I’m back from an action-packed week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. If you missed us live, check out me and Kendall Venezuela’s TE recap show from Friday, our QB/RB/WR live reaction show on Saturday, and our Risers/Fallers show from Sunday.
Without further ado, let's get into the biggest NFL Draft risers and fallers from the 2025 NFL Combine.
Post-Combine NFL Draft Risers
Louisville QB Tyler Shough
Shough continued a strong pre-draft process by posting an eye-opening 9.53 RAS at 6-foot-5, 219 pounds. That included a superb 4.63 forty. Shough followed that up with a strong throwing session.
A former top recruit, Shough is coming off a strong final season—88.5 PFF grade—at Louisville. The biggest questions on his evaluation are his advanced age—Shough will turn 26 in September—and his seventh-year breakout in college, along with durability concerns following three injury-ravaged seasons at Texas Tech.
Shough needed a strong pre-draft process, and he’s having one. We should get more information about his medicals in the coming weeks.
Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten
In front of the biggest crowd that has ever watched the NFL Combine in person on Saturday, Tuten was the day’s brightest star.
The 5-foot-9, 206-pounder’s 4.32 forty (98th percentile) matched the time of De’Von Achane, who weighed 188 pounds. Tuten and Achane share the fourth-best combine 40 time from the RB position since 2013.
Meanwhile, Tuten's 40.5-inch vertical jump (96th percentile) was top 15 at the RB position since 2023. Tuten’s broad jump also finished in the 96th percentile.
Tuten, who spent the past two years with the Hokies after transferring up from FCS North Carolina A&T, posted 1,159 yards and 15 TDs in 2024. His tape shows one of the class’ most explosive backs. Tuten’s biggest question is ball security—over the past two seasons, he fumbled nine times.
Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins
At Friday’s podium sessions, after Quinshon Judkins had confirmed that he was going to participate in every athletic test, I asked him: “Quinshon, you have such good burst, but there are some questions about your long speed—is that something that tomorrow you are going out to make a point about?”
Judkins smiled down at me and simply said, “Most definitely.”
On Saturday, Judkins went out and did just that. The 6-foot, 221-pounder posted a 4.48 40-yard dash, an impressive showing at his size. Judkins also finished tied for No. 2 amongst RBs—behind Tuten—with a 1.51 10-yard split.
Judkins’ 38.5-inch vertical finished top five amongst RBs at the event. Judkins’ 11-foot broad jump was tops at the position, edging Tuten, North Carolina's Omarion Hampton, and Kansas State's DJ Giddens (who tied for second at 10-foot-10).
Judkins’ floor now appears to be mid-Round 2.
Kansas State RB DJ Giddens
Giddens opened eyes with a 4.43 forty, which finished tied for No. 7 amongst the RB group. He added a 10-foot-10 broad jump and a 39.5-inch vertical leap, which each finished tied for No. 2 among the RBs.
The 6-foot, 212-pounder left Indianapolis with an elite 9.78 RAS. The showing almost assuredly locks Giddens into Day 2, even amid this stacked RB class.
Iowa State WRs Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins
The dynamic Cyclones duo, coming off a big Senior Bowl, did it again in Indianapolis.
Noel’s 40-yard dash of 4.39 was 86th percentile. He showed hyper-explosion with a 96th-percentile vertical and 97th-percentile broad. Noel finished with a 9.71 RAS over the entire gamut of tests—Noel was one of only five receivers in the position group to finish every athletic test. I believe Noel has moved firmly into Round 2 at this point.
As for Higgins, he proved to be an exceptional athlete in a big package. Measuring in at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds, Higgins posted a decent 4.47 seconds. Where Higgins really impressed was the explosion he displayed in his jumps. His vertical and broad jumps were 85th percentile. Higgins leaves Indy with a sparkling 9.85 RAS—but he didn’t do the agility tests or the bench, as Noel did.
Maryland WR Tai Felton
Felton is flying a bit under the radar after a strong final season where he caught 96 balls for 1,124 yards and nine TDs. He’ll be talked about more after his showing at the NFL Combine.
Felton had top-3 showing amongst the WR group in the 40-yard dash (4.38), vertical (39.5”), and broad (10’10”). The 6-foot-1, 183-pounder posted a 9.6 RAS.
Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor
Ayomanor measured in at a healthy 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds and blazed a strong 4.44 in the 40-yard dash. A youth track star in Canada, Ayomanor also impressed with a 38.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot-7 broad jump.
He logged a sparkling 9.67 RAS. Ayomanor has a decent chance to be one of the first five receivers taken in April.
Texas WR Matthew Golden
The 5-foot-11, 191-pound Golden stunned the NFL by blazing a 4.29 40-yard dash on Saturday. That was the best time by a receiver this year, and the eighth-fastest showing by a receiver at the combine since 2013.
Golden opted out of the agility drills and jumps, and didn’t participate in the position drills on Saturday. But his loud statement in the 40-yard dash could reverberate all the way to the end of April. Golden is now a legitimate threat to bypass Missouri’s Luther Burden and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka to be the class’ WR2 behind Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan.
At his podium session, Golden said that “route running and the catch point” were the biggest strengths of his game. “You can move me anywhere,” he said. “I can get open at any phase, at any level. Just understanding the game and seeing whatever the team wants me to do. I’m reliable on special teams also. So I feel I can change the game in any way.”
Florida WR Chimere Dike
A designated field-stretcher in college, Dike had to prove to the NFL that he could fly. The 6-foot-1, 196-pounder did just that, running a 4.34 40-yard dash. Dike also had a 38.5-inch vertical en route to a sterling 9.65 RAS while only skipping the bench.
Tennessee WR Dont'e Thornton Jr.
In 2023 at Oregon, Thornton’s campaign was cut short by a season-ending injury. In 2024, he was used as a one-trick-pony deep-ball guy on a team breaking in a first-year starter at quarterback. Thornton posted a hilarious 26-661-6 receiving line, good for a wild 25.4 YPC.
Thornton had a statement performance in Indianapolis. He became the first receiver taller than 6-foot-4 since 2023 to run a 4.35 or faster at the NFL Combine, according to Locked On Cowboys’ Marcus Mosher.
The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder leaves Indianapolis with a sublime 9.83 RAS. Thornton profiles as a Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson
The 6-foot-5, 247-pound Ferguson stole the show on Friday night during tight end testing. Ferguson’s 4.63 forty, 1.55 split, and 39-inch vertical were all tops amongst the TE group. His 10’02” broad finished No. 3.
Ferguson split his time between inline and slot the past few seasons at Oregon. He is one of the more well-rounded tight ends in this class, offering an inline option who will add value to your passing offense. Ferguson’s elite 9.81 RAS punched his ticket into Day 2 in April.
NFL Draft Fallers From The 2025 Combine
Ohio State QB Will Howard
Howard came into the NFL Combine with momentum, coming off an eye-opening CFP run to the national championship. This was our first exposure to him during the pre-draft process after Howard pulled out of the Senior Bowl. The 6-foot-4, 236-pounder tested well athletically in Indianapolis, but had a rough throwing session in front of evaluators.
Howard seemed to get in his own head after the first few errant throws. He audibled to bullet passes deep that offered better odds of accuracy and length than the errant throws with trajectory he attempted. This is not a viable downfield throwing strategy in the NFL.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe
Milroe’s draft stock has been in a free-fall ever since the calendar turned to October, including a poor Senior Bowl. Milroe had an opportunity to reverse the narrative in Indianapolis. Instead, Milroe decided not to athletically test. This was an extremely confusing decision from a signal-caller whose biggest strength, at present, is his athleticism.
Milroe also has a big arm. He did participate in the throwing session. But while Milroe showed off arm strength, we also saw the inaccuracy that was a hallmark of his tape.
Milroe did get one good piece of news in Indianapolis. In a bizarre development, Milroe's hands measured in at 9 ⅜ inches at the combine after being reported at 8 ¾ inches at the Senior Bowl.
There were grumblings in Indianapolis about the inconsistencies of the measurements—it is unclear which number we should trust more. Either way, Milroe’s last chance to salvage something from what has been a rough pre-draft process is at Alabama’s pro day later this month.
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel
Gabriel checked into the event at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds. He elected not to athletically test, saying he will run the 40-yard dash and do the vertical and broad jumps at Oregon’s pro day on March 18.
Gabriel did participate in the throwing session. He appeared to want to show the NFL that he has a stronger arm than they assume.
The problem is that the extra effort appeared to have deleterious effects on his accuracy. Gabriel was uncharacteristically errant. In the deep-passing portion, Gabriel wasn’t flattered in a side-by-side comparison against his contemporaries.
Gabriel’s poor combine showing may impact where he ends up falling on Day 3 in April.
I believed Johnson was going to run in the high-4.4s—in the prop market, I took the over at 4.45 and the under at 4.49—after he finished 90th percentile in breakaway rate and hit 22 mph on the GPS last year.
But Johnson ran a disappointing 4.57 forty (46th percentile). During the run, per NFL Next Gen Stats, Johnson still hit 22.2 MPH. He also had the sixth-best max acceleration.
But the test itself clarified some things about Johnson’s long speed: Once he gets up to top speed, the 6-foot-1, 224-pounder flies. But it takes Johnson a runway to get there, as his 1.65 10-yard split (7th percentile) showed.
Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon
Gordon checked into the event at 6-foot-1, 226 pounds. While his final RAS of 8.09 was passable, Gordon’s lack of foot speed stood out amongst a fleet of athletic running backs testing on Saturday.
Gordon’s 4.61 forty finished second-to-last in the RB group, as did his 1.6 10-yard split. Coming off a poor final season at Oklahoma State, Gordon was hoping for a big pre-draft process. He hasn’t gotten it so far.
Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai
At Friday’s podium sessions, I asked Monangai if he was looking forward to answering questions about his athletic profile. Monangai scowled at me and said he didn’t know people questioned his athleticism.
It was one of the oddest responses I got all week—athleticism concerns have dogged Monangai’s scouting profile for multiple years, a fact that Monangai is assuredly well aware of.
Monangai promptly face-planted during testing on Saturday, running a poor 4.60 forty at 5-foot-8, 211 pounds. His 34.5-inch vertical was the second-lowest of the RB group, and his 9’09” broad jump was fourth-lowest.
Monangai also dropped three passes during on-field drills on Saturday. He limps out of Indianapolis with a 4.94 RAS. In a potentially generational running back class, Monangai is a late-Day 3 guy.
Oregon WR Tez Johnson
The 5-foot-10, 154-pound pint-sized slot receiver disappointed with a 4.51 (51st percentile) forty. Johnson’s 93rd-percentile 3-cone and 92nd-percentile broad jump somewhat salvaged things. But Johnson’s final 7.66 RAS score was pedestrian. Johnson gets comparisons to Tank Dell, but Johnson’s tape is not as good as Dell’s was coming out of Houston.
San Jose State WR Nick Nash
The quarterback convert went ballistic in a new offense in 2024, posting a 104-1382-16 receiving line. Nash did not seem confident in his athleticism at his podium session, telling us simply that he hoped to crack 4.60 in the forty.
He did so, clocking a 4.57 forty that still was amongst the worst in his position group, ditto his 34-inch vertical. Nash’s 8 3/4-inch hands were also tied for fourth-smallest amongst the receiver group.
Texas WR Isaiah Bond
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Bond talked a big game coming into the event about how he was going to run in the 4.2s and challenge Xavier Worthy’s 40-yard dash record.
Instead, Bond finished nearly two-tenths of a second slower than Worthy. In a vacuum, Bond’s 4.39 (86th percentile) 40-yard dash and 1.51 (81st percentile) 10-yard split aren’t bad.
But considering the context—Bond is a raw receiver who was expected to get a huge boost from his athletic profile—this was a disappointing showing. Particularly for the big game Bond talked in advance.
UNLV WR Ricky White III
On the field, White was one of my favorite collegiate receivers to watch the past few seasons. Not only did he put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for a resurgent UNLV program, but White was a legitimate special teams ace.
Coming into the NFL Combine, there were concerns about his athletic profile at his smaller build. White seemed confident about dispelling those concerns at his podium session, telling reporters that he was going to run in the 4.4s.
Instead, on Saturday, the 6-foot-1, 184-pound White posted a rough 4.62 in the 40-yard dash and 1.61 in the 10-yard split. White’s 6.12 RAS was bottom-5 amongst the receivers who tested in Indianapolis. White is still going to get drafted, but his dreams of going on Day 2 have officially been snuffed.
Texas TE Gunnar Helm
Helm had a confusing NFL Combine. At his podium session, Helm did not appear to be sure whether he would athletically test or not. He did test, running a horrid 4.84 at 6-foot-5, 241 pounds with a bottom-barrel 30-inch vertical.
The next day, Ian Rapoport passed along the story from Helm’s camp: That Helm had twisted his ankle on his first forty attempt, and had gutted through the rest of the tests without telling anyone. RapSheet tweeted photos of Helm’s swollen foot.
You can hurt your team by hiding an injury to stay on the field, and that’s, in essence, what happened here if you believe the story from Team Helm. We’ll find out for sure on March 26, the date of Texas’ pro day. Helm said he will re-test. Pressure’s on.
