2025 NFL Draft Prospects with the Most to Prove at Pro Days After Scouting Combine

The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books. After several days of tests and interviews and physicals and measuring and workouts, the 2025 rookie class has cleared the biggest hurdle between them and April's draft.

Now, some of those players cleared that hurdle with ease. They flew down the track in the 40-yard-dash. Dominated the vertical and horizontal jumps. Looked the part of elite prospects in positional drills.

Others weren't so fortunate. There's room to debate how much weight should really be pup in one weekend of workouts versus multiple years of tape. But there's no denying that a bad combine hurts.

And there were some bad ones in 2025.

Players ran slower than expected—or didn't run at all for fear that would happen. Others look stiff in drills or didn't fare well when being measured relative to what NFL teams want at a given position. At least one elite prospect saw his combine ended in medical evaluations with the discovery of an injury.

There's still a chance for redemption for those players, however. Over the next several weeks, dozens of pro days will be held around the country—workouts in a familiar place with friendly faces they have known for years. It's a chance to better numbers. An opportunity for redemption.

Redemption these players need.

Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter

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It didn't take long for Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter to plant his flag at the 20205 NFL Scouting Combine—while speaking to reporters, Carter said that he believes he's not only the best defensive prospect in this class, but also the best player overall.

“I feel like I’m the best player in the country and the best player should be picked first," he said. "It’s the work I put in with my dad, who trained me, and all the sacrifices I made, I know I’m the best. Defensive players impact the game just as much as the quarterback. All the teams that have won Super Bowls, they have that one standout player. I feel like I’m that.”

The problem is that things went sideways shortly afterward.

While undergoing medical tests, a stress reaction was found in Carter's foot. There were two choices—have surgery that would sideline Carter for eight weeks, or hope that the injury will heal on its own in time for Penn State's pro day.

Carter elected to go the latter route, and while addressing the media, Carter's agent Drew Rosenhaus said he doesn't expect the injury to adversely impact the 6'3" 252-pounder's draft stock.

"I couldn’t be more confident that this will be a non-factor where he's drafted," Rosenhaus said. "He will put on a show at his pro day. After visiting with teams this week, I believe he’s going to be the No. 1 overall pick."

If Carter is able to work out at the Penn State pro day and showcase his explosiveness and athleticism, he may still get his wish of being the first overall pick.

But if he pulls up lame or can't work out at all, that injury is going to be a dark cloud over Carter's draft stock right into Green Bay.

Ohio State QB Will Howard

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There's little question that Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders are the top two quarterback prospects in the 2025 class. But after that duo, the waters muddy. After his throwing session at the scouting combine, Oho State's Will Howard threw his hat into that ring while speaking to reporters.

“Honestly, I think my game translates really well,” Howard said. “I think I'm a pro-style quarterback. I can make every throw. I feel like I'm a pretty cerebral guy. I understand the game better than a lot of people. And I'm competitive as hell. And I think I'm a good leader. Whatever locker room decides to pick me, I'm going to come in with a humble but hungry attitude and be ready to work, gain the respect of everyone in that locker room and just bring a positivity and a light."

Howard's run to a national championship featured multiple excellent performances in the College Football Playoff. But his outing at the combine was just—bad. Howard passed on the 40, tested poorly in other athletic drills and was one of the least accurate passers in throwing drills.

Howard tried to put a positive spin on his workout.

“I felt decent,” Howard said. “I'm my own biggest critic, so I feel like there were some things I could clean up. But overall, I think I showed that I can spin the ball with the best. And I felt good about it. And I think my footwork was pretty solid. And I’m excited for my pro day to show that I can spin it a little more.”

That pro day has become exponentially more important if Howard wants to be drafted as a top-five quarterback—let alone top three.

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe

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In his scouting report for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe here at Bleacher Report, Dame Parson's comp was, " Shades of Jalen Hurts with a jet pack & stronger arm."

That would appear some heady praise. But while speaking to reporters, Milroe said he believes that he deserves consideration as the No. 1 quarterback in his class.

“I’m cool with being underrated," Milroe said. "I play in the hardest conference in the country. I played against the number one team in the country, the number one defense in the country. So, if I lack knowledge, I wouldn’t be able to win big games. And 2023, my first year starting, I didn’t lose a SEC game and was playing a lot of different defenses, a lot of things that was unraveled when it came to the game planning and a lot of things I pour into that people don’t see.”

Milroe had an opportunity to strengthen his claim to being at least QB3 in the Class of 2025, but as Vinnie Iyer wrote for the Sporting News, just as at the Senior Bowl, Milroe's performance in Indianapolis was inconsistent.

"Milroe chose not to run and show off his blazing speed in the 40-yard dash, but everyone can see that he plays fast and can be dynamic in the running game," Iyer said. "Milroe was a bit up-and-down with his throws, showing inconsistency in how he delivered longer balls. He remains a boom-or-bust flier who will need to land in the right system with time to develop into a dangerous dual-threat."

Milroe now needs a strong Pro Day in Tuscaloosa—including a fast time in the 40 to show off his speed.

Otherwise, he could slide to the back end of a crowded second tier of quarterbacks.

Texas WR Isaiah Bond

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On some level, Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond has no one to blame but himself for his need to have an excellent Pro Day. Before it came time for the 5'11", 180-pounder to run his 40, Bond made a bold proclamation—that he would break former Longhorns teammate Xavier Worthy's record of 4.21 seconds.

"I'm going to break the record (Saturday), for sure," Bond told reporters. "I anticipate running 4.20 or possibly, if I'm feeling great, I might run a 4.1. I've been one of the fastest my whole life, so I'm going to go out there, and when practice meets preparation, greatness is achieved. So, I'm just going to trust my training and put on a show."

Not only did that not happen, but Bond didn't come especially close—his official time of 4.39 seconds was ninth-best among wide receivers and well behind teammate Matthew Golden, who may have had the best combine of any wideout.

Bond was also inconsistent in on-field drills. As Brad Crawford wrote for 247 Sports, that inconsistency stretches back to Bond's 2024 campaign with the Longhorns.

"While former Texas teammate Matthew Golden blazed a 4.3 flat in the 40, Isaiah Bond failed to deliver on his promise of being one of the fastest players at the event. A day after predicting he would break the all-time speed record set by ex-Longhorns star Xavier Worthy in last year's event, Bond clocked a 4.40 — fast, but not premiere-level quick. Bond was inconsistent and dealt with drops during his only season at Texas last fall after playing the two previous years under Nick Saban at Alabama."

It's a safe bet Golden will sit on his combine numbers at the Texas pro day.

It's an even safer bet that Bond won't—not if he wants to hear his name called early in the draft.

Ohio State EDGE Jack Sawyer

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Ohio State edge-rusher Jack Sawyer was one of the heroes of the Buckeyes' playoff run last year—his scoop-and-score in the national semifinal sealed the deal and sent OSU on the National Championship Game.

Bleacher Report's Matt Holder ranked Sawyer as the 10th-best EDGE in the class and a potential Day 2 pick in his scouting report on the 6'4", 260-pounder. But he also had some caveats about Sawyer's NFL ceiling.

"The Buckeye isn't a high-level athlete, Holder wrote, "which is going to limit how many tools he has in his pass-rush toolbox. He isn't going to win with speed around the edge, and he doesn't have much twitch and athleticism to be effective when working finesse moves. He's also often late with his hands as a rusher, allowing offensive linemen to make the first significant contact."

Sawyer's combine made Holder look like Karnac the Magnificent.

Like Mason Graham, his arm length is concerning, even more so considering he lines up at edge," USA Today's Ayrton Ostly wrote. "Sawyer's 31 3/4-inch arm length puts him well inside the bottom 10th percentile among all defensive linemen since 1999. His performance in drills was more promising but teams will see that arm length and have concerns.”

Skipping the 40-yard-dash only reinforced concerns about Sawyer's speed and explosiveness, and he did nothing in Indianapolis to alleviate concerns about his athleticism.

With historically poor arm length added to Sawyer's list of potential flaws, he's going to have to find a way to alleviate those worries when NFL scouts descend on Columbus.

Bowling Green TE Harold Fannin Jr.

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There's no doubt that Penn State's Tyler Warren will be the first tight end selected in 2025. But as 247 Sports' Brad Crawford wrote, small-school star Harold Fannin Jr. had a strong case to be the second player at the position selected—possibly in Round 1.

"Fannin Jr. checks just about every box imaginable as a pass-catcher and moves like a wide receiver with ideal size (6-foot-4, 240). Fannin's numbers last fall were impressive — 117 catches, 1,555 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns — as the focal point of his team's offense," he said. "Fannin rarely dropped a ball during his career and will be a viable weapon of sorts in any scheme."

Now, one bad weekend in Indianapolis doesn't totally immolate Fannin's stock. But he has a lot of work to do at Bowling Green's Pro Day to rehab that stock—because it was a bad weekend in Indianapolis.

Simply put, there really wasn't as aspect of the combine outside his measurements where Fannin didn't disappoint, His 40-yard-dash time of 4.71 seconds wasn't what was expected. Neither were athletic drills where Fannin was neither explosive nor fluid.

Now, there's no shortage of tape of Fannin dominating games. But that dominance came against lesser competition, and Fannin's combine performance didn't smack of a guy capable of carrying that dominance on to the game's highest level.

Fannin wouldn't be the first player to get the jitters at the combine and then have a far better showing in familiar settings in his Pro Day.

That's what Fannin needs at this point—or any chances he had of being selected on April 24 will be gone.

Georgia S Malaki Starks

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Georgia safety Malaki Starks is Bleacher Report's top safety prospect. In fact, Cory Giddings and the rest of B/R's Scouting Department rank the 6'1", 205-pounder as a top-five prospect overall.

"Starks projects as a first-round pick with the potential to make an immediate impact in the NFL," Giddings wrote. "His combination of athleticism, ball skills, and physicality make him a versatile safety capable of excelling in both coverage and run support. While he may need to refine his technique against faster receivers, Starks' overall skill set and football IQ give him a high ceiling as a defensive playmaker. With the ability to contribute from day one, Starks is poised to become a key player in any NFL secondary, offering the potential to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber safety."

However, as ESPN's Matt Miller wrote, there's some dissension regarding Starks' value—especially after a mediocre outing in Indianapolis.

"Starks is one of the most difficult evaluations, as his game tape was fantastic in 2023 but showed him struggling with timing and recovery speed this past season," he said. "Scouts hoped the combine could help fill in the gaps of those evaluations. The 6-foot-1, 197-pounder ran well (4.5 in the 40) but didn't do great in the vertical jump (33 inches), mirroring the disconnect found on film. I have an early Round 2 grade on Starks, but I can see teams leaning more on his 2023 tape and valuing him higher."

To be fair, Starks' combine wasn't awful. The problem is that fellow top safety prospect Nick Emmanwori of South Carolina blew the roof off the joint, wowing in drill after drill.

Georgia's Pro Day will be one of the more heavily attended ones.

Starks needs to put on a show for that crowd.

Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo

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Arizona State Cam Skattebo has heard the rumblings. Sure, he was a wildly productive and physical runner in college, his long speed is going to be an issue in the pros.

Ahead of his workouts, the 5'11, 215-pounder told reporters that while he's most certainly the former, he also has the latter.

“My objective at the end of the day is (to) get to the end zone,” he said. “Being able to do that the way I do it, it works, so I’m going to continue to do it until it doesn’t work and then figure out how to make something work. I’m physical. … Punish the defender because they don’t want to do it for four quarters. People don’t think I’m as fast as I am. Which, I am fast.”

However, Skattebo passed on running the 40-yard-dash at the combine, and there were reports that it was because of a low-grade hamstring injury. Skattebo posted a solid 39.5" vertical. But he sat out most of the other drills, which sets up his Pro Day as one of the more critical among running backs this year.

Highlighted by Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, the running back class in 2025 is equal parts deep and talented. Players like Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten, Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins and North Carolina's Omarion Hampton all putting on a show in Indianapolis, Skattebo's stock is sliding in a deep and crowded group.

If Skattebo can peel off a sub-4.50-second 40 at Arizona State's Pro Day, his tape and productivity could vault him up the ranks. But if he's slow in Tempe, he could easily find himself waiting well into April 26 before he hears his name called.