INDIANAPOLIS – TV cameras and plastic neckwear media nametags are plentiful around Lucas Oil Stadium already as the Indianapolis Convention Center transitions into ground zero for the NFL Scouting Combine.
Prized prospects go through a series of tests on and off the field to measure their NFL stock.
But the biggest news of the week develops away from the lights and cameras.
You might venture into a chance encounter with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid at St. Elmo Steakhouse after dark or see a collection of assistant coaches inside Steak N Shake on the wrong side of midnight.
There are multiple planes for every team to land in the next two months as priority swings between free agency and draft targets.
Every agent in the business representing 329 draft prospects and soon-to-be NFL free agents a few weeks from paydays are in town. Some coaches have opted to stay home recently, but all 32 NFL teams are heavily represented with scouts, assistant coaches and front office personnel.
Indy transforms into a football information superspeedway that sets the stage for marquee headlines in free agency all the way through Green Bay and the 2025 draft in April.
Here’s our A-to-Z guide of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, which kicks off Tuesday:
A: Abdul Carter.
The Penn State pass rusher should be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. He’s elite at a marquee position and gambling on high-risk quarterbacks is better left to the Browns and Raiders.
B: Big bucks.
Using a rough projection of $275 million for the 2025 salary cap, there are four teams rolling into Indiana with $75 million or more to spend when the light goes green on free agency in just over two weeks. The Patriots lead the NFL with $123 million and the Raiders ($92.6 million) and Commanders ($79.5 million) need not shake the couch cushions to sign a marquee free agent or three.
C: Champions Sports Bar & Grill.
Forget the 3.7 stars on Open Table, this is a 10-star setup during Combine week because of the proximity to convention center skywalk entrances and exits and the nearby accommodations utilized by NFL club personnel and prospects. Pull up a seat around 9 p.m. It’s more than Jerry Jones’ personal bus at the curb.
D: Defensive line.
This is the draft to have a hole to fill on the D-line, which we expand to include “pass rushers” or edge defenders. If 15 total defensive end, defensive tackle or edge players came off the board in the first round it would not be a surprise.
E: Elmo’s.
St. Elmo is the Indy institution at the heart of a walkable downtown with options for every appetite. I can tell you from experience it’s feasible to find Jon Gruden at Hooters, John Fox at Steak N Shake or stumble into a rapt agent-front office conversation at Bee Coffee Roasters — Honey Bee Latte for the win. No, really. But there’s nothing like grazing prime cuts of meat, the flammable shrimp cocktail starter and perusing the gangster-era décor to find tables full of prospects, NFL brass and a Who’s Who of football on your periphery at St. Elmo. Reservation recommended.
F: Free agency.
No pens hit paper this week but the framework of contracts are on the table. Some free agents and players facing a decision on their current contract status will be in town, others are content to wait for their agents to offer guidance.
G: Garrett, Myles.
Perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Myles Garrett wants a trade, mostly because he’s sick and tired of losing in Cleveland. He’s the biggest potential trade chip on the market, easily exceeding the No. 1 overall pick held by the Titans in a draft pool without a prevailing consensus top prospect. But only if the Browns actually put him on the trade market.
Recency offers a reasonable comp for the level of nonsense it would take to trade Garrett, but in another sport. Luka Doncic being unloaded by the Dallas Mavericks while at the top of his game and the face of the franchise offers a close parallel. Garrett is a Yellow Jacket Guy without a doubt, a foundational player no matter where he plays next season. It would be overwhelmingly irresponsible to trade Garrett unless GM Andrew Berry takes offers built around multiple players and picks.
H: Hunter the Heisman.
Is he a cornerback? Wide receiver? Can he keep up the dual-position stardom as a 100-snap-per-game All-American and Heisman Trophy winner at Colorado? We won’t know the answer anytime soon. Travis Hunter did commit to being primarily listed as a defensive back this week. That’s insignificant in the grand scheme other than his personal schedule of media sessions and workout times with that position group. No matter the position decision, Hunter is the most talented prospect in the 2025 draft because of an instant burst and maybe the most consistent — arguably best — hands in traffic in a decade.
I: Interior linemen.
If guard Tyler Booker (Alabama) and defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (Oregon) are in the top 20, there’s a chance for seven total interior linemen to be selected in that range. Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham is being discussed in the top five and teammate Kenneth Grant (6-foot-3, 345) could rise because he fills a need for virtually every defensive scheme. Ohio State DT Tyleik Williams and offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, a left tackle for some teams, could also join this group depending on how the board falls.
J: Jeanty, Ashton.
Even with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, Jeanty was runner up to Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. There wasn’t much more the Boise State running back could have done in his college career, but timing is on his side. Given the re-emergence of running backs as the centerpiece of successful offenses – see Philadelphia and Baltimore – Jeanty is one player we expect to be drafted higher than currently projected.
K: Kaleb Johnson.
The Iowa running back might not be a blur in spandex this week, but he’s one of our favorite prospects because of a physical, downhill running style and relentlessness to the whistle. A bit upright is the only knock for zone-based running teams and he still averaged more than 4.4 yards per carry after contact.
L: Luther Burden III.
Missouri wide receiver Burden could be a first-rounder and is competing with SEC counterpart Matthew Golden (Texas) and Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan to be the top wideout selected. Burden was insanely productive as a sophomore with five consecutive 100-yard games and three in a row with 10-plus receptions. McMillan had three 10-catch games in 2024 and put up performances with 161, 202 and 304 receiving yards.
M: March 12
It’s the first day of free agency on the 2025 calendar and agents can officially negotiate two days and four hours prior. With full transparency, agents are having those conversations in Indianapolis if not before. A player rep with almost 100 existing contracts holds a briefcase full of hypotheticals for this year, next year and further beyond that. An agent such as Tory Dandy of CAA could talk to teams about current free agents and find out they are ready to peek into possibilities with trade target Deebo Samuel (Dandy’s client) or another part of his portfolio of 58 active player contracts.
N: Nick Emmanwori.
The South Carolina All-American sonic missile is one part safety, one part linebacker and all speed. At 6-3, 225, he’s likely to run a double-take kind of time at Lucas Oil Stadium. Production and testing intersect in Indy, and Emmanwori wowed with a pair of pick-6s for the Gamecocks. Emmanwori hits like an anvil and his tape says the quickness, explosiveness and speed testing will favor the two-time leading tackler.
O: Offensive line.
The collection of offensive line talent in this class has potential to be special. Field Level Media projects three blockers in the top 12: Oregon left tackle Josh Conerly, LSU left tackle Will Campbell and Missouri guard-tackle Armand Membou.
P: Pearce Jr., James.
A fierce edge rusher with burst and arm length to win consistently, the Tennessee outside linebacker will intrigue the likes of the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts.
Q: Quarterbacks.
It happens every year. One of the perceived “fringe” first-rounders proves to be anything but, rising into the top 10 or top 15 with little warning. Those moves typically come not long after the combine and during the whirlwind of pro days next month when team brass will be represented for workouts. It happened last year with Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Oregon’s Bo Nix. And two years ago when Anthony Richardson jumped into the top five, to a lesser extent in 2022 when the Steelers selected Kenny Pickett at No. 20; and how could we forget BYU’s Zach Wilson (No. 2, 2021) jumping with a strong throwing session in Indy and the 49ers mortgaging their future for barely tested North Dakota State prospect Trey Lance (No. 3, 2021).
R: Raiders.
The Las Vegas franchise has cap space and a chronic weakness for drafting quarterbacks. Perhaps adding the GOAT, minority owner Tom Brady, to the decision-making process can change fortunes in Las Vegas.
S: Shedeur Sanders.
Deion’s son and one of the reasons Colorado is relevant again, Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders might be the most polarizing player in the draft class. He’s not fast, overly agile and there won’t be a scout within 50 miles of the Colts’ home field with a plus rating on Sanders for arm strength. Even though he won’t be working out, he’ll be the talk of the town because there are scouts and GMs considering Sanders as a top-10 pick. Worth debating still is whether that standing is a reflection of the tough-as-nails and heady Sanders or a supply-and-demand quandary for QB-chasing teams like the N.Y. Giants and Jets.
T: Tetairoa McMillan.
Atypical is the best way to describe McMillan, who is in the running to be the No. 1 wide receiver off the board. He’s tall, 6-5ish, with the catch radius of a Gronkowski and the agility to be a major problem for cornerbacks in the red zone. Arizona produced a first-round draft pick in 2024 for the first time since Antoine Cason in 2008, but offensive tackle Jordan Morgan did not make an impact because of a shoulder issue that forced him to injured reserve. McMillan gives the Wildcats a likely top-20 pick that would give Arizona back-to-back first-rounders for the first time since cornerback Chris McAlister (10th, 1999) and running back Trung Candidate (31st, 2000).
U: Underdog stories.
There are a couple that stand out from the 2024 college football season but none better than UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger. The redshirt junior went from walk-on to All-American and arrives at the Scouting Combine as a likely top-40 pick.
V: Va Tech.
Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten stands out as a potential riser this week because of his bundle of athletic ability and track background. Tuten’s combination of initial burst, agility and long speed are made for this stage.
W: Will & Ward
Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is the top defensive back in the draft. Cam Ward is the top quarterback in the draft. Neither designation is particularly close.
X: As in 10.
The No. 10 spot should be a significant draft position again, with a chance the top two safeties, top two tight ends, and possibly the top cornerback or wide receiver — depending on the Travis Hunter scenario — still on the board. Historically the 10th pick has produced noteworthy NFL players including Patrick Mahomes (2017), Terrell Suggs (2003), Rod Woodson (1987) and Marcus Allen (1982). The Chicago Bears hold the No. 10 pick entering the draft.
Y: Youth group.
There’s a strong current of youthful prospects in this class. Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams is 20 and two months younger than another 20-year-old, Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell turned 21 on Monday. On the other end of the spectrum, teams won’t be as excited to check Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough’s birth certificate (turns 26 in September) as the leading candidate for the Brandon Weeden Award.
Z: Zybek.
America’s stopwatch. For 13 years, the official timing partner of the NFL Scouting Combine, the ubiquitous athletic testing platform brings the data teams desire to complete prospect grades and stack draft boards the next two months.
–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media
Comments