Top takeaways from defensive line and linebacker on-field testing at NFL Scouting Combine

• Shemar Stewart joins rare company: At 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, Stewart jumped 40 inches in the vertical, making him one of just four defensive linemen over 260 pounds to leap that high since 2003. His official 1.58-second 10-yard split and 4.59 40-yard dash were also incredibly impressive for a man his size.
• James Pearce Jr. stands out: He wowed onlookers with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and an equally impressive 1.56-second 10-yard split.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Defensive linemen and linebackers were the first to lace them up and take to the field for some on-field testing at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. After getting official measurements from these prospects, it was good to see if the athletic ability on tape could be replicated in testing form.

Here are some of our top standouts.

SHEMAR STEWART PUT HIMSELF IN RARE COMPANY

Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart has been talked about fondly throughout the draft season. As people leaned more and more into the draft over the last few months, he has always caught their eyes due to his size, as he measured in at an official 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds with long arms to boot. He then jumped 40 inches in the vertical, making him one of just four defensive linemen over 260 pounds to leap that high since 2003. His official 1.58-second 10-yard split and 4.59-second 40-yard dash were also incredibly impressive for a man his size. He once again proved his rare exploisiveness-build combination.

LANDON JACKSON NEARLY MATCHED STEWART’S NUMBERS

As impressive as Shemar Stewart was, Arkansas’ Landon Jackson nearly matched him, even surpassing him in some of the testing drills, at a similar size. Jackson measured in at just over 6-foot-6 and 264 pounds; yet, he was also able to fly in the jumps with a 40.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot-9 broad jump, just two inches shy of Stewart. Jackson’s 4.68-second 40-yard time and 1.68-second 10-yard split times weren’t as impressive as Stewart’s, but for his size, it was still very impressive. He then brought those movement skills to the field through all the DL drills and was one of the notable standouts on the day.

TYRION INGRAM-DAWKINS AND TY ROBINSON WERE THE BIG RISERS

The biggest risers in the draft – so not necessarily the big-name guys we already knew would test well, but the pleasant surprises – were Georgia‘s Ingram-Dawkins and Nebraska‘s Ty Robinson. Both players are tweeners, as Ingram-Dawkins stands at 6-foot-5 and 276 pounds while Robinson is 6-foot-5 and 288 pounds. But both were incredibly impressive due to their explosiveness at that weight. Ingram-Dawkins ran a 4.86-second 40-yard dash with a 36-inch vertical and a 10-foot-4 broad jump, while Robinson surpassed him with a 4.83-second 40-yard dash, 33.5-inch vertical and 9-foot-11 broad jump. They fit best as 3-4 defensive ends and really made a name for themselves showcasing athleticism for the position and their size.

JAMES PEARCE JR.’S ATHLETICISM SHINES

Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. wins with his burst and speed when he’s on the field. With that being the case, we really wanted to see him match that explosiveness in Indianapolis. It didn’t start off great with a puzzling 31-inch vertical. However, he bounced back with a 10-foot-3 broad jump and then absolutely wowed with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and an equally impressive 1.56-second 10-yard split. Those numbers were the 96th percentile and 93rd percentile for the position, respectively. 

TYLEIK WILLIAMS and DARIUS ALEXANDER MADE ON-FIELD WORK LOOKS EASY

Two defensive tackles who were able to stand out once they hit the field for position drills were Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams and Toledo’s Darius Alexander. Both players showed great quickness, good body control and good burst, but more importantly, they displayed some bend and stop-and-start skills that their peers just did not have. Alexander jumped and the 40-yard dash well, but his agility scores were a bit slow. Williams did not do any drills, but the on-field product matters just like the tape does.

JIHAAD CAMPBELL REMAINS LB1

At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Campbell’s 4.52-second 40-yard dash was very impressive. It wasn’t the top number for his position group, but it was the second-fastest, and he was also running at a weight (235 pounds) more appropriate for the position in the NFL – as the fastest linebacker, Kain Medrano, ran at just 222 pounds. Campbell also jumped 10-foot-7 in the broad, showing all-around explosiveness. He was really able to stand out amongst his peers at the combine and remains LB1 in this class.

DONOVAN EZEIRUAKU IS A BIG WINNER IN INDY

Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku was a big winner in Indy during the testing portion of the day. At 6-foot-2 and 248 pounds, he didn’t run the 40-yard dash, but his 35.5-inch vertical jump and 9-foot-11 broad jump were adequate, while his 6.94-second three-cone drill and 4.19-second short-shuttle were best of his position ground and finished above the 90th percentile overall for the position. He should be talked about as a first-round pick.