NFL Combine
2/28/25
8 min read
2025 NFL Combine: Winners, Losers From Friday's Workouts
After the defensive front prospects showed off at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday, the defensive backs got to put on a show on Friday.
It's a stark difference going from 300-pound defensive tackles to blazing fast cornerbacks, especially when watching the 40-yard dash. Different drills are weighted more heavily for the two groups, and a handful of DB prospects were able to shine on Friday, while others wish that they could have had stronger showings.
A good or bad performance at the Combine doesn't tell the complete story for a prospect, but there is some value to their testing and results. Let's dive into the biggest winners and losers from Friday's group of defensive backs.
winners
Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky 
The clear winner from Friday goes to Maxwell Hairston, who might have just pushed his way into legitimate first-round consideration.
Hairston's 40-yard dash was one of the biggest talking points of Friday. He became the first player to break 4.3 seconds in the drill, posting an official time of 4.28 seconds.
Maxwell Hairston 4.29 2nd unofficial 40! pic.twitter.com/BGH0nSPlrf
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) February 28, 2025
According to NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, Hairston reached 24.25 miles per hour on that run, which is just absurd top-end speed from the Wildcats cornerback. He also shined in the jumps with a 39-inch vertical and 10-foot-9 broad jump.
On top of that absurd play speed, Hairston's tape also shows an aggressive player who isn't afraid of contact. That blend of skills will make Hairston a very popular target among teams in need of a corner, and could have his draft stock skyrocketing as he leaves Indianapolis.
Nick Emmanwori, SAF, South Carolina
The phrase "jump out the gym" can be overused at times, but in this instance, it fittingly applies to South Carolina safety prospect Nick Emmanwori.
Emmanwori's jumps alone will turn the heads of scouts. It's unlikely that anyone at the combine will break either of his numbers, posting an absurd 43-inch vertical and 11-foot-6 broad jump, all while measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds.
Holllllly!!!
— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) February 28, 2025
Nick Emmanwori just launched to 43” on the vert!
Here you go slow mo…@nflnetwork @NFL pic.twitter.com/mQIi20oviC
To add to his strong day, Emmanwori blew by other safety prospects with an unofficial 40-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds. The South Carolina prospect possesses a rare blend of size, speed, and explosiveness, and was able to put all of that on display in front of scouts on Friday.
Jacob Parrish, CB, Kansas State
Anyone worried about Jacob Parrish's size might be more willing to overlook it after the show he put on during Friday's workouts.
Coming in at just under 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, Parrish will likely be slotted into the nickel at the NFL level, but his athletic ability allowed him to succeed on the outside at Kansas State.
Parrish finished near the top of the first cornerback group in the two jumps, posting a 37.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-9 broad jump. If that wasn't enough, he was one of only a handful of players to break the 4.4 mark in the 40-yard dash, posting an official time of 4.35 seconds.
Parrish's tape shows his speed and explosiveness, and while he isn't the biggest prospect, his athletic ability and play style should help him be a legitimate contributor at the NFL level.
Joshua Simon, TE, South Carolina
Joshua Simon wasn't a household name in a crowded tight end class. However, Friday's workouts helped him put his name on the map.
Simon tore up just about every drill he participated in. He finished just behind Terrance Ferguson with the second-best vertical jump at 38 inches, and also finished in second with a 10-foot-4 broad jump. His 40-yard dash time was also near the top of the group with an unofficial time of 4.66 seconds.
After a productive year with over 500 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, Simon flew under the radar heading into Indianapolis Now, after testing near the top of every drill he was in, teams might start paying a bit closer attention to him as a prospect.
losers
Zy Alexander, CB, LSU
In a crowded group of Day 2 and Day 3 cornerbacks, Zy Alexander was hoping to separate himself with a strong day in Indianapolis. Unfortunately, that didn't end up being the case.
Alexander's 9-foot-8 broad jump was tied with Dorian Strong for the worst jump of the first group of cornerbacks, and his vertical jump wasn't much better. At 31.5 inches, he was two inches off of the worst jump in that first group as well.
The 40-yard dash could have helped Alexander recover from the early jump drills, but the official time of 4.56 seconds was a bit disappointing.
It's unfortunate for Alexander, who has good height and length at the position. His tape is still solid from this past season, so a strong Pro Day and solid interviews could help him preserve his draft stock, but it's a disappointing day regardless.
Mello Dotson, CB, Kansas
Kansas's pair of cornerbacks were hoping for strong testing results on Friday. Cobee Bryant didn't have terrible numbers, but Mello Dotson had a disappointing day that could raise questions about his ability to handle NFL talent.
A 10-foot-3 broad jump from Dotson was decent, but the rest of the early results were disappointing to say the least. His broad jump of 34.5 inches is below average for a cornerback, and his 40-yard dash time of just 4.59 seconds was the slowest recorded by any cornerback in the first group on Friday.
Dotson's film already showed some concerns about his play strength when taking on blocks or helping in the run game. With questions now about his top-end play speed to handle vertical threats, there may be more questions than answers for Dotson as a prospect heading into the rest of the pre-draft process.
Sebastian Castro, SAF, Iowa
It's been a tough couple of days for Iowa prospects, who have struggled to stand out among competitive positions at this year's combine.
Sebastian Castro is more of a hybrid slot defender than a true safety, but regardless of position, his testing was a bit disappointing. He finished tied for last with a 9-foot-9 broad jump and last in the vertical jump at 30.5 inches.
The 40-yard dash wasn't much better, with Castro posting an official time of 4.59 seconds, the worst among the safeties. As a 203-pound defensive back, it would be understandable for him not to post the most blazing athletic testing, but these results were still disappointing for a player hoping to climb up draft boards.
Gunnar Helm, TE, Texas
Gunnar Helm put up some strong tape in 2024 to make him an intriguing tight end prospect. Unfortunately, the athleticism at the combine didn't match up with the eye test.
Granted, Helm only participated in a handful of drills, but the results weren't what he was hoping for. He had the worst vertical jump of any of the tight ends, posting a 30-inch jump, a full inch behind the second worst in Notre Dame's Mitchell Evans.
After the jumps, Helm also struggled to impress in the 40-yard dash, posting a time of 4.84 seconds. That's not the kind of speed scouts were hoping to see from a player who was able to be an asset in the passing game this past season for the Longhorns.
In a talented group of TE prospects, Helm needed to at least keep up with the pack with his on-field work on the combine. Instead, he'll have to spend the rest of the pre-draft process trying to make up ground among the rest of his peers at the position.
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