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

The big men took the stage on Day 1 of the NFL Draft Combine. Here are our biggest takeaways.

A wise man once said, “you win championships in the trenches”. A great group up front can be the difference between being sent home early, and raising the Lombardi Trophy. Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles, who stacked angry defensive linemen like poker chips en route to a title this year.

The 2025 NFL Draft has some great trench and linebacker play, and it was on display during the first workout session of the NFL Combine. While guys like Abdul Carter, Jalon Walker and Mason Graham didn’t workout, others really stood out and made themselves some money.

Here are some observations from Day 1 of the NFL Combine, centered around the defensive line and linebackers.

• This might be the most talented and athletic defensive line crop I’ve seen in my time scouting. The amount of times I found myself saying that this guy had a great rep in the wave drill, followed by a completely different guy doing well in the four-bag drill, then ANOTHER guy doing well in the hoop drill is substantial. There are so many different body types and flavors at the spot that teams should double dip on defensive linemen in the draft, just because this group is so strong.
• Toledo DT Darius Alexander has continued his strong postseason circuit. After tearing up the Senior Bowl, Alexander came into Indy and performed really well in his workout. He posted a 4.95 40-yard dash and a 1.73 10-yard split (getting in the neighborhood of 1.7 is good for a defensive tackle). His Relative Athletic Score of 9.22 backed up the tape, and to me he’s a surefire second round lock.

• Indiana DT CJ West had a GREAT day. The senior from Indiana was moving through all the drills, and looked fluid showing nice bend through the hips. Indiana had him playing the nose in their mint front, but he probably profiles better as a gap-shooting 1-technique DT. I’m going to have to go back and watch his tape.

• Another guy I’ll have to go back and watch the tape on is Nebraska DT Ty Robinson. When I was in Mobile, Robinson would make plays against the run, but I wasn’t expecting this kind of athlete.

Consider me intrigued.

• Ohio State DT Tyliek Williams looked good in the positional drills. I thought his bend was really impressive, as was his footwork. Williams is a powerful run defender, who left me wanting more from a pass rush standpoint, so seeing the potential he has in his body could sway some teams looking for an impactful nose or 1-technique.

• I am VERY high on Oregon’s Jamaree Caldwell, and his workout did nothing to sway me off of it. Guys his size aren’t supposed to move like this, man:

• South Carolina DTs Tonka Hemingway and TJ Sanders showed some nice movement skills too. Both are a bit more on the undersized part of the DT scale, but winning with quickness and agility should be their thing moving forward.
• Oregon’s Derrick Harmon was the only guy to test among the top four DTs, and he looked as advertised. He was fluid in movement drills, ran a nice 40-yard dash and stayed tight to the bags in pass rush drills. He won’t make it out of round 1.
• Ole Miss DT JJ Pegues did fullback drills:

God, I don’t ask for much. Just give me Pegues fullback reps and I’ll be happy.

• Texas A&M EDGE Shemar Stewart did this:

Then this:

Leading into this:

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

• Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr had a weird day. His 40-yard dash and 10-yard split times were blazing, but he only had a 31-inch vertical. Then, he looked great in the drills, but there’s also his tape. I think Pearce can be a very good player, and his burst is evident, but his day was just interesting to me.
• Texas A&M EDGE Nic Scourton measured in at 257 pounds for the Combine, way down from the listed 285, and it showed. He flashed more bend, burst, and explosiveness during drills than at any point in the college football season. He was asked to put on weight after transferring to the Aggies, so his projection will be a bit difficult, but I think his range starts at the back end of round 1 going into round 2.

• UCLA EDGE Oluwafemi Oladejo had a really nice day. The converted MIKE LB looked really good in drills with his movement skills and flexibility, then vertical jumped 36.5 inches. I’m a big fan of his game, a high effort and disciplined run defender with a lot of athletic upside as a pass rusher.

• Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku opted not to run the 40, but did the agility drills and positional work ... I think he made the right choice:

I’m very curious what his draft range looks like right now, I would say he’s in the middle to late first round range.

• Arkansas EDGE Landon Jackson looked far more explosive today than he has during the postseason circuit. The Arkansas defense didn’t do him many favors, but jumping 40.5 inches then throwing down a 4.68 40 with a 1.65 10-yard split will do the trick. I just wish he played with more bend on tape than he showed today.
• Central Arkansas EDGE David Walker is such a fascinating case study to me. Well undersized at 6 feet even and 267 pounds, but his explosive tests were pretty good and his movement drills were nice. I have him towards the end of the third round, but being that much of a physical outlier might bring him down without being a special athlete.
• At LB, I thought Washington’s Carson Bruener looked really good. A smooth, efficient mover in drills, he stood out once they started having to make drops. Another guy I’ll have to turn on the tape for.
• UCLA LB Kain Medrano, take a bow. Medrano ran a 4.46 40, had a 38 inch vertical jump and then broad jumped 10’10. Might have to go back and watch him as well.
• His teammate, Carson Schwesinger, had a great weigh in, coming in at 242 pounds. He didn’t test, which gives me some questions, but the fact that he can carry that weight is good for his NFL prospects.
• Oregon LB Jeffrey Bassa running a 4.63 40 yard dash is a little disappointing. The safety convert has speed for days on tape, but it didn’t show up today. Jumping 38 inches in the vertical is a good save, however.
• South Carolina LB Demetrius Knight Jr. intrigues me. He’s an explosive tackler who wants to thump shit, but running 4.58 and having the top GPS time among the linebackers is huge for him. I like his game a lot.
• Just watch this rep from Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell, the top LB in the class:

Textbook. See you in round 1.

• Oklahoma State LB Nick Martin is another guy I’m intrigued by. He’s undersized at 5’11 and 221 pounds, but he can MOVE. Martin ran a 4.53, had an explosive vertical and broad jump, and looked really smooth in his drops today. He’s probably more of a sub-package LB, but his postseason circuit has been nice.
• Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman running 4.52 in the 40 is a good time for him. He’s more of a throwback linebacker, who plays off blocks well and is a good blitzer, but his feel in space is still coming along. Very fun player.
• If you’re wondering why nobody is doing agility drills:

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