2025 NFL Scouting Combine – Winners from the QB, WR, and RB workouts

Who showed out on Saturday?

Saturday was a long day at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.

The running backs and wide receivers are always a pair of massive position groups. Of course, the quarterback position is the main draw from the New York Giants’ perspective.

The speculation around the quarterbacks is swirling for the Giants, and the possibility remains that they could trade up with the Titans for the first overall pick. Neither Cam Ward nor Shedeur Sanders threw today. But while that’s disappointing, it opened the door for other prospects to impress.

This was a long day, but a fun day, at the combine.

Who stood out on the field?

Running backs

Raheim Sanders (South Carolina)

Another workout, another South Carolina prospect with a good day. Sanders’ nickname is “Rocket” and he lived up to it in the 40-yard dash.

Sanders’ 4.47 40-yard dash (at 217 pounds) is solid, but not spectacular. However, his nickname doesn’t come from his burst at the start of runs, but rather his long speed and the fact that he was rarely caught from behind. And on that note, Sanders’ two runs were the two fastest runs of the running back group at 23.55 mph and 23.48 mph.

Sanders isn’t exactly quick, but he did show some good feet in the bag drills and solid hands in the receiving drills. He

Bayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech)

Tuten was a big-play specialist at Virginia Tech, and more than half of his yardage came on breakaway runs. It makes sense then that he turned a 4.32-second 40-yard dash to lead the field. Tuten also has a 40-inch vertical and 10-foot 10-inch broad jump to highlight his explosiveness.

He’s a compact back at 5-foot-11, 209 pounds, and racked up 1,300 total yards and 17 touchdowns last year. His explosiveness and play in the drills will definitely get teams’ attention and he could be a real gem after the initial run on running backs.

Damien Martinez (Miami)

Martinez was listed at 232 pounds during the season, weighed in at 226 at the Senior Bowl, and came in at 217 pounds at the Combine. He clearly wanted to impress with his athleticism over the draft process — probably not a bad idea given that he can’t show off his violence or contact balance as a runner without defenders to bounce off of or run through.

We won’t know until April whether the decision paid off, but he looked good on the field in Indy. Not only did he turn a 4.51-second 40 yard dash, but he showed off some impressive agility and foot quickness in the field drills.

Wide receivers

Matthew Golden (Texas)

Teammate Isaiah Bond was supposed to be the fastest man on the property, but it appears that Golden holds that honor. Golden suffered an ankle injury in Texas’ final game of the year, and might even be faster than the 4.29 he recorded at the Combine.

Golden is built like a slot receiver at 5-foot-11, 191 pounds, but his speed definitely makes him more than a chain mover or safety blanket. Golden is a crisp route runner with great ball skills, which certainly play well in the slot. But having the ability to take a short pass to the house or take the top off of a defense will appeal to every team.

Jayden Higgins (Iowa State)

Higgins is one of the biggest wideouts in this year’s class at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds, and his 4.47 40-yard dash, 39-inch vertical, and 10-foot-8 broad jump qualify him as an elite athlete at his position and size.

His size also comes with a massive catch radius, and Higgins hauled in 9 touchdowns last year.

This receiver class isn’t as stacked with talent as last year’s, but it ‘s a solid one. It will be interesting to see how the receiver depth chart falls after Tetairoa McMillan and Luther Burden III, and Higgens could be in the conversation for the third wideout off the board.

Jaylin Noel (Iowa State)

Jayden Higgins wasn’t the only Cyclone to show out on Saturday.

Noel will likely be considered a slot-only at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, however he tested out as an elite athlete. His 4.39 is impressive and lines up with the breakaway speed he showed on tape, but it’s his explosive numbers that stand out. He backed that up with a 41.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot, 2-inch broad jump.

I finished his scouting report by saying that while he might not be the most imposing receiver in the draft, he might be one of the most dangerous. His work today only backs up that assessment, and he could have a “Victor Cruz” like impact in the NFL.

Jalen Royals (Utah State)

Royals is a big, thick receiver who has been right on the cusp of major national buzz. He has a reputation as a good route runner and a true threat at all three levels. He sports the kind of physique that will let him out-muscle defenders in tight coverage and enough athleticism to stretch the field or break big runs.

He turned a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and looked great in receiving drill, and fans who haven’t heard of Royals before today might be surprised how highly he’s drafted.

Quarterbacks

Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss)

Dart likely solidified his position as QB 3, or perhaps 2b depending on the team.

He didn’t do any athletic testing (two quarterbacks in this group did), but he was visibly different when throwing the ball. Dart was able to throw with touch and accuracy to the short and intermediate areas, but the ball also jumped off his hand in a way that was lacking from other quarterbacks in his group.

And while dart might not have had the strongest* arm on the property, he had no problem attacking all areas of the field.

*Nobody could match Jalen Milroe’s raw arm strength. But like the Savage Hulk, his power is only barely directed.

Brady Cook (Missouri)

It will be fascinating to see where Tyler Shough lands in the draft. He’s an older prospect at 23 years old, and his arm is best described as “good but not great”. However he proved to be highly efficient at Missouri and is a much better athlete than expected.

He turned in a 4.59-second 40-yard dash, a 37-inch vertical, and a 10-foot-8 broad jump, all of which are excellent for a quarterback. His arm was, again, not spectacular, but he was accurate and executed well.

Cook might not push for a starting job, but he could have a long career as a backup whose number teams are comfortable calling if the starter goes down.

Tyler Shough (Louisville)

Shough’s name has been floating around scouting circles for a while now, and the buzz has been growing since the Senior Bowl. There has even been talk that he could be challenging Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart as QB 2 for some teams. And for teams that want big, athletic quarterbacks, it’s easy to see why.

He has good size at 6-foot-5, 219 pounds and turned a very good 4.63-second 40-yard dash. His athleticism is important considering that he’s had several season-ending injuries (three broken bones). He also has a strong arm and some efficient footwork