Arizona offensive lineman wows with speed at 2025 NFL Scouting Combine
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Jonah Savaiinaea might have sprinted his way into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Savaiinaea, who started 36 games on the offensive line over three seasons at Arizona, turned heads at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine over the weekend with his rare combination of size and speed.
Savaiinaea was measured at 6-foot-4 and 324 pounds with an arm length of 33 7/8. Then he went out and ran a 4.95 40-yard dash, the third-fastest time among all offensive linemen. He ran 4.97 in his first attempt.
There goes that man 😮💨
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) March 2, 2025
Jonah Savaiinaea improves on his second 40 attempt with a 4.95u 🔥#NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/b7kjAoiKIM
Savaiinaea's performance was so impressive that ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. included him in his post-combine "draft risers" rankings.
"Savaiinaea is looking like a late-Day 1 or early-Day 2 pick," Kiper Jr. wrote. "He ran a 4.95 in the 40, third among offensive linemen, and moves well on tape. Some scouts have wondered if he's a better fit inside at guard, where he played in 2022 and for part of the 2023 season. But he spent 2024 split between left and right tackle, and he has the length (33⅞ inches) to stay outside in the pros."
Updated NFL mock drafts
Savaiinaea, who led Arizona in offensive blocking grade (75.9 per PFF) in 2024, has been projected to be drafted anywhere from the end of the first round to the end of the third round.
In the latest NFL mock draft from Pro Football Network, released Saturday, Savaiinaea is projected to be drafted in the second round (No. 60 overall) by the Detroit Lions. That would be a great landing spot for Savaiinaea. The Lions have a tremendous offensive line, anchored by All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell, who is only 24.
Here's what Pro Football Network said: "With a sturdy anchor, good size-adjusted athleticism, a nasty demeanor, and ideal length, Savaiinaea has the potential to be a good tackle but a great guard."
In a three-round mock draft released in early February, NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter predicted Savaiinaea would be drafted in the first round (No. 28 overall) by the Lions. "The strength of the Lions' offensive line has been a major factor in the team's recent success, so adding Savaiinaea to take over for free agent Kevin Zeitler at right guard makes a lot of sense," wrote Reuter.
We'll see what happens between now and the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24, but one thing is for certain — Savaiinaea solidified his status as a big-time pro prospect.
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-029877d49238355bd3388a94f90e3c72.jpg "Ben Sherman")
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his 27-year journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. A basketball junkie, March Madness is his favorite time of the year.