Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) sacks UTEP quarterback JP Pickles (19) during a college football game between Tennessee and UTEP at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. PHOTO USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES At this time last year, there was far more discussion about the risk of self-representation, passing on medical examinations and painted fingernails than what eventual No. 1 pick Caleb Williams did at the scouting combine.
Hindsight and insight combine to tell us Williams won over the Bears in a final-step, late-night interview with general manager Ryan Poles and the since-replaced coaching staff.
With no sure thing at No. 1 given health questions around Abdul Carter of Penn State and risks with top-ranked quarterbacks, there is plenty of room for players to gain ground and climb on a team’s draft board in the next several weeks.
Here are three players who took advantage of the stage in Indianapolis to get a running start on the rest of the draft class.
DE James Pearce, Tennessee
Freakish speed, flexibility and explosiveness are all evident in Pearce’s game film. With a 4.5-second 40-yard time, Pearce doesn’t necessarily answer any questions but underscores the vast potential evident in his production and snap-to-snap resume. He is squarely in the conversation for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears as a realistic top-10 target.
S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori (DB40) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images When Emmanwori told his father, a Nigerian-born academic who became a professor in the United States, he was heading to the NFL before he graduated, his dad called his position coach and others in the program to confirm he was still on track to attain a degree. This week, Emmanwori scored straight A’s at the combine with his performance on the field at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, clocking a 4.38-second 40, a vertical jump of 43 inches and a broad jump of 11 feet, 6 inches. He is the only safety in NFL Scouting Combine history to hit those three levels. If you didn’t have Emmanwori in the conversation with Malaki Starks (Georgia) and Xavier Watts (Notre Dame) as a first-round selection, there’s no question about it now.
RB Bhayshu Tuten, Virginia Tech
Oct 17, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) runs the ball against Boston College Eagles cornerback Bryquice Brown (19) during the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images If you have been following in this space, you are well aware of the storm warnings issued for Tuten to turn in a tornado performance in Indianapolis. He wasn’t just the fastest running back at the combine with a 4.32-second 40-yard time, he had a 40 ½-inch vertical, a broad jump of 10 feet, 10 inches and caught the ball cleanly in position-specific drills on Saturday. The big-play elements are abundantly apparent on the field, not just on the track. He claims this spot by a whisker over one of our first-round projections, North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton, who also had a strong weekend with a 4.46-second 40-yard time. Underline his meeting with the Denver Broncos, who are searching for an RB1 to pair with Bo Nix.
