MORSE: NFL Combine Recap
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Posted Under: 2025 Patriots Draft
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The interviews are the most important aspect of the NFL Draft Combine. Head Coach Mike Vrabel and EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf were busy every night they were in Indianapolis conducting those interviews.
Vrabel even talked about his interview with Heisman Trophy winner, WR/DB Travis Hunter. Vrabel concluded his interview with, “your not the only player to play both ways”, referring to the fact that Vrabel has 10 TDs receiving and 2 in the Super Bowls in his career. Defensive Tackles TJ Sanders and Cam’Ron Jackson said that the Patriots staff coached them up in the interviews. WR Matthew Golden was quoted as stating the Patriots staff was coaching him hard, and that he liked that.
On the field, Day one started on Thursday with the Defensive Tackles, Edge players, and Linebackers. The primary event that is broadcast is the 40-yard dash. This is the largest class of Defensive Tackles ever invited to the Combine, and it is a very deep class. These big boys can flat-out run. The star of the show was Shemar Stewart as he dominated all the field events and the drills as well. I am leery of Stewart though; his production doesn’t match his physical skills as he had just 4.5 sacks at Texas A&M.
JJ Peuges a DT from Ole Miss not only did his DT drills and ran an Official 5.15 40-yard dash, but he worked out as a fullback after the drills concluded and caught the ball very well. Peuges had 2 TDs for Ole Miss this past season as a short yardage runner. The 6’2 ½ 309-pound DT is very nimble for his size and could be a versatile piece for the Josh McDaniel offense. You know he loves him some Fullback play and if the Patriots can get that production out of a player that plays another position, that is all the more beneficial.
The big winner of the day was Nebraska DT Ty Robinson. He destroyed the measured events with 4.83 40 (1), 33.5” Vertical Leap (3), 9’11” Broad Jump (2) and 4.5 Short Shuttle (3). At 6’5”, 288-pounds, Robinson is a bull rusher but looks like he could play the DE position in a 4-3. He also tied for 2nd with 28 reps at 225# Bench Press.
The other DT I was impressed with was Darius Alexander from Toledo. I expected him to put on a show and he did. He ran a 4.95 40, at 6’4” 304-pounds. He tied Robinson with 28 reps at 225# BP, 31.4V, 9’3” BJ and 4.74 SS. Both he and Robinson looked smooth in the field drills.
Landon Jackson, Arkansas, took the honors amongst the Edge rushers. At 6’5” 264-pounds, he has the size to hold the edge and the length to get after the QB like he did in the Senior Bow (2 sacks). His 4.68 40, 40.5”V (1), and 10.9” BJ (2) were very impressive. His change of direction in the field drills was very easy and effortless.
BC’s Donavan Ezeiruaku didn’t run the 40, but he was great in the field drills. He looked like a Defensive Back with his change of direction. I think he is a one trick pony with his pass rush moves, relying on his speed. I am also not sure how he will stand up when teams run at him. A strong rumor has Tennessee Edge Rusher James Pierce dropping out of the 1st round and possibly all the way down to the 3rd round. Reports have said he has a real attitude problem and that it stems from the coaching staff at Tennessee.
The Linebackers opened with an unheralded player from Auburn named Eugene Asante running a 4.48. Jihad Campbell, Alabama, the projected 1st round selection, came in with a 4.52. The other big surprise came from Kain Medrano of UCLA who ran a blistering 4.46 40. The 6’3” 222-pound backer had a 82 Athleticism Score which was good for 4th. This establishes him as an athlete. He had 72 tackles as a Senior in the Big Ten.
Danny Stutsman a throwback ILB, ran an impressive 4.52. At 6’3” 229-pounds he had three consecutive seasons with over 100 tackles for Oklahoma. Collin Oliver from Oklahoma State had an impressive day with a 4.56 40, 39” V and a 10’6” BJ. His Athleticism Score was 80. He worked out with the Linebackers even though he was originally listed as a Defensive End. At 6’2”, 240-pounds, he is more likely a Linebacker.
Day two featured CB’s, Safeties and TE’s. Maxwell Hairston was supposed to run a fast 4.3 and he did a 4.28. He played very well in the Senior Bowl workouts and has tremendous makeup speed. I wouldn’t mind seeing him taken by the Patriots in the 3rd round. Zah Frazier was supposed to run a 4.53 and ran a 4.37. I don’t know much about him and will have to go back and research him a little more. Jahdae Brown of Texas ran and performed well in the drills, solidifying his top 35 ranking. Bilhal Kone from Western Michigan surprised with 4.43 40. Travis Hunter is still the #1 Cornerback and Wide Receiver.
As for Safeties, Nick Emmanwori ran slightly better than expected (4.38) and solidified his place on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. His Relative Athletic Score (RAS) was a perfect 10.0 out of 10.0. Everyone knows what a freak athlete he is. The question is can he play? The 6’3” 220-pound Safety looks more like a Linebacker. He was selected as a 1st team All-SEC Safety in 2024 and amassed 244 tackles in three years as a starter at South Carolina. Malachi Starks the top-rated Safety ran slightly better than expected. He was very good in the on-field drills. Most of the Safeties ran slower than anticipated. This is not a good year for the Safety position.
Most of the Tight Ends ran slower than expected. Terrance Ferguson TE Oregon ran a 4.63 40-yard dash a full tenth of a second faster than expected. Mason Taylor, the nephew of Dolphin great Zach Thomas and son of Dolphin great pass rusher Jason Taylor did not run the 40 and deferred that until his Pro Day. However, he put on a show in the receiving drills. He looked great in the gauntlet drill where the receiver is supposed to run down the 35-yard line at full speed and catch alternating throws from the left, right, left and right again. He ran this drill to perfection!
Harold Fanin ran slower but showed off great pass catching skills. However, he offers nothing as far as inline blocking. North Carolina’s Bryson Nesbit was thought to be a possible player to reunite with his College QB Drake Maye. He ran a 4.88 40, .28 slower than expected. He will probably be an UnDrafted Free Agent. Elijah Arroyo, Tyler Warren, Luke Lachey and Colston Loveland didn’t run. Gunnar Helm ran a disappointing 4.84, slower than the big-time blocking TE Jackson Hawes.
Day Three brought in Runningbacks, Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 5 players drafted by the Patriots from these groups. Jaydon Blue from Texas opened some eyes with a 4.38 official 4-time. That was a full tenth faster than expected. Ollie Gordon and Devin Neal ran 4.61 and 4.58 respectively, slower than expected. TreVeyon Henderson from Ohio State ran a 4.43, .05 faster than expected. Teammate Quinshon Judkins turned in a 4.48.
The overall position is loaded and teams are going to get a very good player on Day Three of the draft. Brashard Smith of SMU was expected to run fast and he did better than expected with a 4.39 40. Bhayshul Tuten of Virginia Tech ran a 4.32, 3-100ths better than expected. Tuten ran for 1159 yards, 6.3 YPC, and 15 TDs this past season for the Hokies. The 5’9” 206-pound back also had 23 receptions and 2 more TDs.
I didn’t pay too much attention to the QB group. The top two QBs were not throwing. Watching the QBs throw I felt that Dillon Gabriel had a really bad day as did Ohio State QB Will Howard. Gabriel measured at just 5’11” and his inaccuracies all day will probably bump him into the UnDrafted group. Tyler Shough from Louisville has the prototypical size at 6’5” and 220-pounds. Only 3 QBs bothered to run the 40-yard dash, but Shough had a 4.63 which is a pretty good time. The big drawback on Shough is his age. He will turn 26 as the season starts. He played 7 seasons of College Football staring in Oregon with a Redshirt and two more seasons, transferred to Texas Tech for three more seasons and finally at Louisville. He was the starter at only Louisville where he put up a 62.7 Completion %, 3195 Yards Passing, and 23 TDs to just 6 INTs. Look for the Patriots to add a QB late like they did last year.
Joe Milton has been rumored to be on the block. A report came out that Sheddeur Sanders was disinterested during team interview. This came from two completely independent sources, and they ended up having the exact same story to tell about two different interviews. It sounds to me like Sanders was tanking the interviews on purpose so those teams would not draft him.
The WR group is better than it has been advertised. The top end talent isn’t as good but the middle group is better. Travis Hunter and Tetairoa McMillan only conducted interviews with prospective teams and didn’t do any on field activities. Five WR’s stood out to me.
| Prospect | Broad | |||||||||
| Name | School | Score | Height | Weight | 40 | Vertical | Jump | 3-cone | SS | Bench |
| Jack Bech | TCU | 6.33 | 6’1″ | 214 | DNR | 34.5″ | 10′ 5″ | 6.84 | 4.21 | 19 |
| Jalen Royals | Utah State | 6.27 | 6′ | 205 | 4.42 | None | None | None | None | 13 |
| Jaylin Noel | Iowa State | 6.24 | 5’10” | 180 | 4.39 | 41.5″ | 11′ 2″ | 6.82 | 4.17 | 23 |
| Jayden Higgins | Iowa State | 6.24 | 6′ 4″ | 214 | 4.47 | 39″ | 10′ 8″ | None | None | None |
| Issac TeSlaa | Arkansas | 5.92 | 6’4″ | 214 | 4.43 | 39.5″ | 10′ 9″ | 6.85 | 4.05 | 17 |
Four of the receivers are slot receivers, and Jayden Higgins is the only X receiver. What I want from a receiver is under 4.5 40 and under 7.0 3-cone drill. That’s speed and quickness.
Bech is a monster. He is the master of contested catches. They aren’t 50-50 balls. They are 75-25 balls, they are his ball. Bech put on a show at the East-West Shrine game catching the game winner with no time left on the clock. He is also a devastating downfield blocker.
Royals ran slower than projected which could drop him down the Draft Board. He is a solid receiver, especially in his lower body. He can play the X receiver at 6’ 205-pounds.
Noel has the speed to go over the top and be a downfield threat. Higgins, at 6’4” is a big target. If they had a better QB at Iowa State they would have much better stats. Curious – they have the same Prospect Score but are widely different receivers.
I love Issac TeSlaa out of Arkansas. He played 3 years at DII Hillsdale College and after receiving the Conference Offensive Player of the Year, he transferred to SEC member Arkansas. The former High School QB transitioned to receiver and although he didn’t have big numbers at Arkansas, he is a very effective receiver. He will go late on Day 3, but he is a player I would like to see on the Patriots.
The Final Day of the Combine concentrated on the Big Uglies up front, the Offensive linemen. The first reports came out that LT Will Campbell has shorter arms than 1st reported. His 32 5/8” arm length along with his short Wingspan of 77 3/8” is the shortest of any player trying to play Left Tackle. Bottom line is that Campbell is not a Left Tackle. However, Campbell had a great combine and checked all of the boxes. He will probably be an All-Pro Guard. Many folks reported that Campbell killed the interviews.
The Player with the biggest jump may have been Armand Membou, a Right Tackle from Missouri. The 6’ 4” 332-pound Tackle ran a 4.91 40-yard dash (2). He also jumped 34” Vertical Jump (4), 9’7” Broad Jump (1) and put up 31 reps in the Bench Press (2). Membou has 33 1/2” arm length. He, along with Will Campbell join Tristan Wirfs and Trent Williams as the only Offensive Linemen at the Combine that are over 315 pounds, run under 5.00 40-yard dash, and jump over 30” Vertical Jump. The 20-year-old Membou, gave up a total of 3 sacks in his career. This past season he gave up no sacks while playing against the toughest competition in the SEC. Membou faced Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku and stoned him without giving up a sack. That was a non-conference game. He has moved into the top 10 in the draft board and is a potential pick of the Patriots at #4.
Josh Conerly a Left Tackle from Oregon ran a 5.05 40-yard-dash. That is a little slower than projected. Conerly is on the border of being selected in the 1st round. The last player I want to highlight is a late round projected Guard from Oregon State Joshua Gray. He had a terrific combine with a 5.04 40-yard dash. The 6’5”, 299-pound lineman aced all the field drills. He finished the field drills and received an 81 Athletic score.
Next Up will be an Updated Mock Draft after movement from the Combine.
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April 10 - April 25 (Through 26yrs)
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