Matthew Stafford buzz takes over NFL combine as QB’s future uncertain
USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon tells us what he’s hearing at the NFL combine regarding the future of Rams QB Matthew Stafford.
Sports Pulse
INDIANAPOLIS – Just hours before the Oscars were awarded Sunday night, the curtain came down on the 2025 NFL scouting combine. And while there may be more supporting actors than leading men among this year’s crop of incoming rookies, they will bring an undeniable infusion of talent and personality into the league later this year.
Not everyone tested during on-field drills at Lucas Oil Stadium over the preceding four days. But then again, such rehearsals are not necessary or beneficial for some of these players – many of whom may yet go through their paces during their pro days in the coming months and/or may have more important things to prove behind closed-door interviews with NFL teams.
With that in mind, here are the 32 things we learned from the 2025 NFL scouting combine:
1. As in who’s the No. 1 player in the 2025 NFL draft? If you were hoping the combine would shed some light on that answer … welp. Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter, Colorado CB/WR (and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner) Travis Hunter, Miami (Fla.) QB Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders all attended – and seem most in the running to potentially hear their name called first next month in Green Bay – but none worked out (Carter was injured, more so than he realized).
2. But Ward did have an especially nice podium session with a horde of NFL media members on Friday and apparently replicated his impressive interviewing skills with the teams that are likely to strongly consider drafting him – namely the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets …
3. … assuming, that is, that the Titans retain the draft’s No. 1 overall selection, which rookie GM Mike Borgonzi seems to be signaling is for sale. Asked if other teams are interested in the pick, Borgonzi said Tuesday, “seems to be.”
4(.39). The very fine 40-yard dash time posted by Texas WR Isaiah Bond. And we love a little combine confidence, but buddy … If you’re going to vow to break the event record with a run of 4.20 (or better), let’s not call your shot but effectively fly out well shy of the warning track.
5. Bond’s burst will doubtless be a boon to an NFL team somewhere in 2025. But the Longhorns wideout who seems destined to make the real impact at the NFL level is Matthew Golden, a far more productive and polished target than Bond was in college – not to mention a faster one over 40 yards (Golden clocked in at 4.29, tops among all offensive players this year).
6. With something of a running back renaissance underway, spotlit by the Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley in 2024, how good is this year’s draft class? Led by Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, the rare stud at the position who might command a top-10 draft pick investment, multiple could be selected in Round 1 for the third time in the past five drafts. Led by Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten (4.32 seconds), the group’s average 40-time Saturday was 4.48 seconds, the fastest since NFL Network began covering the event in depth 22 years ago.
7. But amid what’s otherwise something of a dearth of offensive star and firepower, it appears the real talent and depth of the 2025 draft is on the defensive line – where a dozen players, give or take, could hear their names called in Round 1 based on merit … assuming the quantity of such quality doesn’t push some down the board if too many teams wind up over-drafting players at positions of scarcity.
8. The number of former Michigan players invited to this year’s combine – 10 fewer than 2024, when the then-national champions invaded Indy en masse. However up to four Wolverines – DTs Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, CB Will Johnson and TE Colston Loveland – are expected be first-rounders in 2025 (only QB J.J. McCarthy was last year).
9. For those keeping score (USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell), that’s 26 Wolverines, one Michigan State Spartan – no Sparties this year, unless we’re counting former ones (like hyper-talented Oregon DT Derrick Harmon – and one member (Charles Grant) of William & Mary’s Tribe invited over the past two combines.
10. And if the NFL thing doesn’t pan out for Loveland, maybe he still has time to be a rodeo clown.
11. Inspirational quote of the week? “Never let your circumstances change your standard, let your standard change your circumstances.” Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard gleaned that from his high school coach, not a fortune cookie. We liked it.
12. St. Elmo Steak House, Prime 47, High Velocity … if you want to tread the beaten path in Indy on a nightly basis during combine week, those are all fine establishments. If you’re a little more adventurous – or just want to talk about something other than the NFL for one meal – then branch out to the Massachusetts Avenue sector of the city, where the food, drink and ambience bring a welcome dose of refreshment, literally and figuratively. My colleague Chris Bumbaca and I recommend BODHI if you fancy Thai food. (No, we are not on their NIL payroll.)
13. The Kansas City Chiefs, version 13.0, are already in process – the 2025 season set to be coach Andy Reid’s 13th in K.C. And there was a lot of news emanating from the perennial AFC champions during the combine, from TE Travis Kelce’s decision to come back for a 13th NFL season to the club’s decision to franchise Trey Smith at a pricey figure more frequently associated with left tackles than right guards. Still, more work to do here to add another Lombardi feather to what’s already a dynastic cap.
WR14. I.e. the combine number assigned to Maryland’s Tai Felton, who pulled off one of the weekend’s most impressive athletic feats … which had nothing to do with football or even combine testing.
15. The number of national champion Ohio State players invited to this year’s combine, most of any school in 2025.
15a. Also the number of quarterbacks invited to this year’s combine. Three ran the 40-yard dash.
16. Maybe the wide receivers aren’t quite the caliber of last year’s blue ribbon cluster – Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey, Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, et al. – but boy did this year’s pass catchers fly. Golden and Bond were among a group of 10 who ran sub-4.4 40s, a combine record at the position.
17. But if you’re looking for a receiver to root for this year, the obvious choice is Texas Christian’s Jack Bech. He’s showcased his impressive skill set both at the Senior Bowl and combine after a breakout season with the Horned Frogs … and has done it while mourning (and honoring) his older brother, Tiger, who was killed in the New Orleans terrorist attack earlier this year.
18. Note to self: If a name brand hotel that you generally trust is only charging $135 per night during the combine … there’s probably a very good reason. No dimes will be dropped here, but glad I and USA TODAY Sports Network’s Martin Frank, our capable Eagles writer, made it through the week, if barely.
19. If you guessed an offensive lineman or run-stuffing defender was the combine’s strongest player this year, then no soup for you. Interestingly, Alabama TE CJ Dippre and Oklahoma pass rusher Ethan Downs tied for the most bench-press repetitions of 225 pounds, pushing the plates 32 times apiece – three clear of anyone else who tested in Indy.
20. Bummer that Ward and Sanders didn’t throw Saturday, though that’s pretty much the norm for top-tier quarterback prospects, who typically opt to work out at their schools’ far more personally customized pro days.
20a. But props to Leonard, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Ohio State’s Will Howard and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, each of them doing a nice job showing off their arms Saturday – while throwing to unfamiliar receivers – after all of them provided strong and engaging interviews earlier in the week.21. Also would have been cool to see Hunter work out at wide receiver and/or corner, if understandable that there was little for him to gain and plenty to lose by doing so. It’s just mostly disappointing that Hunter didn’t seem open to returning kicks, either, based on his negative response to the notion earlier in the week. (Remember, Trav, your coach at Colorado, Deion Sanders, famously deemed himself a four-down player, a nod to his special teams role in the NFL.)
22. With the door left open while so many of this year’s projected top picks watched drills in their sweats, it was South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori who assumed the role of combine workout warrior – his 43-inch vertical jump and 11-foot, 6-inch broad jump both tops among all players in 2025 and rendering his 4.38 40 almost pedestrian by comparison. Emmanwori models his game after Baltimore Ravens All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and has a similar build at 6-3 and 220 pounds. Matching Hamilton’s jack-of-all-trades skills will be a challenge, but Emmanwori seems ticketed for a first-round slot and has already tested much better than Hamilton, who was no combine slouch three years ago.
23. If you don’t want to deride and risk fisticuffs with the dude at The Athletic who probably merely learned 13 things at the combine – looking at you, Mike Jones – then I suggest using the perfectly tidy Starbucks at the Hyatt Regency while avoiding the octagon that is the JW Marriott location.
24. QB Matthew Stafford’s decision Friday to remain with the Los Angeles Rams, for at least one more year anyway, is sure to have a significant ripple effect on the draft. Not only do the reigning NFC West champs retain their Super Bowl-winning triggerman, but the Giants and Raiders, among others, may have to pivot toward free agency if not make an aggressive move up the draft board for a player like Ward or Sanders.
25. However the next quarterbacking domino that seems likeliest to fall is Sam Darnold’s – the question being whether the Minnesota Vikings tag him in order to keep him, tag him in order to trade him, or let him go free entirely. The latter possibility would also likely have cascading consequences come April.
26. Filling hours and hours of combine airtime can doubtless be a challenge for NFL Network, especially when linemen are battling heavy bags or rolling on the ground. But do we need to detract from a landmark moment for these young players in order to listen to David Spade or Pat McAfee or Joey Mulinaro?
26a. And some of Mulinaro’s impressions can be spot on – he’s a Nick Saban master – but he might want to polish up a few he tried Saturday and try again at his impersonator’s pro day. Cris Collinsworth landed, though.
27. Regardless of where Darnold or WR Tee Higgins or Hunter or Ward go, the truly big fish this offseason could be All-Pro DE Myles Garrett. The Browns (currently) maintain that the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year isn’t going anywhere … but plenty of time between now and the draft for Cleveland’s position to change given it doesn’t seem Garrett’s desire to leave and pursue a ring will.
28. And plenty of percolating fear among the league’s 30 other teams that Philadelphia EVP/GM Howie Roseman will find a way to pry Garrett out of Cleveland in his bid to keep the Eagles’ Super Bowl window wide open for years to come.
29. Tired of the “Tush Push,” as the Green Bay Packers apparently are? (And let us never forget how inept the Pack are at running their version of it.) Then learn how to perfect it or figure out how to stop it rather than penalizing Philadelphia for expertly leveraging it as a weapon.
30. If you’re under the misguided impression that the NFL will now gear down for a while ahead of April’s draft, think again. Tuesday is the deadline for teams to use the franchise tag, and free agency begins in earnest next week – which means you can probably expect a lot of players to be released or restructuring or extending contracts in the coming days, which might even bring a few more trades.
31. In this penultimate spot, a word on the San Francisco 49ers, who finished as the league’s penultimate team – barely – one year ago. But Saturday night’s agreement to trade WR Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for only a fifth-round draft pick in return was a reminder of why Roseman’s reigning champion Eagles are often one of the league’s best-run franchises – given they almost always make this type of move with an incumbent star a year too early rather than a year too late …
31a. … which certainly seems to be the approach the Rams are taking with WR Cooper Kupp, who’s apparently on his way out of LA.
32. Finally, an interesting note as the evaluation of incoming college players pivots to pro days and, ultimately, the draft. All 32 teams currently possess their first-round choice. But since the league expanded to 32 clubs in 2002, when the Houston Texans were added, there’s never been a draft where every club has selected in Round 1 – and hardly a guarantee it happens this year, either.
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