Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell (LB05) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.

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2025 NFL Scouting Combine Day 1 Results – NFL Combine Winners and Losers

Defensive linemen and linebackers kicked things off at the 2025 Scouting Combine!

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell (LB05) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The NFL’s Scouting Combine has now reached the most exciting part of the week-long event with the commencement of the on-field drills. All performers barring a few that are injured or have opted out are expected to take the field and prove their worth as they look to increase their draft stock in what may be the last chance for most collegiate athletes before the NFL draft in just under a couple of months.

Yesterday, February 27 was the first day of the on-field workouts and we got to witness some exceptional performances from the defensive linemen and the linebackers. Here, we will take a look at some of the winners and losers from day 1.

Day 1 Winners From The NFL Scouting Combine

There were quite a few good performances at the Combine on day 1, but here we will take a look at some of those which really stood out from the others.

Jihaad Campbell – LB

Linebacker Jihaad Campbell is one of the top prospects heading into this year’s draft at his position. He is expected to be a late first-round or an early second-round pick. Prior to his workout, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah even compared him to Fred Warner which speaks volumes for his ability.

Alabama's Jihaad Campbell showing he's one to watch.

4.52u 40 👀

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
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— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2025

Campbell did not disappoint and may have even locked up a first-round selection with his drills. He ran a 4.52 second 40-yard dash tied for third amongst linebackers, while his 10-yard split time came in at 1.53 seconds. He also produced a 10’7” broad jump putting him in fourth place overall.

Kain Medrano is the fastest of the LBs 💨

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/4WRfv4Rw3B
— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2025

Jihaad Campbell and Kain Medrano among top 3 linebackers at the 40-yard dash drill on Day 1

Shemar Stewart – DE

Defensive end Shemar Stewart is creating quite a buzz in the mock drafts. He is being projected as a first-round selection and might even get drafted somewhere between spots 10-20. He had an amazing day yesterday as he found himself in rarified company with a 40-inch vertical jump joining only three others.

Shemar Stewart finishing strong on his second attempt 😤 @ShemarStewart14

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/SdMvdlbOs7
— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2025

He also set a 40-yard time of 4.59 which was the third-best for his position on the day. Stewart also excelled at the broad jump drill where he landed a 10’11” jump which was the best amongst all performers on the day.

Landon Jackson – DE

Landon Jackson from Arkansas was another standout defensive end from yesterday. In fact, his performances mirrored those of Shemar Stewart. Jackson eventually had a better vertical jump reaching 40.5 inches but ran a 4.68 40-yard dash, good enough for tied 7th on the day.

Furthermore, Jackson rounded off his spectacular day with a broad jump of 10’9” good for third overall. Jackson is considered to be an early round 2 draft pick but may have even helped his case for a late round 1 selection.

James Pearce Jr. – DE

Light work for James Pearce Jr. 🔥

He's @MoveTheSticks' 21st-ranked player.

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/MEe6tGgBIs
— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2025

James Pearce Jr. set the record for the fastest 40 time on day 1 amongst all defensive linemen. As a pass rusher, Pearce’s time is one to take notice of. Although the 40-time is not the only factor to consider, Pearce clocked a blistering 4.47 seconds at the Combine. There is a good chance he might get drafted near the end of the first round.

.@Vol_Football's James Pearce Jr. leads the way among official 40 times 🟠

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/V2QZofZ6DB
— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2025

James Pearce Jr. had the best 40-time of 4.47 amongst all defensive linemen on Day 1

Kain Medrano, LB, UCLA

Linebacker Kain Medrano clocked the fastest 40-yard dash of day 1, finishing at a time of 4.46 and just beating out Pearce’s 4.47. Madrano also finished with a 38” vertical which was good for fifth amongst all linebackers.

Kain Medrano with the 4.46u speed 🔥

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/C2u1YynbW7
— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2025

Also Read: Kain Medrano 40-Time Leads the Linebackers at 2025 NFL Scouting Combine on Day 1

Day 1 Losers From The NFL Scouting Combine

Day 1 saw only a small number of losers and that too because they were unable to perform the on-field workouts due to injury issues. One big name missing from the lineup yesterday was that of edge rusher and potential number one overall draftee Abdul Carter from Penn State.

It seems that he has decided to skip surgery on his foot and perform at his Penn State Pro Day where he can hopefully regain any ground that he may have lost at the Combine.

Apart from Carter, a couple of top defensive tackles from Michigan, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant also missed out due to injuries. Graham is nursing a hamstring strain while Grant is dealing with a left heel bruise. Both these tackles were expected to perform well at the Combine.

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!