2025 NFL Scouting Combine: Winners from the defensive back and tight end workouts

Who helped themselves on Friday?

The second day of the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and it was a significant one for the New York Giants.

The news of the day was obviously the return of Matt Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, but the on-field workouts were significant for the Giants as well.

The Giants could be in search of a starting cornerback opposite Deonte Banks if they aren’t confident in Cor’Dale Flott, as well as a third safety to pair with Tyler Nubin and Dane Belton. The good news is that this is a strong group of defensive backs, even with the top prospects not working out.

This is also a good group of tight ends, with well rounded prospects who could appeal if the Giants want someone in the pipeline behind Daniel Bellinger.

So who made themselves money on Friday evening?

Cornerbacks

Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky)

The Giants have selected players out Kentucky in two of their last three drafts, and last year’s selection of Dru Phillips has widely been hailed as a home run. With the Giants paying close attention to Kentucky’s defense a year ago, Hairston has to be on their radar.

Hairston came in a bit below ideal size at 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, but he laid down the first 4.2 40 of the Combine with a 4.28 on his second run. He’s a playmaking cornerback who’s generated 8 turnovers over the last two years, including 5 interceptions in 2023 — two of which he returned for touchdowns.

He also had a great showing in the field drills. Hairston has quick feet, fluid hips, and crisp movement skills. He was always under control and was arguably the best corner on the field.

That level of speed and playmaking ability will catch plenty of teams’ attention.

Darien Porter (Iowa State)

Hairston’s time was soon matched by Darien Porter out of Iowa State. Porter is a very different corner from Hairston, and is a very long player at 6-foot-3 with 33-inch arms. Porter combining 95th percentile length with 4.3 speed will boost him up draft boards and some could compare him to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Porter looked surprisingly fluid in field drills despite his lanky build, though his backpedal is high. He changed directions well and was able to keep a good line while flipping his hips and backpedaling.

It’s notable that Porter is a converted wide receiver who only transitioned to corner in 2022. He’s just scratching the surface of his potential.

Trey Amos (Ole Miss)

Amos is a big, physical cornerback who can go toe-to-toe with receivers in man coverage as well as play well in zone. The big question with him was with regards to his athleticism, but he answered those with his workout.

His 4.44-second (unofficial) 40 spoke to his speed, while a fluid field workout should reassure those who worry about his feet and hips. Amos was one of the best cornerbacks in the SEC and looked really good in his workout Friday.

Zah Frazier (UTSA)

Frazier is a very intriguing small-school corner who will likely draw comparisons to UTSA alum Riq Woolen.

Frazier isn’t quite as big as Woolen, but he has similar length at 6-foot-3 and speed at 4.37, in addition to excellent ball skills with 6 interceptions in 2024. So while Frazier is a sleeper right now, the combination of length, speed, and the ability to generate game-breaking plays won’t keep him a sleeper for long.

Safeties

Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina)

We love athletic freaks, and Emmanwori is a freak among freaks.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety jumped 43 inches in the vertical and 11 feet, 6 inches in the broad jump. He backed that up with an equally absurd 4.38-second 40-yard dash. We already knew Emmanwori could move like a normal-sized defensive back, but his raw athleticism is astonishing — watching him move just doesn’t make sense.

The question now might not be whether Emmanwori goes in the first round, but perhaps how early in the first he’ll go.

Billy Bowman (Oklahoma)

You might not have heard of Billy Bowman, but he’s favorite of film buffs. He had three interceptions returned for a touchdown in 2023 and is a tough, angry defender.

He also proved that he could move in space with a good 4.47-second 40-yard dash and some impressive movement skills in the field drills. His hips and feet were quicker than expected and his hands proved that 2023 wasn’t a fluke.

Tight end

Terrance Ferguson (Oregon)

Most of the top tight ends elected to skip the on-field workouts for various reasons and in their absence, Ferguson paced the field with a 4.63-second 40. Ferguson is a pretty well-rounded tight end prospect who could be the sole tight end in an 11-personnel package.

He’s a solid blocker as well as a reliable receiver, and his athleticism hints at additional upside in the passing game. He averaged 13.7 yards per catch this past year and could be a legitimate weapon with more development in a more aggressive offense.

Gavin Bartholomew (Pitt)

Bartholomew is one of the best blocking tight ends in the draft. He understands how to place his hands, uncoil his hips, create movement and sustain his blocks. He has good size and ran a solid 40 at 4.70 seconds, and while he didn’t get great passes to catch in the ball tracking drill, but did well in the Gauntlet.

Bartholomew will likely have to earn his way onto a roster, but he gave scouts reason to go back to his tape.

Joshua Simon (South Carolina)

The Gamecocks have had a very strong showing so far at the Combine, and Simon continued the trend.

While some tight ends look like economy-sized offensive tackles, Simon looks like a big receiver and he moves very well for his size. He had a 4.65-second 40-yard dash, a 38-inch vertical, and a 10-foot-4 broad jump. He averaged 13 yards per catch and racked up 7 touchdowns in his last season at South Carolina, and that pass catching acumen showed in how he tracked the ball down the field.

Simon being an athletic tight end isn’t a big surprise looking at him, but he did some very good work in the blocking drill as well. It might have been a misfortune that most of his workout was right before Mason Taylor, but Simon held his own.