The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine took place from Thursday, Feb. 27 until Sunday, March 2.
The combine is an opportunity for college football players to showcase their physical abilities to NFL teams. It features events such as the 40-yard dash, bench press, broad jump and three-cone drill.
An athlete’s performance in the combine can have a large effect on how NFL teams view them and how early or late they are drafted.
Last year, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy broke the combine 40-yard dash record with a time of 4.21 seconds. Although nobody was able to match or break that record this year, there were still some extremely impressive times posted.
University of Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston led all position groups with a time of 4.28 seconds, and he was followed very closely by University of Texas at Austin WR Matthew Golden with a time of 4.29 seconds.
University of South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori put on a show at the combine, leading all position groups in three separate events.
He was tied for first in the 10-yard split at 1.49 seconds, led in the vertical at 43” and led in the broad jump at 11’6”.
The combine is also an opportunity for quarterbacks to show off their throwing abilities. There are drills for the QBs to throw short, intermediate and deep passes.
One of the biggest disappointments of the throwing portion was The Ohio State University quarterback Will Howard.
Despite a stellar 2025, national championship-winning season with the Buckeyes, Howard did not perform to the best of his ability, missing lots of easy throws.
However, Howard’s inconsistent performance may not be as much a reflection of his ability as a QB as it is an example of some of the combine’s flaws.
While the combine is generally a good test for an athlete’s physical attributes, its results do not take factors like a season’s wear and tear into account. Players like Howard, who played from the beginning of September until the end of January, are still recovering from the long season while also being rusty from the month-long break.
Many players have performed poorly at the combine and had successful NFL careers and vice versa.
“[The combine]’s good for knowing how fast somebody can be, but there are a lot of things about football you can’t learn from a 40 time,” said Dylan Lewis, a senior marketing major.
Perhaps the most fitting example of the shortcomings of combine results is former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady. Brady posted a 5.28 second 40-yard dash and a 24.5” vertical, both less than ideal for an NFL athlete, but went on to win seven Super Bowls.
The athletes who performed well at this year’s combine have lots of athletic potential to have success in the NFL, and those that did not perform as well are also capable of seeing success.
Those that competed, along with the college football players who did not receive an invite to the combine, will continue to train ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday, April 25.