Andrew Buller-Russ
While many of the top prospects didn’t participate, either due to injury or by choice, several other athletes boosted and worsened their stock during the 2025 NFL combine. Below, we examine the nine biggest winners and losers from this year’s NFL scouting combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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Winner: James Pearce Jr, EDGE, Tennessee
Defensive ends and edge rushers aren’t supposed to run sub 4.5 40-yard dashes. But James Pearce is not your average sack master. The projected first-round pick had the fastest 40 time of all defensive line combine participants, clocking an extremely impressive 4.47 40 time. That’s incredible for a 6-foot-5, 245-pound athlete.
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Loser: Will Howard, QB, Ohio State
Will Howard helped lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to the College Football National Championship in January. Winning on the biggest stage undoubtedly improved his draft stock, that is until he showed up at the NFL Combine. Howard had trouble completing multiple throws, even getting booed at one point. It got so bad that even his fellow competitor Shedeur Sanders threw his support behind the Ohio State QB on social media after the event.
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Winner: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Even before the event kicked off, Shemar Stewart was a popular pick to have a strong week. The likely first-round pick did just that, blitzing through the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds, which is an impressive mark for a 6-foot-5, 281-pound athlete who chases quarterbacks for a living. Stewart’s athletic numbers, which include a 1.58-second 10-yard split, have him drawing comparisons to Myles Garrett.
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Winner: Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
A deep class of running backs got even more intriguing when Bhayshul Tuten blazed a 4.32-second 40-yard dash, finishing with the fastest 40 time at his position. It’s an impressive feat on its own, but he did so at 209 pounds. If he wasn’t before, he’s certainly in the mid-round conversation.
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Winner: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky and Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State
Maxwell Hairston and Darien Porter are the quickest cornerbacks at the NFL combine. Hairston clocked a 4.28 40 time at 5-foot-11, but he also had a 39-inch vertical. Porter, on the other hand, had a blistering 4.30-second 40 time as a 6-foot-2 3/4 inch cornerback. That will make some teams view him as a potential No. 1 CB.
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Loser: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Some had Will Campbell as the top left tackle prospect in the 2025 draft class. Yet, after having just 32 5/8-inch arms, Campbell will likely be viewed as a high-end guard prospect instead of someone capable of being a franchise left tackle.
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Loser: Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
Spoken of as a fringe first-round running back before the NFL combine kicked off, Kaleb Johnson didn’t do well for himself. He had just a 4.57 40-yard dash, not exactly numbers that resemble an RB1 at the next level.
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Winner: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
One of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class put on a show at Lucas Oil Stadium. Known to have a big arm, Milroe had an impressive throwing session, showing off a strong deep ball in the process. In a week where several other quarterbacks didn’t throw, Milroe did well for himself.
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Winner: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
Nick Emmanwori has freakish size for a safety at 6-foot-3 1/8, 220-pounds. He impressed in every way, clocking a 4.38 40-yard dash while having the best vertical leap among safeties at 43 inches. Emmanwori chose not to participate in positional drills, but his athletic testing may have been enough to land in the first round anyway.
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