NFL Combine winners & losers

Every year, the NFL holds a draft combine where draft prospects can show off their athleticism. Some players end up raising their draft stock, while others plummet theirs.

This year specifically, there were a lot of big-time winners and some major losers. In this article, I will feature the three biggest winners and the three biggest losers of this year's NFL combine.

Winners:

LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

The 6-5, 244-pound linebacker out of Ohio State put on a show at the NFL combine this year that will never be forgotten. According to Next Gen Stats, his performance ranked 1st in production, athleticism, and overall score among all linebackers.

He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds, had a broad jump of 11’2”, and had a record-breaking 43.5” vertical jump. In college, he was already an incredibly productive player who was projected to be a Top-5 prospect, and his draft stock only continues to rise after this generational combine performance.

OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia

Standing at 6-7, 315 pounds, Freeling was considered a fringe first-round prospect who cemented his chance at being a first-round selection at the combine.

He placed in the top five for all offensive linemen in all of the major drills, the 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, vertical jump, and broad jump. His massive frame, as well as only allowing two sacks all of last season, will firmly help him land in the first round of this year's NFL draft.

S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

Thieneman might have given himself the biggest draft rise from participating in the draft combine. He was once a fringe first-round selection, and now most mock drafts don’t have him falling past pick 18.

Standing at 6-0, 201 pounds, he was considered one of the most athletic safeties to enter this draft, and next-gen stats confirmed that, with his first overall ranking in athletic score. Not only is he the most athletic safety in this draft, but he also put up 18 reps on the bench press, ranking first among all safeties.

Losers:

WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

Fields is a taller wide receiver, standing at 6-4, and he is known to be more of a jump-ball receiver than someone who will create constant separation. The combine was the perfect opportunity for him to ease the concerns surrounding his speed, but he did the opposite of that.

His 4.61 40-yard dash time ranked second to last among all prospects, and his 1.63-second 10-yard split ranked him last. So not only does he not have quick speed, but his long speed also lacks. These reasons alone will make NFL GMs very cautious when thinking about drafting him.

QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

In a generational weak QB class, Pavia had the opportunity to raise his stock mightily in the combine, with hopes that a QB-needy team could reach to select him, but he failed to do so. Pavia did not compete in any of the drills at the combine, and he measured in at 5-10, 207 pounds, which is not the frame you want your QB to have.

Pavia is considered a loser in my eyes because his play is not as bad as his measureables, but when that’s all you give to teams at the combine, you only raise concerns surrounding yourself even more.

RB Emmett Johnson, Nebraska

Johnson was a phenomenal player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2025, running for 1,450 yards on the ground and scoring 12 touchdowns. With such an impressive stat line, it makes you forget about the concerns surrounding his top-end speed, but his combine performance brought that concern back to light.

His 4.56 40-yard dash time ranked last among all running backs, which brings a major red flag to his player profile. While he can still be productive in the NFL, his combine performance did him no favors.

Nicholas Smith is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please contact him at nbs5826@psu.edu.