25 NFL Draft Combine winners and losers for defensive linemen and linebackers

The clever person once said, “You win a championship with the trench.” A great group ahead of time is the difference between getting home early and raising the Lombardi Trophy. Please ask Philadelphia Eagleson the way to this year's title, he stacked up angry defensive linemen like poker chips.

The 2025 NFL Draft featured some great trench and linebacker plays, which were on display during the first training session of the NFL Combine. People like Abdul Carter, Jaron Walker, and Mason Graham didn't exercise, but others really stood out and made money.

Some observations from day 1 of the NFL combine focus on the defensive line and linebacker.

• This may be the most talented and athletic defensive line crop I've seen in time scouting. This guy noticed that he said there was a great guy in the Wave Drill. Then there's a completely different guy who's doing well with a four-sack drill. There are so many different body types and flavors on the spot, as teams need to double their defensive linemen in the draft, just because this group is very strong.
• Toledo DT Darius Alexander continues his powerful postseason circuit. After toreting the senior bowl, Alexander came to Indy and played really well in his training. He posted a 4.95 40 yard dash and a 1.73 10 yard split (going near 1.7, it's good for defensive tackle). His relative athletic score on 9/22 backs up the tape and for me he is a sure second round lock.

• Indiana DT CJ West had a fantastic day. The Indiana senior had moved all the drills and looked fluid with a nice bend through his waist. Indiana has him play his nose on the mint front, but he has a better profile as a gap shooting 1 technique dt. I have to go back and watch his tape.

• The other guy I need to go back and see the tape is Nebraska DT Ty Robinson. When I was on Mobile, Robinson would play the run, but I didn't expect this kind of athlete.

Think of me as intrigued.

• Ohio The DT Tyliek Williams looked good on the positional drill. I thought his bend was really impressive, just like his footwork. Williams is a powerful run defender and wants more from a pass rush perspective, so looking at the possibilities he has in his body he was able to rock a team looking for an impactful nose or one technique.

• I was very high in Oregon Jamalie Caldwell and his training did nothing to shake me up. His size shouldn't move like this, man:

• South Carolina DTS Tonka Hemingway and TJ Sanders also showed some great athletic skills. Both are just a little bit more with the small DT scale, but winning with speed and agility is what they're making.
• Oregon's Derrick Harmon was the only guy to test out of the top four DTSs, and he looked advertised. He was fluid with movement drills, running a 40-yard dash and staying firmly in the bag of the pass-rush drill. He doesn't make it from round one.
• Olemis DT JJ Pegues did a full back drill:

God, I don't ask much. Please give me a fullback representative for Peguf. I will be happy.

And then this:

This leads to:

Top 10 players. Read my breakdown on why Stewart is one of the most fascinating outlooks in this class.

• Tennessee Edge James Pierce Jr. had a strange day. His 40-yard dash and 10-yard split time were on fire, but he only had 31 inches of vertical. Then he looked great on the drill, but there's also his tape. I think Pierce can be a very good player, and while his burst is clear, his day was just interesting to me.
• The Texas A&M Edge Nic Scourton is measured at 257 pounds for the combine and is down from the listed 285. He flashed more bends, bursts and explosiveness during the drill than at any point in the college football season. He was asked to gain weight after moving to Aggies so his projection would be a bit difficult, but I think his range starts with the round one backend.

• UCLA Edge Oluwafemi Oladejo had a really good day. The converted microphone LB looked very well with his drill with his movement skills and flexibility, jumping 36.5 inches vertically. I'm a huge fan of his game and a highly effort and disciplined run defender with many athletic advantages as a pass rusher.

• Edge Donovan Ezellak of Boston College chose not to run 40, but did agility drill and positional work… I think he made the right choice.

I'm very curious to see what his draft range looks like now, I'd say he's in the middle to the first round range.

• Arkansas' Edgelandon Jackson looked far more explosive than he had during the postseason circuit. The Arkansas defense didn't give him much of a boon, but the trick is done by jumping 40.5 inches and then throwing 4.68 40 on a 10-yard split of 1.65. I hope he's playing with the bend with more tapes than he showed today.
• Edge David Walker in Central Arkansas is a very appealing case study for me. It was small enough at 6 feet and 267 pounds, but his explosive tests were pretty good and his movement drills were good. I'm heading for him to the end of the third round, but being such a lot of physical outliers could knock him down without becoming a special athlete.
• I thought Washington's Carson Bruner looked really good in LB. As a smooth and efficient mover on the drill, he stood out as they had to make a drop. Another guy needs to turn on the tape.
• UCLA lb Kain Medrano, take the bow. Medrano ran a 4.46 40, made a 38-inch vertical jump and jumped the Broad Jump 10'10. Maybe he'll have to go back and see him too.
• His teammate, Carson Schwesinger, had a huge weight coming in at 242 pounds. He didn't test it.
• It's a bit disappointing to run the Oregon LB Jeffrey Bassa 4.63 40-yard dash. Safety Convert has speeds on tape for several days, but it didn't show up today. However, a vertical 38-inch jump is a good save.
• South Carolina LB Demetrius Knight Jr. intrigued me. He's an explosive tackler who wants to bang shit, but running 4.58 and spending top GPS time among linebackers is a big thing for him. I really like his game.
• Look at this person from Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell, the top LB of the class.

textbook. See you in Round 1.

• Oklahoma State LB Nick Martin is another guy I'm intrigued with. He is 5'11 and 221 pounds in size, but he can move. Martin ran for 4.53, made a wide jump with an explosive vertical and looked really smooth on today's drop. He's probably something like a sub-package LB, but his postseason circuit was great.
• Oklahoma LB Danny Stottsman is running 4.52 in 40, which is a good time for him. He's a throwback linebacker, he plays blocks well and is a good electric shocker, but his feel in space is still coming. A very fun player.
• If you're wondering why no one is doing a sensitivity drill:

We'll be back with more coverage of the combine throughout next week.