The NFL Scouting Combine offers NFL Draft prospects a chance to make a name for themselves. Big combine performances lead to players shooting up draft boards and earning more lucrative contracts. While the traits showcased at the NFL Combine’s events aren’t the only things that scouts look at when determining a player’s potential, it does help to see so many players display their athleticism at the same time as other draft prospects. Every year, a handful of players either go from good prospect to great prospect or from little-known player to must-draft target after great NFL Combine performances, and in 2025, that was no exception, with some of the best performers from this year’s event set to fly up draft boards.
Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, S
Nick Emmanwori was the best performer at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, and that doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. Emmanwori was listed among our prospects who were the most likely to break a record at the Combine this year. While he fell short of Chris Conley’s vertical jump record, he still leaped higher than any of his peers this year with a 43-inch mark.
Emmanwori is an NFL Combine darling because he didn’t stop there. He also recorded the best numbers this year in the 10-yard split (1.49 seconds) and the broad jump (11’6”). His 4.38 40-yard dash time was even the second fastest for safeties. Emmanwori was expected to go in the first round even before the Combine, but his mind-blowing performance has all but assured that he will be selected within the first 32 picks.
Matthew Golden, Texas, WR
There was a lot of talk ahead of the NFL Combine about Texas receiver Isaiah Bond potentially making noise. However, his teammate, Matthew Golden, was the Longhorn who most stood out. Golden can absolutely fly, and he showed that in the two events he participated in.
Golden finished second out of all prospects in both the 40-yard dash (4.29 seconds) and the 10-yard split (1.49 seconds). The receiver is clearly a burner, so teams looking for a deep threat likely moved the Texas product up their boards a few slots. Receivers Tetairoa McMillan, Luther Burden, Emeka Egbuka, and two-way Heisman winner Travis Hunter have widely been viewed as better pass-catching prospects than Golden, but his NFL Combine performance has put him into conversations with those other first-round caliber receivers.
Armand Membou, Missouri, OT
Armand Membou’s 40-yard dash effort was one of the most viral moments from the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. The 332-pound offensive tackle is a mountain of a man, and he moves a lot better than you’d expect. He gave maximum effort during his 40-yard dash run, as he screamed/grunted during all 40 yards. The strategy seemed to work, as his 4.91 time was the second-best performance for offensive linemen.
That wasn’t even Membou’s best event, as he recorded the best broad jump for all offensive linemen (9’7”). Additionally, the big man from Missouri ran a 1.74 10-yard split, had a 34-inch vertical jump, and threw up 31 reps on the bench press. All of those numbers were within the top-10 when ranked against his peers. The tape shows a great blocking technician, and the size is definitely NFL caliber. Now Membou has the testing numbers to be one of, if not the first, offensive linemen drafted.
Darien Porter, Iowa State, CB
Darien Porter was impressive across the board at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. The 3-cone drill (6.71 seconds) and the 20-yard shuttle (4.04) seconds were his two best events, as he ranked second overall in both of those drills. Porter wasn’t far behind in the 40-yard dash (4.30 seconds) or the 10-yard split (1.49 seconds), though, as he finished third out of all prospects in those two drills, too.
Porter is a track star-turned-football player, so his impressive speed shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The Iowa State cornerback is a little raw, but the athleticism is obvious. Big cornerbacks are coveted, too, and Porter stands 6-foot-3.
Landon Jackson, Arkansas, Edge
Landon Jackson went viral years ago for an underwhelming performance in a bags drill. Since then, the edge rusher from Arkansas has turned himself into a first-round NFL Draft candidate. Jackson proved that his goofy performance from years ago was only a fluke, as he even looked like one of the most athletic players during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
Despite the top-20 performances from the vertical jump portion of the event predominantly consisting of receivers and safeties, Jackson’s 40.50” performance ranked sixth overall. Additionally, he jumped 10’9” in the broad jump, which was the second-best mark for all edge rushers. Jackson has now cemented his case as one of the best pass rushers this draft class has to offer.
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