Giants Country

NFL Combine Risers from Day 1

Coach Gene Clemons gives you his look at who stood out during Day 1 of combine testing.
Gene Clemons|
Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart (DL68) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart (DL68) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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New York GiantsNebraska CornhuskersGeorgia BulldogsTexas A&M Aggies

The defensive line and linebackers kicked off Day 1 of on-field testing at the 2025 NFL Combine. Several players stood out and helped their cause heading towards the NFL draft.

 Seven defensive tackles ran under five seconds in the 40-yard dash. The surprise was that there were not more players running below a 4.5. Only three players dipped below the number, and one was a defensive end. 

The linebackers were in the house, but many of the top guys did not perform. There were a couple of radar guys who made splashes in particular drills. 

UCLA linebacker Kain Medrano scored 4.46, and Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante scored 4.48 in the forty. They were first and third overall in that discipline. 

California linebacker Teddye Buchanan jumped 40 inches in the vertical.  Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon Jr’s 10’10” broad jump was tops among the group. 

There were no overall standouts because the performances of the defensive line overshadowed them. 

Let's take a look at some of the top performances.

Shemar Stewart, DE | Texas A&M

Stewart started his combine by launching almost 11 feet on the broad jump. His 10’11” jump was the best of the day among any participant. 

He followed that up with a 40-inch vertical jump, the second highest of the day only behind Arkansas’s Landon Jackson, who went a half-inch higher. 

He then ran the 40-yard dash and moved his 6-foot-5, 267-pound frame down the field in 4.59 seconds. That included a 1.58 10-yard split, the third-best time of the day. 

Stewart performed well during the drills portion of the workout. He showed good bend and a decent change of direction. 

He also showed violence in his hands during the workout. He’d be an exciting addition to the Giants’ defense.

James Pearce, DE | Tennessee

Pearce and Syracuse defensive end Fadil Diggs were neck and neck throughout the workouts. Both guys were only a half-inch apart in the vertical jump, with Pearce jumping 31 inches. 

They both had similar broad jump numbers, but Pearce was two inches better at 10’3”. Both performed decently throughout the on-field workouts, but the speed is where Pearce separated himself. 

Diggs ran a quality 4.57 40-yard dash, but Pearce took the line and beat that time by a full tenth of a second. 

Pearce was also more explosive off the line, recording a faster 10-yard split time. His 1.56-second split was four-hundredths of a second faster than Diggs's.

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DT | Georgia

Ingram-Dawkins had the best day of any defensive tackle at the combine. Measuring 6’5” and 276 pounds, he came ready to show the world that he is, pound for pound, one of the most athletic guys in the draft. 

His 4.86 forty was second best in the group, but his 1.69 was the fastest 10-yard split. He surpassed the field in every other drill. His 36-inch vertical and 10-foot-4 broad jump were the best in the group. 

His 7.28 3-cone drill time and his 4.34 pro-agility time were tops. He also performed well throughout the on-field workouts. 

He was fluid through many of the drills. He will make a lot of evaluators, along with Giants fans, go back to the film to see if this level of athleticism translated.

Ty Robinson, DT | Nebraska

Robinson looked extremely impressive going through testing. He had the second-best overall day of any interior defensive lineman. 

The defensive tackles started their day on the line running the forty, and Robinson wasted no time deciding he would make a splash immediately. 

His 4.83 40-yard time turned all the heads in the stands, especially considering he is 6’5” and 288 pounds. His 1.71 10-yard split was the second-best time among all the defensive tackles. 

He struggled a little with the change of direction drills, but he made us forget that with his 33.5-inch vertical and 9’11” broad jump. 

He showed speed and explosiveness that will be coveted at the next level. He would be an interesting prospect for Giants fans to watch.

Jared Harrison Hundt, DT | SMU

Harrison Hundt is a wider-framed defensive tackle, but at 6’3” and 290 pounds, he showed that he was just as athletic as the other elite performers at the draft. 

He recorded a 4.86 forty, which included a 1.69-second 10-yard split. 

He recorded a 32-inch vertical and a 9-foot-3 broad jump, which showed a really good explosion for the big man. 

This should give evaluators confidence that he can be a gap penetrator at the next level as well as a two-gap controller.

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Gene Clemons
GENE CLEMONS

Gene "Coach" Clemons has been involved with the game of football for 30 years as a player, coach, evaluator, and journalist.  Clemons has spent time writing for the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Bridgton News, Urbana Daily Citizen, Macon Telegraph and footballgameplan.com.  He has a YouTube channel called "Coach Gene Clemons" where you can find his popular "X&O The Joes" series as well as other football related content. 

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