5 things we learned from the NFL Combine

• The RB class is even more impressive than we thought: Fourteen running backs ran sub-4.5-second 40-yard dashes, while 16 weighed more than 210 pounds.

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The NFL Scouting Combine is one of the most important events on the NFL draft calendar. While how a player tests in Indianapolis is not the be-all and end-all of the scouting process, it is an opportunity for players to boost their draft status and force scouts to take a lonher look at their film.

Here are five things we learned from the week with the 2025 NFL Draft nearing.

Missouri‘s Armand Membou will earn top-10 consideration

In a year with several top offensive tackle prospects potentially moving to the interior in the NFL, one player who solidified his tackle status this weekend was Missouri’s Armand Membou. Weighing in at 332 pounds, Membou wowed everyone with a 4.91-second 40-yard dash, the second best among all offensive linemen, and led the group with a 9-foot, 7-inch broad jump.

The Missouri standout tied for the second-highest PFF overall grade (90.4) among draft-eligible offensive tackles and didn’t allow a single sack or quarterback hit from 411 pass-blocking snaps in 2024. If the New England Patriots view LSU’s Will Campbell as a guard, could Membou be in play at the No. 4 overall selection? He lands in the top five in PFF’s post-combine 2025 NFL mock draft.

South Carolina‘s Nick Emmanwori delivered

South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori was among the most anticipated performers of the week, and for good reason. He was No. 1 on Bruce Feldman’s Combine Freaks List heading into the event and is coming off a season where he earned an 86.8 PFF coverage grade, ranking third among draft-eligible SEC safeties in 2024.

His combine numbers were eye-popping, with Emmanwori leading all safeties in top speed (23.53 mph), 10-yard split (1.49 seconds), broad jump (11 feet, 6 inches) and vertical jump (43 inches). His vertical wasn’t just the best among all safeties; it was 1.5 inches better than any other player at the event.

Texas A&M‘s Shemar Stewart might have pushed himself into the top 10

If anyone can push Emmanwori for having the best weekend in Indianapolis, it’s Texas A&M edge defender Shemar Stewart. He was one of just two edge defenders to hit 40 inches or better in the vertical jump, and his 10-foot, 11-inch broad jump was the best at the position. Most impressively, he did that at 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds.

The issue with Stewart has never been about athleticism, but rather the lack of production despite those physical attributes. Why did such a good athlete notch just two sacks from 315 pass-rushing snaps in 2024? He did earn an 88.2 PFF run-defense grade this past season, ranking fourth among draft-eligible FBS players at the position. When you combine that with his athleticism, it’s easy to see why an NFL team would feel like it can develop Stewart into a star.

Kentucky‘s Maxwell Hairston could be a first-round lock

Heading into the combine, Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston was viewed as a fringe first-rounder by some — but not a lock by any means. He was the fifth-ranked cornerback and the 42nd-ranked player overall on PFF’s big board, having had his highest-graded season in college in 2023 (81.8).

Hairston tested extremely well, producing the best 40-yard dash time (4.28 seconds) and top speed (24.25 mph) of any player at the event. Those times could boost any player’s draft stock, and they increased Hairston’s chances of hearing his name called in the first round in April.

Read More: Post-Combine 2025 NFL Mock Draft — Cam Ward goes to the Browns, big risers include Maxwell Hairston, Armand Membou

The 2025 RB class has size and speed

We already knew the 2025 running back class was deep, but the group, somehow, managed to exceed expectations at the combine. Ashton Jeanty will still likely be the top running back off the board, and while all we got from him in Indianapolis were measurements — height, weight, wingspan and hand and arm sizes — we did learn some things about the players behind him.

Fourteen running backs ran sub-4.5-second 40-yard dashes, while 16 weighed more than 210 pounds. Five players managed to hit both marks, including North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, the second-ranked running back on PFF’s big board as things stand. He earned PFF grades above 88.0 in each of the past two seasons, but it will be interesting to see if the depth at the position stops him from becoming a first-round pick along with Jeanty.