NFL Scouting Combine winners and losers

The 2025 NFL Draft Combine has come and gone, leaving me to ponder some of my favorite verbs: running, jumping, throwing, catching, and overreacting. Let’s take a look back at some of the biggest winners and losers from Lucas Oil Stadium.

Winner: James Pearce Jr.

This year has changed so much regarding guys coming off the line of scrimmage. Just one year ago, James Pearce Jr. was a near consensus top-10 pick as the bonafide number-one edge rusher in the class.

That distinction now belongs to Penn State’s Abdul Carter, as Pearce saw his stock plummet after a quiet season, paired with rumors of having the ‘worst character report’ out of any player in the cycle.

I will tell you what is and is not for me to decide. It is not for me to decide the character of a young man I have never met. If these sources are so willing to bash an athlete behind closed doors in a way that may cost him millions of dollars, they need to provide some substantial proof along with their name.

Here is what I can decide: James Pearce Jr. ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, the fastest among all edges, at 6-foot-5 245 pounds.

Talent is oozing from his combine tape. If Pearce falls to a team with strong culture and development traits, we might be doomed.

Howie Roseman is salivating at the very thought.

Loser: Harold Fannin Jr.

I swear, I’m not just talking about players who happen to be juniors.

I love Fannin as a prospect: an undersized tight end who can be a nightmare as a gadget in the receiving game, who, by the way, just became the first-ever tight end to win a Player of the Year award in an FBS conference (shoutout MACtion football).

Fannin has primarily been regarded as the second tight end in this year’s cycle and had a chance to distance the gap between him and Tyler Warren, who didn’t participate in drills this year.

The results were…mixed.

Let’s talk about the good – his back shoulder-catching drill was fun to watch. This guy might have magnets attached to the end of his fingers.

But there was some noticeable bad.

Fannin was always sold as a raw player but a freak athlete. The raw aspect showed during a gauntlet drill where he couldn’t find a consistent line to run on.

His big moment to shine was the 40 – a 4.6 would justify everything his game tape shows me. However, his 4.71 doesn’t inspire confidence.

I still think he can work out, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he doesn’t hear his name called until picks get into the triple digits.

Winner: Jaxson Dart

Stop me if you’ve heard this before; a quarterback who was viewed as a good, not great prospect has shot up boards once the draft cycle began.

Say hello to Jaxson Dart, who someone team might just draft in the first round.

Look, I was admittedly not as high on Dart as many others were headed into the combine, but it was either him or Missouri’s Brady Cook who took the cake as the best thrower of the pigskin in Indianapolis.

Cook has bolstered his stock, but Dart is starting to sound like he may be the second quarterback taken in the draft, over Shedur Sanders.

And you know what, I can see why people say it. Dart throws an absolute dart (please hold your applause), with a pass of his clocking 58 mph, the fastest throw at the combine.

Honestly, Sanders not participating may have been a blessing in disguise for a guy considered a second or third-rounder just a few months ago.

He’s also from Utah. Huh.

Loser: Will Howard

Yes, you were correct. Will Howard is on my losers list. You are prophetic.

I am going to make one thing violently clear: Howard’s combine was not as terrible as social media clips will make you think. This is most certainly a guy who is getting drafted after beating your favorite college team with both his arm and legs.

Alright, I’ll step down from my soapbox.

Will Howard did not have a good combine.

Howard missed a lot of throws. Pretty badly, too. He looked unconfident in his release and uncomfortable with his performance. It was a bad few days.

The reason top QB prospects almost always sit out has nothing to do with injury concerns or having busy schedules. No, it’s to avoid what happened to Howard.

The NFL Combine is designed to make QBs look bad.

It is so hard to come in for one day, with the entire football world watching, and toss perfectly spun, perfectly placed, perfectly timed balls to receivers you have never played with before.

The combine is best for QBs looking to improve their draft stock – think about Dart this year or Anthony Richardson a few years back.

I think Howard has a career in football, but man, I hope he deleted X.

Nolan Collery is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email njc5848@psu.edu