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NFL Combine wraps up — who stood out?

While the NFL Scouting Combine isn’t necessarily a predictor of a player’s future success in the NFL, it at least gives teams an idea of each player’s athleticism, work ethic, mental fortitude and much more. A good performance at the combine can shed light on a lesser-known player, while a poor performance can cause teams to at least reevaluate that prospect.

Our guy Travis May represented A to Z Sports at this year’s NFL Combine, and did an amazing job with coverage which you can find here. Today, we’ll focus on Travis’ NFL Combine standouts — he compiled the top performers from each position (excluding quarterback, which only saw a few guys test) and offered a breakdown of each player. Below, we highlight one top performer from each position:

Running back Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State: “Judkins has been an obvious early round selection since he stepped onto the football field for Ole Miss as a true freshman. He posted back to back to back 1200+ yard seasons in college, showcasing consistent vision, contact balance, and value as a receiving option. He's a true feature back prospect. Now that he's tested as the most complete athlete at the NFL Combine among all running backs with a 96th percentile A to Z Sports Athletic Composite there's no way he drops outside the Top 75 picks. He might rise as high as early round two.”

Wide receiver Matthew Golden, Texas: “Golden was one of the most impressive wide receivers at the NFL Combine even before he ran his 4.29-second forty-yard dash. When I spoke with him at the NFL Combine he was confident, intelligent, and an immaculate professional. Then he posted elite athleticism on the field. Golden had already been rising into potential first round discussions, but he may have locked that in this week.”

Tight end Terrance Ferguson, Oregon: “We have been a bit spoiled in recent years with a handful of tight ends logging solid combine performances in each of the last few draft classes, but this year only one name stood out above the rest. Ferguson told me both at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine that the most underrated aspect of his game was athleticism and he proved that, and then some. At 6'5", 247 pounds, Terrance Ferguson ran the fastest forty-yard dash among all the tight ends in this 2025 NFL Draft class at 4.62 seconds. That is good for 85th percentile all-time. Then, even more impressively, Ferguson leaped 39 inches in the vertical jump and over 10 feet in the broad, bringing his burst score to the 94th percentile. He should firmly be a third round tight end prospect now.”

Defensive tackle C.J. West, Indiana: “After transferring up from Kent State to Indiana and making the College Football Playoff, West was already one of the best stories in Indianapolis, but then he tested more impressively than anyone else in the position group too. At 6'3", 316 pounds (95th percentile BMI) he ran a 4.95-second forty yard dash, giving him an 82nd percentile speed score among all defensive lineman and edge rushers combined. Then he put up an impressive burst score with his vertical.”

Edge rusher Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M: “Stewart may have alarmingly low sack rates and average pressure numbers as a pass rusher, but his traits are nearly off the charts. Stewart ran a 4.59-second forty yard dash at 267 pounds, good for a 98th percentile speed score, then impressed even more in his jumps. Stewart leaped 40 inches in the vertical, and nearly 11 feet in the broad jump, giving him a 100th percentile burst score. He's likely a fringe Top 10 pick now.”

Linebacker Jihaad Campbell, Alabama: “Campbell put up the most complete and impressive NFL Combine showing by far. He measured in at 6'3", 235 pounds with arms nearly as long as some offensive tackles prospects. Then he ran a 4.52-second forty-yard dash and leaped nearly 11 feet in the broad jump. As a player who wins from the edge just as well as he can cover and run-fit off the ball Campbell is almost certainly now a first round pick. It wouldn't surprise if he was the first linebacker off the board, ahead of Jalon Walker now too.”

Safety Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina: “It's hard to overstate just how absurdly impressive Emmanwori tested at the NFL Combine. If he were to test as most every other position except for linebacker Emmanwori was a 100th percentile athlete; one of the most impressive performances of all time. 6'3", 220 pounds. Arms as long as an offensive lineman. 4.38 seconds in the forty. 43 inches in the vert. 11 and a half feet in the broad jump. Just unreal. When we mix his results with the fact that the consensus top overall safety Malaki Starks put up a 27th percentile athletic profile it would not be shocking at all to see Emmanwori as the first safety off the board in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft now.”

Cornerback Caleb Ransaw, Tulane: “Ransaw began quite a meteoric rise in NFL Draft circles following his invite to the Senior Bowl, the instincts he showed during that week of practice, and the showing during the game to make an interception against some of the top competition in the country. Now it's clear why he looked the part at the Senior Bowl. Ransaw posted a 98th percentile A to Z Sports Athletic Composite Score. 4.33-second forty-yard dash. 40-inch vert. Nearly 11 feet in the broad. Ransaw is an absolutely unreal athlete who likely hears his name called inside the Top 100 picks now despite coming from a lower level of college football competition.”

➡️ Keep an eye out for Travis’ offensive line standouts piece which will be released later on Monday.

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Commanders trade for Deebo Samuel — right or wrong decision?

The Washington Commanders, who surprised everyone by making the NFC Championship Game with a rookie QB this past season, just got even better on offense. They traded for star wideout Deebo Samuel, who has spent the last six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Let’s look at the deets:

What did Washington give up? The Commanders sent San Francisco a 2025 fifth-round pick, which doesn’t seem like much for a player of Samuel’s caliber. But…

How much is Deebo due in 2025? Samuel will cost the Commanders $17.55 million in 2025, while the 49ers will take on just over $31 million in dead money. Of course, the Commanders could choose to extend Samuel, which would likely make his 2025 cap hit a little easier to take.

Was another player almost part of the deal? Yep. A report from Jeremy Fowler noted that Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was part of the discussion, but he ultimately was not traded. Allen is due $16.4 million in 2025, meaning he could still be traded sometime this offseason.

Was this a good move by the Commanders? This was a tremendous deal for them. They snagged an All-Pro for a day three pick. While the $17 million owed to Samuel is hefty, it’s likely worth it for a player of his talent. Plus, now they have the option to extend him. The only downside to acquiring Samuel is slight character concerns and an even slighter injury history, but those concerns are probably minor as Samuel gets a fresh start with a new squad.

Was this a good move by the 49ers? Somewhat. The Niners really didn’t have much choice, as Samuel requested to be traded. Sure, they could have kept him, but keeping someone around who doesn’t want to be there usually isn’t good for team morale. It would have been nice for the 49ers to acquire a better haul than just a fifth-rounder, but it was likely tough with the amount of money owed. The worst part about this deal for San Francisco is the large amount of dead money, but at least Washington is taking on a good chunk of Samuel’s salary which lightens the load a bit.

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