{"id":2931,"date":"2025-03-04T02:58:26","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T02:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/?p=2931"},"modified":"2025-03-06T19:51:45","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T19:51:45","slug":"nfl-combine-2025-prospects-who-improved-their-stock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/04\/nfl-combine-2025-prospects-who-improved-their-stock\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Combine 2025: Prospects Who Improved Their Stock"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Every year, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/combine\/\" title=\"\">NFL Combine<\/a> serves as a proving ground for college football\u2019s elite athletes, but it\u2019s not just the projected first-rounders who steal the spotlight. Some players arrive in Indianapolis as relative unknowns or mid-to-late-round hopefuls, only to leave as legitimate draft risers. The 2025 NFL Combine was no different, as several prospects delivered performances that had scouts and general managers scrambling to re-evaluate their draft boards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a look at some prospects from this year\u2019s Combine who may have seen their draft stock rise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Shemar Stewart (EDGE, Texas A&amp;M) \u2013 A Freak Athlete Emerges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Texas A&amp;M\u2019s Shemar Stewart was already on NFL radars, but his Combine performance took him to another level. At 6-foot-6 and 267 pounds, Stewart ran a&nbsp;<strong>4.59-second 40-yard dash<\/strong>&nbsp;and recorded an insane&nbsp;<strong>40-inch vertical jump<\/strong>\u2014numbers typically seen in defensive backs, not defensive linemen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scouts were blown away by his fluid movement and power in on-field drills, further solidifying his potential as a disruptive edge rusher. With a skill set reminiscent of past first-round picks like Montez Sweat and Rashan Gary, Stewart is now firmly in the mix as a late-first or early-second-round selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Shemar Stewart runs a 4.59u at 6\u20195\u201d | 267 lbs on his second attempt &#x1f4a8;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/g1UTdjtQtd\">pic.twitter.com\/g1UTdjtQtd<\/a><\/p>&mdash; PFF (@PFF) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PFF\/status\/1895248983213404599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 27, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Jihaad Campbell (LB, Alabama) \u2013 The Next Speed Demon Linebacker?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Linebackers who can cover sideline-to-sideline and excel in pass coverage are more valuable than ever in today\u2019s NFL. That\u2019s exactly why&nbsp;<strong>Jihaad Campbell\u2019s<\/strong>&nbsp;Combine showing turned so many heads. The Alabama linebacker blazed a&nbsp;<strong>4.52-second 40-yard dash<\/strong>, posted a&nbsp;<strong>127-inch broad jump<\/strong>, and showed excellent footwork in coverage drills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the Combine, Campbell was viewed as a rotational linebacker with upside, but his athleticism suggests he could develop into a three-down starter in the right system. Given the league\u2019s increasing emphasis on speed at linebacker, Campbell\u2019s stock is soaring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Matthew Golden (WR, Texas) \u2013 The 40-Yard Dash King<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speed kills in the NFL, and&nbsp;<strong>Matthew Golden<\/strong>&nbsp;put everyone on notice when he ran a&nbsp;<strong>4.29-second 40-yard dash<\/strong>, one of the fastest times at the Combine. The Texas wide receiver followed that up with a strong showing in the agility drills, further proving he\u2019s more than just a straight-line burner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Golden was looked at as a late first or early second round pick, but after his Combine performance, teams will take a much closer look at his tape. Speed alone can get a receiver drafted earlier than expected and Golden just ran his way into potential Day 1 consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Omarion Hampton (RB, North Carolina) \u2013 A Power Back With Burst<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Running backs may not be valued like they used to be, but there\u2019s always a need for powerful, explosive rushers.\u00a0<strong>Omarion Hampton<\/strong>\u00a0put himself on the radar with a\u00a0<strong>4.46-second 40-yard dash<\/strong>\u00a0and an impressive\u00a0<strong>38-inch vertical jump<\/strong>\u00a0at 221 pounds. His blend of size, power, and straight-line speed makes him an intriguing option who could now go in the first round. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NFL teams looking for a back who can break tackles and pick up tough yards between the tackles will love Hampton\u2019s potential. His strong Combine showing ensures he won\u2019t be overlooked come draft day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. Nick Emmanwori (S, South Carolina) \u2013 The Defensive Back Nobody Can Ignore<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nick Emmanwori<\/strong>&nbsp;might have just changed his future at the Combine. The South Carolina safety turned in a dominant performance in both the speed and agility drills, showing he can cover a lot of ground in the secondary. He backed it up with fluid coverage skills in positional workouts, proving he has the range and instincts to contribute at the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the Combine, Emmanwori was seen as a fringe first rounder or an early second round pick. Now, he has likely climbed up the draft board and could land with a team in need of safety depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The best vertical jump (43&quot;) and broad jump (11&#39;6&quot;) of ANYONE at this year&#39;s Combine.<br><br>South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori is one to watch &#x1f440;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Eman7Nick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Eman7Nick<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GamecockFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@GamecockFB<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/158IrIOzkE\">pic.twitter.com\/158IrIOzkE<\/a><\/p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL\/status\/1896712197490770428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 4, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Final Thoughts: Who Will Be the Biggest Steal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the first-round talent always gets the most attention, the real magic of the draft happens in the later rounds, where teams find hidden gems. The 2025 <a href=\"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/category\/sports-topics\/nfl\/\" title=\"\">NFL <\/a>Combine proved that several underdogs are more than ready to make an impact at the next level. Whether it\u2019s&nbsp;<strong>Shemar Stewart\u2019s elite athleticism, Jihaad Campbell\u2019s versatility, or Matthew Golden\u2019s top-end speed<\/strong>, these players have dramatically improved their draft stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Pro Days and team visits still to come, the momentum these players gained in Indianapolis could carry them into higher rounds than anyone expected just a few weeks ago. One thing is for sure: the NFL is about to welcome a new wave of underdog standouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who will be the biggest steal of the draft? We\u2019ll find out soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The NFL Combine serves as a proving ground for college football\u2019s elite athletes. We breakdown some of the prospects whose performances may have improved their draft stock. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[29,84,83,80,79,81,82,85],"class_list":["post-2931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","tag-features","tag-jihaad-campbell","tag-matthew-golden","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-combine","tag-nick-emmanwori","tag-omarion-hampton","tag-shemar-stewart"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Nick-E-e1741056546186.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2931"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2940,"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2931\/revisions\/2940"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}