NFL combine 2025 takeaways: Grades for top DL prospects, plus other winners and losers from on-field workouts

The week is complete for defensive linemen at the NFL Scouting Combine. While some of the top names opted to sit out, others, namely Derrick Harmon, used the moment to take advantage of his opportunity. 

Here are some of the winners and losers from Thursday’s on-field drills in Indianapolis, starting with a look at the measurements of the prospects in CBS Sports’ top 50 consensus rankings.

NameProspect rankingHeightWeight40-yard dash10-yard splitVertical jumpBroad jumpMason Graham (Michigan)3rd6-3 3/4″296——–Walter Nolen (Ole Miss)17th6-3 3/6″296——–Derrick Harmon (Oregon)29th6-4 4/8″3134.95 seconds1.74 seconds—-Kenneth Grant (Michigan)30th6-3 5/8″331——–Omar Norman-Lott (Tennessee)40th6-1 7/8″291—-31.5″9-foot-4Deone Walker (Kentucky)43rd6-7 3/8″331—-25″8-foot-8Darius Alexander (Toledo)45th6-3 7/8″3054.951.7231.5″9-foot-3Tyleik Williams (Ohio State)47th 6-2 7/8″334——–Aeneas Peebles (Virginia Tech)50th6-0 4/8″2824.941.7432.5″9-foot-1Note: Mason Graham opted only to do the bench press in Indianapolis, while Walter Nolen chose not to participate in any on-field drills. Kenneth Grant was supposed to work out, but medical evaluations revealed a hamstring strain that kept him sidelined.

Grading the top-rated DLDerrick Harmon, Oregon: A

Thursday was an opportunity for Harmon to assert himself as one of the top interior defenders in this draft class considering multiple peers opted not to participate. Harmon was consistently a top performer through the drills and also measured as one of the bigger bodies at the position. 

Omar Norman-Lott, Tennessee: B+

Norman-Lott had some slippage issues on the Lucas Oil Stadium playing surface, but he was a really smooth prospect in the pass rush drills that required change of direction. 

Deone Walker, Kentucky: B

Walker stands at 6-foot-7-inches, so leverage is naturally hard to come by for him. Relative to his size, Walker did a great job with the club, spin and flatten to the quarterback portion of the evening. His feet were quick through the four-bag drill. 

Darius Alexander, Toledo: B+

Alexander is following a similar path as Karl Brooks did out of Bowling Green a few years ago. Brooks played on the edge for the Falcons but had the size to move inside at the next level. Alexander has continued to show well through the pre-draft process.

Tyleik Williams, Ohio State: A-

Williams did not do any of the athletic testing, but he did really well during the on-field portion of Thursday’s festivities. He had been known as a consistent performer who specializes in run defense. 

Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech: B

Peebles is a low center of gravity interior defender and used that to his advantage through the drills. He showed a bendy frame with good footwork to get around the bags.

NFL Draft 2025: Ranking defensive line, EDGE prospects among stacked class as combine workouts begin

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Other winners
Prospect ranking: No. 76 overall (No. 15)Joshua Farmer’s tape reveals a prospect with good waist bend and explosiveness. Those qualities translated to the field Thursday as he did a good job with his pad level and flipping his hips. 

JJ Pegues, Ole Miss

Prospect ranking: No. 90 overall (No. 18)Pegues is a unique prospect because he was originally a tight end at Auburn and then made the switch to defensive line in 2021. In addition to his defensive line drills, he also worked out as a fullback. Pegues is lower to the ground and kept tight alignment working the hoop drill.

Ty Hamilton, Ohio State

Prospect ranking: No. 293 overall (No. 40)Ty Hamilton’s teammate, Tyleik Williams, is highly regarded in the CBSSports.com prospect rankings, but Hamilton may deserve more of his own recognition. He showed good pliability and quickness through essentially every drill. 

Other losers Zeek Biggers, Georgia Tech

Prospect ranking: No. 288 overall (No. 38)Biggers is a naturally high-waisted individual and that often makes bend and dip drills difficult to navigate. He looked a bit stiff in transitions.

Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina

Prospect ranking: No. 179 (No. 25)Hemingway looked pretty smooth when doing drills, but he struggled with his footing throughout the afternoon. Lucas Oil Stadium changed its playing surface, and several players had issues with the new playing surface. 

The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects. 

For live reaction from the festivities, check out Thursday’s live blog. 

Full list of 2025 NFL combine measurements and 40-yard dash times, plus winners and losers for each position

Tyler Sullivan