2025 NFL Combine: Who lowered their NFL draft stock?

Not everyone comes out of the NFL Combine as a “winner,” and that is ok.

Everyone loves to talk about the “Combine Warriors,” otherwise known as the top performers from the testing and drills in Indianapolis. Whether it is the blazing 40-yard dashes, the impressive verticals, or the seamless movement during drill work, it is very easy to talk about the players who are on the rise.

On the other hand, though, it is not so simplistic to talk about the other side of the equation.

“Losers” or “fallers” at the NFL  Combine come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are due to falling short in testing or measurement thresholds. Some have poor on-field performances, and others become victims of strong performances by players at their positions.

The good thing is that “losing” at the NFL Combine is not a death knell. Many players have had bad days in Indianapolis and proceeded to have great NFL careers or become productive players at the next level. Film and traits are always king; in most cases, the NFL Combine is only an avenue to confirm those traits and check off specific boxes.

Who were the players that struggled at this key event in the draft process? And what were the reasons they could be seen as “losers” in its aftermath? Follow along as we close out our 2025 NFL Combine coverage!

2025 NFL Combine: Stock Down

Quarterback: Quinn Ewers and Will Howard

Ah, the quarterback position. There are never any overreactions here, right?

In all seriousness, there are a handful of players that I felt could have made their way onto this section. But after reflecting on what I watched, I arrived at two players: Quinn Ewers and Will Howard.

With Ewers, there are some fun moments on his tape. In a very talented Texas offense, he has shown flashes and full games of what he could be capable of at the next level. However, Ewers has plenty of bad moments that counteract the good ones. Whether it is missed throws down the field, not seeing defenders, or poor pocket management, there were plenty of reasons why many people were calling for Arch Manning this season.

At the Combine, these woes showed up once again.

Did Ewers make some good throws? Yes. Yet, the former five-star prospect was missing his landmarks on plenty of throws. He had inaccuracies with comeback routes and overshot some out-breaking routes during the on-field portion of the drills.

The biggest concern I saw related to the quarterback’s deep ball. Ewers, in my opinion, did not have the juice to hit the receivers consistently and was not overly accurate. Players had to slow down considerably in order to catch his throws, which was not the case for some of the top-performing quarterbacks in drill work.

For Howard, the issues boiled down to inconsistency. The Ohio State quarterback can hit every throw on the field, and he showed that during the workouts. Whether it was the deep ball, comeback routes, or in-breakers across the middle of the field, Howard did make a good amount of throws to the receivers.

However, Howard also missed on plenty of throws. Whether it was airmailing a pass over a player’s head, missing a landmark on a deep ball, or somewhere in-between, it was not the greatest performance for the national championship-winning quarterback. The environment was also tough for Howard; it would not be a stretch to say that the fans booing him on every single throw he took affected his workout.

Howard and Ewers were already later-round options at quarterback before the NFL Combine, mainly due to their traits and game tape. Their performances just ensured that their stock would not rise much higher and could provide evaluators with more questions to answer when rewatching their games. It is solely for that reason that the two quarterbacks would be considered “losers” coming out of Indianapolis.

Running Back: Kyle Monangai

In a loaded running back class, Rutgers’ Kyle Monangai‘s NFL Combine performance causes him to fall into the “losers” category.

I will preface this discussion with a caveat. Monangai is one of my favorite running backs in this class, mainly due to his physicality and running style. He is not a burner, but shows enough quickness and speed to go along with his impressive on-field power.

However, Monangai is in danger of falling down draft boards when compared to his contemporaries. At 211 pounds, running a 4.6 40-yard dash, having a 34.5-inch vertical, and having a 9-foot-9-inch broad jump is not inherently bad. But when 21 of the other running backs in attendance have better 40 times and 18 other running backs have better verticals, that can quickly become a problem.

I expected the Rutgers product to run faster, especially considering what he showed during his time with the Scarlet Knights. He was not a plodding running back and was a big reason Rutgers won games against Big Ten opponents. Yet, the testing metrics may cause some to sour on Monangai and look elsewhere.

Monangai is not any less of a player after the NFL Combine, but without the upper-level athletic profile, he cannot be seen as a player with their “stock rising.”

Wide Receiver: Konata Mumpfield and Ricky White

Similar to Monangai, putting Konata Mumpfield and Ricky White in this section is related to their testing compared to the rest of the group.

Both Mumpfield and White are good route runners and find ways to get open. The practices at the East-West Shrine Bowl were emblematic and great example of this; Mumpfiiled consistently created separation in short spaces to catch the football, while White was a force all over the field against all different types of coverages.

However, both players ran in the range of a 4.60 40-yard dash at around 185 pounds. Mumpfield ran an official 4.59, while White ran a 4.61. The times raise questions about the long-speed capabilities of both players at the NFL level.

Testing-wise, I am much less worried about Mumpfield; with a blazing 6.82 three-cone and the second-best short shuttle time of 4.17, the short area quickness translated to his testing. White had a good 36-inch vertical, but did not register times in the agility drills.

If you go off game-tape, White and Mumpfield should still be viewed as solid Day 3 options at the wideout position that could contribute relatively quickly. But with their long speed potentially viewed as a question mark, both players could see their stock slip slightly when it comes to the draft.

Tight End: Gunnar Helm

Regarding the tight end position, one player had very interesting combines that resulted in him getting put onto this list.

Texas’s Gunnar Helm had an interesting NFL Combine. The tight end ran his first 40-yard dash in the 4.9s and then dropped his time to an official 4.84 on his second attempt. It was then revealed that Helm had hurt his ankle on a false-start during the 40, did not want to leave early, and powered through the workout to finish it.

Here is a crazy Combine story: #Texas TE Gunnar Helm twisted his ankle on his false start on the 40-yard dash, then finished all the drills anyway. Said nothing until it was over. Had an MRI on Saturday to reveal a sprain. And will run again at his Pro Day. The pics are… yikes. pic.twitter.com/fi9Uus2ASa

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2025

Helm looked much better during positional drills, displaying his trademark blocking and smoothness as a route-runner. However, his athleticism is going to be a question going forward now. Is Helm a bad athlete for the position, or did the injury sap his ability to move around? How that question is answered at the Texas Pro Day will go a long way toward affecting Helm’s draft stock.

DL: Deone Walker

The Kentucky product, to put it lightly, did not have a good NFL Combine. While he should not be expected to post impressive jumping numbers, his vertical and broad jumps were two of the lowest in the position group. The issues with his lower half also translated to the drill work; Walker looked slow and less explosive than his counterparts on the defensive line. He did not consistently move with the twitch and power needed to play the position at a high level.

In real-game situations, Walker has the potential to be an asset. He has great size and has shown flashes of being a major disruptor on the defensive line. This was the case at the Senior Bowl; Walker was borderline unblockable at times during practices.

However, Walker can also be easily removed from games by the offensive line, and that also showed its head at the Senior Bowl. The towering defensive tackle can be a significant force in the right scheme, but after the NFL Combine, it seems that Walker may not be for everyone.

Linebacker: Jay Higgins

At the NFL level, a certain level of speed is needed to play the linebacker position. Let’s use Oregon’s Jeffrey Bassa as an example; during the 2025 NFL Combine, the linebacker ran a 4.63 in the 40-yard dash. It was not a blazing time, but with his game-tape and other testing metrics, Bassa has shown he can play the position at a very, very high level.

If we use 4.63 as a “threshold,” we could argue that times up to around 4.7 could be seen as “acceptable.” Beyond those times are giant red flags for players trying to play the position.

In the case of Iowa’s Jay Higgins, he ran a 4.82 in the 40. That is not only bad for NFL linebacker standards but borderline unacceptable speed for any position.

Higgins may have some good film, but he is absolutely coming out of Indianapolis worse than when he entered. With a 4.83 time, many teams will likely question his ability to run with players at any position at the NFL level.

Defensive Back: Sebastian Castro

Castro ran a 4.59 40, only jumped 30.5 inches in the vertical jump, was under 10 feet in the broad jump, and had a poor short shuttle time of 4.34. The performance gave the safety a RAS of 4.35,  landing him in the poor category of players and 611th out of all safeties since 1987.

Bringing the article full circle, Castro is a great litmus test for the battle of tape versus the numbers. The safety was a key member of the Hawkeyes secondary, making play after play against some of the best teams in the Big Ten. He showed plenty of strength, speed, and athleticism all throughout his college career with Iowa.

However, the testing numbers show that Castro may lack in some areas. They display the fact that, despite his strong college career, Castro could struggle in the NFL.

What side should one value more? In my opinion, it is in the eye of the beholder. Some teams could see Castro poorly after the NFL Combine, moving him down their boards as a result. Others could value his on-field play and not slide him down the board.

Ultimately, all it takes is one team to make Castro their selection. He may not have a great week in Indy, but like most players, the tape speaks for itself when it comes to the safety, and teams will have to make their own decisions.