Medical red flag leaves 2025 NFL Draft outlook cloudy for former Tennessee star DT Omarr Norman-Lott
The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone. Every year, NFL fans tune in to see the next wave of fantastic players entering the league and marvel at their athleticism on the field. The evaluation is far from just running forty-yard dashes and jumping very high. For NFL teams, the meetings and medicals are […]
The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone. Every year, NFL fans tune in to see the next wave of fantastic players entering the league and marvel at their athleticism on the field. The evaluation is far from just running forty-yard dashes and jumping very high. For NFL teams, the meetings and medicals are just as important, if not more.
We also, unfortunately, leave Indianapolis every year with bad news of failed medicals that could alter the outlook for the individual prospects. That includes former Tennessee star defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, who has been viewed as one of the biggest risers in the 2025 NFL Draft interior defensive line class over the last few months.
At nearly 6-2 and 291 pounds, Norman-Lott is considered to be one of the more explosive defensive tackles in the class. He only participated in the vertical and broad jump in Indianapolis, posting a best of 31.5 inches and 9' 5" respectively. Other than that, Norman-Lott participated in the on-field drills and no other testing.
Coming out of the week, there is some concerning injury news surrounding Norman-Lott. There is an issue around his right knee that came up during his medical check, and it was red flagged because of it. It also appears that this may be a chronic issue, which could seriously hurt his long-term outlook.
For the short-term, you are getting a very talented football player. During the course of his Volunteer career, Norman-Lott recorded 89 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks. He was a part of a deep Tennessee defensive line rotation, but was incredibly productive on a per snap basis.
From a draft range perspective, Norman-Lott has spent a lot of time in the top 100 of mock drafts recently. There are even some that have had him more in the top 50 range, assuming his rise as a prospect continues.
Based on this injury red flag popping up, those projections could be a bit high. Don't be surprised if he takes a bit of a slide down the board come April. It will come down to how comfortable each prospective team is with the long term, and how much they prioritize the short term payback.