge rusher of Pearce's size.
Pearce had 19.5 sacks in three seasons for the Volunteers, including 17.5 the past two seasons. It will be fascinating to see what his fast 40 times and his disappointing vertical jump numbers will mean for Pearce and whether he can crack the draft's first 32 selections.
-- Eric Edholm
2) Stewart walks the walk with explosive testing. Shemar Stewart knew he was going to blow up the combine. Asked at his podium session on Wednesday if he was planning to work out, the Texas A&M defensive lineman playfully replied, “Of course!” Pressed for specific predictions, Stewart demurred, but he did make an enticing declaration: "I got something in the bag for y’all."
On Thursday evening, Stewart opened up the bag, and the contests were EXPLOSIVE. Checking in at 6-5 and a slimmed-down 267 pounds -- he weighed 281 pounds at the Senior Bowl -- the king-sized edge nearly jumped out of Lucas Oil Stadium, posting jaw-dropping figures in the vertical leap (40 inches) and the broad (10 feet, 11 inches). Adding a 4.59-second time in the 40-yard dash, Stewart’s freak show generated side-by-side comparisons to another Texas A&M product, one who happened to go No. 1 overall in his draft:
Stewart didn’t participate in position drills -- NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales said on air that he tweaked his hamstring running the 40 -- but the ascending prospect certainly made his mark in Indianapolis. With this coming on the heels of a stirring performance in Mobile, Stewart is nailing the pre-draft process by putting his rare physical gifts -- which include a pterodactyl wingspan of 84 3/4 inches -- on full display. This is big, as Stewart entered draft season facing major questions about his lack of sack production for the Aggies (4.5 total, with exactly 1.5 in each of his three seasons).
The dichotomy between traits and production gives Stewart a boom-or-bust feel, but the more he shows off his rare athletic wares, the more it seems like he’s locking himself into Round 1.
-- Gennaro Filice
3) Ezeiruaku paces position group in agility drills. Boston College pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku took care of the production part of his prospect profile last season for the Eagles, totaling 16.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in a terrific 2024 effort. On Thursday, he checked off a few testing boxes at the combine with a strong workout.
Next stop: Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft?
The 6-2 1/2, 248-pound Ezeiruaku registered the top agility times among the defensive line group, running a 6.94-second three-cone drill and a 4.19-second short shuttle. These were not historic times from Ezeiruaku by any means, but they were the strongest marks -- by fairly healthy margins -- among this year's group.
With fewer than 20 defensive linemen performing each agility drill, the sample size was a bit limited. But Ezeiruaku outpaced Texas's Barryn Sorrell (7.06) in the three-cone and LSU's Bradyn Swinson (4.33) in the short shuttle each by more than a tenth of a second.
The all-time best marks for defensive ends in those drills are held by Bruce Irvin in the three-cone (6.70 seconds in 2012) and Alex McCalister in the short shuttle (4.00 seconds in 2016), respectively.
Ezeiruaku also had a strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl before bowing out of the game. And with his combine workout, Ezeiruaku -- Daniel Jeremiah's 30th-ranked prospect this year -- might be solidifying his case to be a first-rounder in April.
-- Eric Edholm
4) New name emerges from DEEP defensive line pool. In a draft class bursting with talent along the defensive line, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins typically gets lost in the shuffle. The Georgia product definitely turned some heads on Thursday night, though, delivering a fine all-around performance in athletic testing and position drills.
At 6-4 3/4 and 276 pounds, Ingram-Dawkins offers scheme and position versatility on the defensive front. But at the combine, he worked out with -- and mostly ran circles around -- the defensive tackles. Placing second at the position in the 40-yard dash (4.86 seconds) while tying for first in the 10-yard split (1.69 seconds), Ingram-Dawkins swept the day's remaining DT testing, with top marks in the vertical leap (36 inches), broad jump (10 feet, 4 inches), three-cone drill (7.28 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.34 seconds).
During positional drills, Ingram-Dawkins drew consistent praise from NFL Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah, who said he's excited to go back to the tape after witnessing the defensive lineman's impressive performance at Lucas Oil Stadium.
On Kirby Smart's loaded Bulldogs, Ingram-Dawkins didn't start until his senior season. His college statistics don't jump off the page. But his draft stack received an undeniable boost in Indy.
-- Gennaro Filice
5) Bruins 'backers impress. UCLA was giving off "LB U" vibes, at least for one night.
The Bruins' Kain Medrano had the fastest 40-yard dash of Day 1 at the combine, posting a 4.46-second run. His former teammate, Carson Schwesinger, had the fourth-best vertical jump of the day (39 1/2 inches).
Schwesinger is the more highly regarded of the two prospects, ranking 39th in NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's top 50 prospects rankings. His vertical was the second-best among linebackers at the combine on Thursday, but he did not participate in any other athletic testing, which adds some intrigue to UCLA's March 17 pro day.
At 6-2 7/8 and 222 pounds, Medrano has a frame that is more reminiscent of a safety's than that of an NFL linebacker. He's likely going to need make his living on special teams to stick on a roster at the next level, but the straight-line speed he displayed in Indianapolis -- along with a 38-inch vertical and 10-5 broad jump -- will surely earn him notice from coaches and scouts.
-- Dan Parr
OFF THE FIELD
1) Hunter intent on playing offense and defense. Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy last season for his brilliant play on both sides of the ball at Colorado. Hunter said Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine he hopes to continue being a two-way player in the NFL -- full-time, no less.
"I want to play 100 percent (on both sides),” Hunter said, “but it’s up to the organization.”
One of the more fascinating prospects to enter the league in years, Hunter knows attempting to play both cornerback and wide receiver full-time isn’t typical at all. For decades, the NFL has been a league of specialists, but Hunter believes he’s the rare specimen that can break the traditional mold.
“They say nobody has ever done it the way I do it,” Hunter said, “but I tell them I’m just different. I am a different person.”
There are some limits to what Hunter plans to do. Asked if he thought he might be used as a returner -- something Hunter never did in college -- he said: “I don’t know about returning. I already have two jobs.”
Hunter is not expected to work out at the combine.
He knows different teams will have different visions for how he should be used, but if the decision was left up to Hunter, it would be a no-brainer for him.
“I would play both,” he said.
-- Eric Edholm
2) Loveland on the mend. Michigan’s Colston Loveland is recovering from a right shoulder injury he suffered last season. He spoke to the media on Thursday while wearing a sling following surgery to repair his AC joint on Jan. 29.
Loveland said on Thursday that he expects to be restricted from full contact for six months following the surgery but plans to be ready for the start of training camp.
“It’s doing good, it feels great,” Loveland said of his shoulder. “Surgery went great. Got some X-rays, they look really good. Just taking it day by day.”
Loveland said that three months post-op he’ll be able to run around and catch passes with a full range of motion. That could allow him to participate in OTAs and minicamps with limitations, but doctors have prohibited full-contact drills until at least late July.
The injury occurred in Michigan’s win over Arkansas State. Loveland missed a few games, playing through the painful injury for much of the season. He said Michigan coaches lightened his in-line blocking duties somewhat after the injury, but he still finished the 2024 season as the Wolverines’ leading receiver, more than doubling his closest competitors in receptions, yards and touchdowns.
NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 7 overall prospect, Loveland is hopeful that teams take into consideration what he did while playing hurt -- and with Michigan’s quarterback troubles last season. He touted his receiving skills as what separates him from other tight ends in this class.
“I would say I am one of the best route runners in this draft,” he said. “I truly believe that. I feel like I have great hands. I have a lot to work on with my whole game, but I’m pretty polished and I’m just excited about getting better.”
-- Eric Edholm
3) The next do-everything defensive back? Hybrid defenders are all the rage these days in NFL secondaries. All-purpose playmakers Kyle Hamilton, Devon Witherspoon and Brian Branch have emerged as Pro Bowlers early in their respective careers, while the 2024 rookie class was highlighted by a series of multi-faceted DBs, most prominently Cooper DeJean, Andru Phillips, Tykee Smith and Mike Sainristil. With defenses getting more and more creative in player deployment, versatility is in high demand -- and that’s exactly what Malaki Starks is selling.
“I think my biggest [strength] is being versatile, being able to move around, being able to line up inside, outside, in the box, being able to understand the defense, communicate,” Starks said at his podium session in Indianapolis on Thursday.
A starter during all three of his seasons at Georgia, Starks shape-shifted from box defender to single-high safety to nickelback, routinely earning praise from Bulldogs coaches for his instinctive, high-IQ play in every role. A finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award (college football’s top DB) in each of the past two seasons, Starks was voted first-team All-American by The Associated Press in 2023 and earned second-team honors in ’24. But in the nitpicking exercise that is the pre-draft process, Starks faces questions about a downtick in playmaking this past season. Were opponents just avoiding the decorated defender?
“You can look at it like that. I think I took on a different role this year, just being able to be in a position to go play in the slot, maybe shut down that side of the field that they don’t go to, so the plays go to the other side,” Starks said. “The thing about Georgia: You’re not playing by yourself. There’s so many playmakers on the field and the job is to get it done as a group, so it doesn’t matter who makes the play, as long as it’s getting made.”
Ranked as NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks' top safety and Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 34 overall prospect, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Starks has the ability to cover the mismatch nightmares terrorizing NFL defenses, guys like Brock Bowers. In fact, locking up Bowers in practice is what led to Starks starting for Georgia as a true freshman.
“I think the big reason why I got on the field is, during camp, I beat him more than he beat me,” Starks recalled. “He was the best tight end in the country, so they figured, if I can cover him, I can cover anybody.”
-- Gennaro Filice
4) Injury roundup: Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s top-rated prospect in the draft, is not working out at the combine. He is expected to participate in his pro day on March 28 despite the discovery of a stress reaction in his right foot on Wednesday, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Carter has not reported dealing with any pain from the injury and is not planning to undergo surgery, according to Rapoport. Here are health updates for four more top prospects in this year's draft:
- Michigan DT Mason Graham is not participating in on-field events at the combine as he deals with a left heel bruise, per NFL Network Senior National Reporter Stacey Dales. Graham, Jeremiah's No. 4 prospect in the draft, will bench press in Indianapolis and work out at Michigan's pro day on March 21, Rapoport reported.
- A combine medical evaluation revealed that Michigan DT Kenneth Grant has a hamstring strain and he will not work out at the combine, per Rapoport and NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo. Grant, NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks’ No. 3 defensive tackle in the draft, is expected to participate in Michigan’s pro day.
- Miami TE Elijah Arroyo, Jeremiah’s No. 45 prospect in the draft, is dealing with a knee bruise he suffered at the Reese’s Senior Bowl and will not work out at the combine. “If I had to play a game today, obviously I would play,” he said on Thursday. “I’m trying to showcase the best version of Elijah Arroyo so I’m going to wait until pro day.”
- East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr., recovering from the ACL tear he suffered in practice early last season, told reporters he is on track to be ready for camp. Brooks ranks Revel as the No. 3 CB in the draft.
-- Dan Parr
5) Top CB ridicules speed question. With polish, production and ideal size, Will Johnson is one of the most pedigreed prospects in this entire draft pool. But the Michigan cornerback still faces questions about his long speed, addressing the concern with a rhetorical retort on Thursday.
“Have you ever seen somebody run away from me?” Johnson said.
We won’t see Johnson run at all in Indianapolis. Despite stating that he’s fully recovered from the toe injury that sidelined him for the second half of last season, the 6-foot-2, 202-pounder won’t be participating in drills at the combine, saying he plans to run the 40-yard dash at Michigan’s pro day.
“I’m not participating here, but at some point, I will,” Johnson said. “I feel like the film talks a lot, too.”
Johnson’s film spawns comparisons to some of the smoothest big-bodied cover men in the game today, including freshly minted Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II.
“That’s the guy I’ve always watched for a while, growing up. I’ve liked his patience that he plays with, his technique,” Johnson said of Surtain, before offering up a couple more comps of note. “Jaycee Horn -- I like, you know, that dog he plays with. He’s still got the technique and things, too. And then (Jalen) Ramsey, you know, he’s just a playmaker -- go out there and get it done.”
Ranked as Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 11 overall player in this class and Bucky Brooks' No. 2 cornerback (behind only two-way star Travis Hunter), Johnson figures to have his name called early in the 2025 NFL Draft. How early? Well, that might hinge on how convincingly Johnson answers the long-speed question, if/when he dashes for dollars in the 40 in Ann Arbor.
-- Gennaro Filice