2025 NFL Combine

James Pearce JR is the best EDGE rusher in the draft.

Too many people fall in love with the Penn ST EDGE hype every year & I get it, but, JPJ has been the most dominant pure pass rusher in CFB the last 2 years.

And he's only scratched the surface.

Super high upside.
Carter a beast too. 24 tfls and 12 sacks ain’t nun to just wave off
 

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Wonder what the official ones will end up being but that is way better than expected.

The drop off from the end of Kiko's junior season to the end of his senior season was dramatic. I was expecting him to take another big step in '24 not have the poor performance we all saw. He had to have been dealing with injury, whether from the surgery or during the season after the UF game. Kid may actually get drafted and play in the league. We know his bloodlines are quality.
 
The drop off from the end of Kiko's junior season to the end of his senior season was dramatic. I was expecting him to take another big step in '24 not have the poor performance we all saw. He had to have been dealing with injury, whether from the surgery or during the season after the UF game. Kid may actually get drafted and play in the league. We know his bloodlines are quality.
His issue is that he struggles in space and coverage which is a death blow if you want to make it in today’s league. I don’t think it was injury as much as staff’s saw what they saw on tape and they exposed it. Down hill and closing the gap on blitz were his strengths.
 
James Pearce JR is the best EDGE rusher in the draft.

Too many people fall in love with the Penn ST EDGE hype every year & I get it, but, JPJ has been the most dominant pure pass rusher in CFB the last 2 years.

And he's only scratched the surface.

Super high upside.
If he can finish sacks ever, it’s definitely possible. I doubt he ends up being the best though. Also very unimpressed by his jumps. Got solid arm length, but nothing special. Pretty strong for his weight. Idk if he did 3-come and just not posted yet but if he didn’t that’s disappointing, given his ability to actually dip hips around OTs is one of bigger question marks about him. Plus you got supposed character issues…. He wins so much off jumping snaps and his elite get-off (which his 40 and 10th Ed split shows)….

I wouldn’t pick him and his potential over some other EDGEs in this class who also have similar high potential and higher floors.
 
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OK, so as u know I’ve pretty accurate on where our players will be drafted simply b/c of the connections I have in the industry. Mauigoa proved one thing I’ve always felt: 2023 v. 2024 were two different players. When he’s downhill, he plays fast; when he’s in coverage, he’s slow.

Here’s what I think after Day 1:

Cam - Rd 1
Baron - Rd 3-4
Mauigoa - Rd 4-5

Will wait to see the others, but Cam is a sure 1st Rd. Baron & Mauigoa did decently in the drills, but game film will show guys playing slower during ACC competition. While Baron tested as an above avg. athlete, his time at UTenn & Miami showed a propensity to fall off when competition stiffened.

Mauigoa tested as an avg. athlete, & his film will show him great on blitzes, great down hill, but ann absolute a liability in open coverage. This will drop his draft grade. Frankly, if Mauigoa would’ve came out last yr w/ these same testing #’s, he would’ve been a 3rd early 4th Rd guy. He actually hurt his stock coming back.
 
James Pearce JR is the best EDGE rusher in the draft.

Too many people fall in love with the Penn ST EDGE hype every year & I get it, but, JPJ has been the most dominant pure pass rusher in CFB the last 2 years.

And he's only scratched the surface.

Super high upside.
Ability isn't the concern with him.

It's more that he appears to be a complete moron.
 
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The combine should be for fringe prospects. Guys who are trying to improve their stock. Why anyone who is 99% likely to go in the top 5 would ever participate in a stupid dog and pony show is beyond me. You want to see me throw. Watch the tape. You want to interview me? Contact my agent and we’ll set it up. You want me to do bench press reps and run around cones like I’m herding cattle? Why? The only way a guy like Can doesn’t get drafted in the top five is if every team that needs a quarterback trades back and that never happens. Teams are more likely to trade up and pick a quarterback too early than to let one slide too far.

NFL teams value measurables too much. Is Xavier Restrepo not going to be able to play if he measures 5’9” instead of 5’10”? Stupid scouts fall in love with guys running around in tights doing non football activities and completely forget about actual on field production.

There is a case for the combine though. There are guys who might have been playing out of position and they want to show what they can do at a different spot. Or they might have played against weak competition and want to show how they compare to some bigger school guys. But for the most part, it’s a show. And it gives NFL network and ESPN something to fill air time with. It’s all about making the NfL season “year round”.
 
Shemar Stewart #s are rather interesting. If I remember correctly, yes he had a freak build and was rated very highly but his athletic profile didn’t necessarily pop off the screen on his highschool film. Certainly not to the level of the #s he just put up at the combine. Interesting
 
Shemar Stewart vs Trayvon Walker
Stewarts playing weight was what 15-20lbs heavier?
Final 2 seasons 506 pass rush snaps vs 518, and 4 sacks (52 hurries) vs 6 (28 hurries) respectively.
View attachment 320526View attachment 320527

Stewart is a prospect with very good potential. But no way he goes #1, just cause of the other quality of EDGE in this class imo. He'd have to put up an elite RAS, which is absolutely possible. If he does that at this lesser weight, teams will think he was severely misused.

And both will end up top like 4 RAS Edges…
Mid to late first round pick should be the ceiling for him, still needs to develop but the pick will payoff long term
 
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The combine should be for fringe prospects. Guys who are trying to improve their stock. Why anyone who is 99% likely to go in the top 5 would ever participate in a stupid dog and pony show is beyond me. You want to see me throw. Watch the tape. You want to interview me? Contact my agent and we’ll set it up. You want me to do bench press reps and run around cones like I’m herding cattle? Why? The only way a guy like Can doesn’t get drafted in the top five is if every team that needs a quarterback trades back and that never happens. Teams are more likely to trade up and pick a quarterback too early than to let one slide too far.

NFL teams value measurables too much. Is Xavier Restrepo not going to be able to play if he measures 5’9” instead of 5’10”? Stupid scouts fall in love with guys running around in tights doing non football activities and completely forget about actual on field production.

There is a case for the combine though. There are guys who might have been playing out of position and they want to show what they can do at a different spot. Or they might have played against weak competition and want to show how they compare to some bigger school guys. But for the most part, it’s a show. And it gives NFL network and ESPN something to fill air time with. It’s all about making the NfL season “year round”.
This. All of this.
 
If he can finish sacks ever, it’s definitely possible. I doubt he ends up being the best though. Also very unimpressed by his jumps. Got solid arm length, but nothing special. Pretty strong for his weight. Idk if he did 3-come and just not posted yet but if he didn’t that’s disappointing, given his ability to actually dip hips around OTs is one of bigger question marks about him. Plus you got supposed character issues…. He wins so much off jumping snaps and his elite get-off (which his 40 and 10th Ed split shows)….

I wouldn’t pick him and his potential over some other EDGEs in this class who also have similar high potential and higher floors.










https://x.com/JustinDolloff/status/1894412807220707783?t=im54g6H0FXldRNdKEYwXBA&s=19
 
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