NFL Combine Takeaways: Prospects Who Left Scouts With More Questions

Teams are tweaking draft boards and player rankings within positions after prospects were measured, timed, weighed and underwent medical reviews, along with conducting interviews with NFL teams at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.

There were big winners from the event—Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou, Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten, South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori, and Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden. Then there were those who returned home with more to prove.

Let’s take a look at the players who sent scouts back to the game film for the wrong reasons. Most of them have an on-campus pro day to make a different type of statement.

QB Will Howard, Ohio State

Howard had a Big Ten-best 35 touchdown passes and ranked sixth in the FBS with more than 4,100 passing yards in his only season with the Buckeyes. However, at the combine, he showed inconsistent accuracy while throwing to unfamiliar wide receivers and running a route tree he hadn’t mastered.

The same is true of Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, who answered more questions than most quarterbacks last week and had a strong throwing session, and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Field Level Media viewed Howard as a potential sleeper because of his tight end-like size and mobility. On game film, he feathered the ball over the defense and in front of the safety level consistently, displaying arm strength that suggested he could be a top-50 prospect.

Now, his range seems closer to the middle of the fourth or fifth round after the combine.

Make no mistake—some teams hit the panic button on Howard. His delivery isn’t over the top, and his deep ball was wildly inaccurate. If he can’t deliver a better overall throwing performance at Ohio State’s pro day on March 26—where the script will be well-worn and his receivers familiar—his frame might wind up being tested at tight end instead of quarterback.

CB Will Johnson, Michigan

Johnson went from top-five conversation to potentially being bumped behind bigger performers at the position from the weekend. Texas cornerback Jadhae Barron stood out with a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, generating a lot of buzz, while Johnson faces doubts.

He didn’t work out at the combine, and his arm measurement of 30 1/8 inches raises questions about whether he’s a better fit at nickel. He’s still likely to be in play for teams shopping for defensive backs in the top 20.

OG Tyler Booker, Alabama

Anyone who thought there was left tackle potential with Booker likely reversed course last week. There’s still a chance he could get work at right tackle, but Booker (6-4 ½, 324) was a disappointment in athletic testing, showing no tangible evidence of the explosive traits needed to reach a consistent All-Pro or Pro Bowl level.

He ran a 5.38-second 40-yard dash with a 27-inch vertical and a 7-foot-10 broad jump. Comparatively, Membou recorded a 9-foot-7 broad jump. Booker’s testing numbers are in a range that could likely be improved with a few weeks of training. He could fall to the second round.

WR Tez Johnson, Oregon

Johnson looked short, small and slow for his position—a trio of potentially fatal flaws that could push him into a late-round selection.

His production at Oregon was off the charts, and he has winning traits for a slot receiver on film, backed up by a 1.53-second split over his second 10 yards. Even so, at 154 pounds, he has to hope he doesn’t take a direct hit in the open field.

A 40-yard dash time in the 4.5-second range is a borderline disaster when considering his overall measurables.

DT Mason Graham, Michigan

Listing Graham as a “faller” or grading his stock as “sell” would be too harsh. Considering he is almost universally viewed as a top-10 prospect, we won’t sound the alarms just yet.

However, his weigh-in at 295 pounds was an eye-opener. Graham, a defensive tackle, now risks the “undersized” label after teams believed his listed college playing weight of 320 pounds was legitimate.