5 Biggest Winners From the 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Combine

It’s everyone’s favorite overreaction week leading up to the NFL Draft.

The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine meant we’ve had college football’s brightest stars running in shorts and t-shirts all weekend in Indianapolis as we get information on some of their athletic traits leading up to May’s draft.

My colleague Jim Sannes covered which metrics actually matter from a production perspective, but that won’t stop public perception from doing its thing among scouts, fans, and — in some unfortunate cases — management of NFL teams.

Who had a great weekend in Indianapolis to boost their draft stock? Here are five names that stood out.

Whose NFL Draft Stock Is Up After the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine?

Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech

I knew a running back was going to make a move this weekend with such a thin gap between roughly the 3rd-to-10th-best running backs in the class. It wasn’t from my pre-combine top 15, though.

Not many were in the know about Bhayshul Tuten of the Virginia Tech Hokies before the weekend, but Tuten made himself unforgettable in Indianapolis. He led all running backs in one of the deepest drafts ever with a 4.32 40-yard dash:

I didn’t see that speed coming from Tuten, who was productive in college. He posted 1,011.0 rushing yards and 12.5 touchdowns per season in two years with Tech, and his Pro Football Focus (PFF) elusiveness rating was 8th of 111 qualifying running backs last season.

Tuten’s season-high for catches (27) still raises some concerns for three-down viability, but you can’t ignore a 40-yard time as fast as De’Von Achane‘s from a 205-pound back.

Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

Two of this class’ wideouts top consensus wideouts, Tetairoa McMillan and Emeka Egbuka, didn’t run at the combine.

I’m not sure Matthew Golden did, either. It was closer to flying.

One of the draft’s fastest risers only increased the speed of the rocket on Saturday, running a 4.29 official 40-yard dash, which led the entire receiver position.

That’s a huge boost to a guy that, as I mentioned in my pre-combine dynasty wide receiver rankings, wins with smooth route running and great ball skills more than anything.

Golden’s rise began with elite production throughout the College Football Playoff, and it just hasn’t stopped. In an ambiguous wideout class, The Ringer’s Todd McShay likely isn’t alone in bumping the former Texas Longhorns stud to his top option in the entire class.

Shifting Golden to 38th overall in my positionally weighted top-50 big board might not have been high enough.

Armand Membou, OT/IOL, Missouri

Golden wasn’t the only postseason riser to take another leap at his position in Indianapolis.

Armand Membou had a 40-yard dash to remember. That wasn’t just because it was a 4.91-second time to rank second among all offensive linemen. The volume was also a sight to behold:

It takes exactly one (1) tape of Membou’s to explain his rise into what is almost certainly now the draft’s top 20. Membou pitched a shutout opposite two projected top-50 picks from the Texas A&M Aggies, Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton.

Personally, I forecast Membou to be an athletic grater in the run game at guard for an offense in the Sean McVay-Kyle Shanahan mold. It’ll only help make a case for him to play right tackle in the league that he was just 0.03 seconds off Trent Williams’ legendary combine effort.

I mocked him 11th overall to the San Francisco 49ers in my most recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft. Now showing real athleticism to play tackle, I’ll have to shift him up my positionally weighted big board, as well.

Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

No one lit the combine on fire relative to their position group like Nick Emmanwori.

We knew the South Carolina Gamecocks safety was big and fast, but we learned just how big and fast he was on Friday:

There’s no doubt that the public certainly exits the weekend now knowing his name. Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks ran a 4.50 40-yard dash, which seemed to widen the gap on the surface, but Starks actually performed better in several other drills.

Emmanwori’s stiffness in coverage is why I was a bit lower on him than consensus entering the combine, and I’m not sure I’m changing that too much from a top-shelf workout. Remember, Isaiah Simmons ran a 4.39 as a linebacker at 6’4″, but a genuine, elite position never clicked for him.

James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee

Scouts (or wannabes like me) can tend to get infatuated with what’s in front of us.

James Pearce Jr. skipped the Senior Bowl, so a miniature slide in some mock drafts — especially among EDGE rushers — proceeded across the industry. That slide, seemingly, ended Thursday.

The former Tennessee Volunteers standout ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at 6’5″ and nearly 250 pounds, and his on-field agility and athleticism was even better.

Just as I was starting to get some clarity on this EDGE class, Abdul Carter skipped the combine with a foot injury. Mike Green had a great combine, too, but also faces some character concerns. Georgia’s Mykel Williams remains more tools than substance.

It’s not crazy that a team needing a pass-rusher decides to pluck Pearce Jr. off the board in the top 10. He reminded everyone why he ended the season as the near-consensus EDGE2.

Honorable Mentions

Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M

If Stewart had more than 4.5 sacks in three seasons, he’d be in the mix for the top overall pick. His offseason rise continued with a historic combine, ranking 90th percentile or better for historical EDGE players in the vertical jump, broad jump, 10-yard split, and 40-yard dash.

Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State

Tariq Woolen’s ascent as a converted wideout won’t let toolsy corners like Darien Porter go under the radar. At 6’2″, Porter’s 4.30 40-yard dash time was elite with great jumps, as well. Ranked 47th overall on my board, it’s all but certain he’ll be selected in the first two rounds.

Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky

A deep corner class got deeper with the performances of Porter and Maxwell Hairston. Hairston’s 4.28 time led all players to run at the combine this weekend, and he’s also 6’1″. Injuries limited him to five games in 2024 but had four passes deflected in them. It’s a great draft to need help on the outside.

RJ Harvey, RB, UCF

There’s no doubt that RJ Harvey plays bigger than his 5’8″ size, and he proved it with a 38″ vertical jump and 127″ broad jump — both 85th percentile or better among RBs. His 4.41 time in the 40-yard dash was solid, too. His elite production with the Central Florida Knights passed the athletic drills, too.

Chimere Dike, WR, Florida

More of a historical “workout warrior” rise has come in the form of Chimere Dike from the Florida Gators. Dike’s 4.34-second 40-yard dash turned heads, and he looked natural in field drills. At worst, he’s likely earned a draft spot as a potential punt returner and may have passed teammate Elijah Badger despite just 42 catches last season.

Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas

It was not an impressive combine for many quarterbacks, but Quinn Ewers certainly hung closest with Jaxson Dart in terms of accuracy in on-field drills. That wasn’t really the question when I’ve doubted Ewers’ feel for the pocket, but he likely ascended positionally after extremely poor showings from Dillon Gabriel and Will Howard.

Jared Wilson, IOL, Georgia

Linemen on both sides are usually built different at Georgia, and center Jared Wilson’s fastest 40 time among offensive linemen (4.84) only solidified how mobile and athletic he is at 310 pounds. He’ll likely be the first true center off the board come Day 2.

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