NFL Draft Combine 2025: Best and worst from defensive backs and tight ends

The second day of the 2025 NFL Combine brought us some memorable moments. We had guys running below the 4.3 second mark in the 40-yard dash, some incredible jumps and the debut (?) of a new name for a drill that’s been used for a long time.

So who or what stood out when the DBs and TEs tested?

• Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston holds the temporary title of fastest man of the NFL Combine. He blazed a 4.28 second 40-yard dash and looked effortless and smooth during positional drills. I had him in my top 50, closer to the second round range than the first, but with his athletic testing he could go higher. Really like him on defenses that play more off coverage, where he can use his fluid hips and speed to track passes deep or jump routes underneath.

• Texas CB Jahdae Barron answered a big question for me on Friday. He came out and ran a 4.39 official 40-yard dash, a critical number for him. I was worried a bit about his long speed, and he emphatically answered that. He could probably survive on the outside, but I think he’s at his best in the slot as a nickel, affecting the run and passing game with his instincts and physicality. He didn’t do positional drills, but he didn’t really need to today.
• I’m really intrigued by Iowa State CB Darien Porter. Former wideout, doesn’t have a lot of snaps on the outside (but is an ace special teamer), he ran a 4.3 40 yard dash and also showed nice movement skills in the backpedal drills. He’s a guy I’m going to get back to after the Combine.
• Ditto for the Rutgers CB Robert Longerbeam. Had some nice jumps with a 36.5 inch vertical jump and a 11’2 broad jump, then ran a 4.39 40-yard dash. He also moved really well in drills. He’s a bit undersized at 5’10, but what will his tape say? We’ll have to go find out.

• Two more undersized cornerbacks I’ve had my eye on that stood out yesterday: Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish and Western Kentucky’s Upton Stout. Both profile more as slot defenders, but ran well and moved well in drills. Stout was hoopin’, he’s gonna play in the league for a long time.
• FSU CB Azareye’h Thomas didn’t test, but I thought he really opened up well in the drills. I’m super high on Thomas as a length and size press man corner. Teams will be interested in round 1.
• Ole Miss CB Trey Amos also answered a lot of questions with a 4.43 40. I was worried about his long speed, but he silenced some of those doubts.
• Remember how athletic Seattle Seahawks’ CB Riq Woolen looked at the Combine coming out of UTSA? Well there’s another one from the Roadrunners, Zah Frazier. Frazier ran a 4.36 40-yard dash, jumped well and overall moved quickly. Gonna have to go back and watch his tape as well.
• South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. That is all.

• I’m a big fan of Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman Jr. Although he’s undersized, he plays very similarly to Arizona Cardinals’ S Budda Baker. Running a 4.43 is a great time for him, and I think a team is gonna find a quality starter on Day 2 of the draft.
• People are going to overthink Georgia S Malaki Starks’ 40 time (4.5–which isn’t bad at all, same time as Falcons’ safety Jessie Bates), but look at these GPS scores.

Seems like a great athlete to me.

• Texas S Andrew Mukuba running a 4.46 is also a good number. I think he’s gone sorta under the radar, but his range is backed up by the run. He’s got a bit of a smaller frame and he’s a bit of a reckless tackler, but he could be very similar to Texans’ rookie S Calen Bullock.
• Kansas State S Marques Sigle–can SCOOT. He ran a 4.37 40-yard dash, but on tape he moves even faster than that.
• Navy S Rayuan Lane III didn’t blaze the fastest 40, but man he looked good in drills. It’s always difficult to grade athletic testing for service academies because their athletic standards are MUCH different from the NFL, but Lane had some nice movement skills. Consider me intrigued.
• Wisconsin DB Hunter Wohler didn’t run the fastest 40, but his 3-cone time was elite and his GPS scores in the gauntlet were second behind Starks. I saw him in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, and he didn’t look like a linebacker there, either. Good day for him in the drills.
• Obviously, missing Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren hurt the times, but some of these tight end 40-yard dashes…WOOF.
• The most polarizing prospect at the position is Bowling Green TE Harold Fannin Jr. Jr.’s Combine was the epitome of “it’s so over/we’re so back.” Weighing in at 241 (bigger than he was listed at–we’re so back), he ran a 4.71 40-yard dash (it’s so over). A 4.39 short shuttle and 6.97 3-cone are sick numbers for a tight end (we’re so back), but a 9’10 broad jump is very meh (it’s so over). Fannin ran routes and the gauntlet really well (we’re so back), but also blocked like this (it’s so over):

Ultimately, I think the conversation around Fannin has gone too far in both directions. Is he a first round player? Probably not. Is he a useful player in the NFL? Absolutely. I’m still holding on to my stock in Fannin, who might be the subject of a story later on.

• The biggest winner of the tight end drills is Oregon TE Terrence Ferguson. Ferguson ran a 4.63 40-yard dash, had the fastest max speed in the 40 and jumped 39 inches in the vert. On top of that, he was one of the better tight ends in the blocking and receiving drills. Tight end is a spot were the best athletes often translate immediately, so Ferguson could have a shot in the NFL.
• Notre Dame TE Mitchell Evans is a guy I’ve had my eye on since 2023. He’s a proven blocker in Notre Dame’s powerful run game, and I think he was a bit underutilized during his time as a receiving option. He moved well on Friday, could be a better pro than college player.
• Texas Tech TE Jalin Conyers can MOVE, y’all. Highest maximum acceleration in the short shuttle and fastest overall in both areas, plus he moved well as a receiver. He’s seen a lot of targets, both at Tech and Arizona State, and his short area burst could be something I go back and look for on his tape.
• As a cardholding member of the Texas TE Gunnar Helm fan club, it was a BRUTAL day. A 4.84 40 yard dash isn’t a great time for a 241 pound tight end, and neither is a 30-inch vertical. While those are very bad for a tight end, Helm’s game is based around contact balance and savvy. I’m still a fan, but man it was a rough go of it for Helm.
• LSU TE Mason Taylor looked like the best athlete out there, and he didn’t even run or test. Just watch this gauntlet drill:

Like butter.

• Iowa TE Luke Lachey is another guy I’m gonna go back and watch tape on. You could walk through a cornfield in Iowa and find an NFL tight end, and Lachey definitely has the movement skills to be the next good one. His receiving numbers are very meh, but could that be because Iowa doesn’t throw it? Let’s go find out!
• Alabama TE/FB Robbie Ouzts has the greatest mustache of all time: