NFL Combine Primer: Every position’s highest-graded invitees, sleepers and big board rankings

Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off Thursday, Feb.

27, with defensive linemen and linebackers and concludes Sunday, March 2, with offensive linemen.

The 2025 NFL Draft class measurements and drill performances will swing their draft stocks as scouts look on, but until then, PFF's database and 2025 big board are valuable resources for learning more about the top talent.

Below are the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine's highest-graded players over the past two years at every position, in addition to big board ranks for every invitee.

( Click here to jump to big board ranks.) 1.

Jaxson Dart , Ole Miss (93.4) 2.

Dillon Gabriel , Oregon (91.9) 3.

Shedeur Sanders , Colorado (91.7) Dart garnered a 91.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of 2023 and 2024 as Ole Miss starting quarterback, leading the Rebels to a 21-5 two-year record.

His 9.7 yards per attempt average over that span leads the class.

While he still ranks as a Day 2 or 3 prospect on some big boards , his draft cycle is off to a hot start.

PFFs John Kosko highlighted Dart as the Senior Bowls top performer among quarterbacks .

After Miamis Cam Ward, Sanders and Gabriel are the No.

2 and No.

3 quarterbacks on PFFs 2025 big board .

Sleeper to Watch: Kurtis Rourke , Indiana Rourke won't be among the top quarterback prospects in Indianapolis, but he finished above the 70th percentile in six of PFFs seven stable metrics for quarterback play in 2024.

He avoided negative plays at a better rate than Cam Ward, PFFs No.

1 quarterback prospect.

1.

Ashton Jeanty , Boise State (98.4) 2.

Jordan James , Oregon (92.5) 3.

TreVeyon Henderson , Ohio State (92.5) Jeanty is the crown jewel of a loaded running back draft class.

His successes need no introduction, but here are two nuggets: He ranked in the 99th percentile in yards after contact and missed tackles forced in 2024, and his rushing yards after contact total would have led college football in 2024 if compared to others overall yardage.

James ranked above the 80th percentile in PFF grade on gap and zone runs and didnt fumble once in his Oregon career.

Henderson paired with Quinshon Judkins to form arguably the best running back tandem in college football this past season, helping power Ohio States national championship run.

Sleeper to Watch: Brashard Smith, SMU The wide receiver-to-running back convert set an SMU record for all-purpose yards in 2024, showcasing his pass-catching chops (90.7 PFF receiving grade) while proving he can excel at the next level as a shifty backfield weapon (87.0 PFF rushing grade).

1.

Tre Harris , Ole Miss (91.7) 2.

Jayden Higgins , Iowa State (91.6) 3.

Ricky White III , UNLV (90.8) No receiver who saw 100 or more targets across the past two seasons outpaced Tre Harris 3.8 yards per route average.

A nagging groin injury cost him a chunk of 2024, yet he still crossed 1,000 receiving yards.

He also separated from defensive backs at an 88th-percentile rate a stable metric from year to year, and one that NFL teams will key in on when placing Harris high on their boards .

Although a receivers contested catch rate tends to be unstable from year to year, Higgins brought in more than 50% of his contested targets in each of his four years at Iowa State and Eastern Kentucky .

White earned the highest 2023 PFF overall grade in the wide receiver class and ranks in the 97th percentile in yards per route run over the past two seasons.

Sleeper to Watch: Tez Johnson , Oregon Johnson was open on 92.1% of his targets in 2024, a 99th-percentile rate among wide receivers.

He places 92nd on PFFs 2025 big board as the WR12.

1.

Harold Fannin Jr.

, Bowling Green (96.1) 2.

Tyler Warren , Penn State (90.1) 3.

Colston Loveland , Michigan (85.0) Fannins historic 2024 season featured several tight end records , including PFF-era records in receiving grade (96.4), missed tackles forced (32) and yards after contact (868).

His Senior Bowl showing left something to be desired for several onlookers, notably lacking the requisite explosiveness to thrive in the NFL.

Warren and Loveland are PFFs top tight end prospects, ranking 10th and 31st, respectively, on the big board .

Warren and Fannin were the only FBS tight ends to top 1,000 receiving yards in 2024, while Loveland joined that pair as one of three to earn a 90.0-plus PFF receiving grade.

Sleeper to Watch: Elijah Arroyo, Miami (FL) Arroyo caught only 11 passes over three years before his breakout campaign this past season.

He thrived on deep balls in 2024, hauling in eight passes targeted 20 or more yards downfield the second most among draft-eligible tight ends.

1.

Grey Zabel , North Dakota State (90.8) 2.

Wyatt Milum , West Virginia (90.6) 3.

Charles Grant , William & Mary (89.5) Small-school prospects take two of the top three spots at offensive tackle.

That may be met with skepticism from some fueled by the assumption of worse competition but Zabel and Grant are genuine top offensive linemen in this class.

Zabel is expected to move to the interior, where he took snaps at the Senior Bowl and held his own against a strong defensive line group.

Grants 2.9% pressure rate allowed over the past three seasons makes him one of only six draft-eligible tackles to fall below 3.0%, joining Zabel and Milum, who also could move to an interior position in the NFL.

Sleeper to Watch: John Williams, Cincinnati Luke Kandra is widely considered the best 2025 offensive lineman prospect out of Cincinnati , but Williams also brings a strong profile and promising improvement.

He bettered his PFF overall grade in his second season as a starter in 2024 and ranked in the 80th percentile in PFF pass-blocking grade.

While he lags behind as a run blocker, he is a promising tackle who showed out at the East-West Shrine Bowl.

1.

Clay Webb , Jacksonville State (89.4) 2.

Luke Kandra, Cincinnati (83.4) 3.

Tate Ratledge , Georgia (78.8) Webb recorded 80.0-plus PFF grades in each of the past three seasons at Jacksonville State.

Perhaps his best test of the 2024 season was against Louisville s Ashton Gillotte the 105th-ranked player on PFFs 2025 big board .

Webb dealt with him on five pass-blocking snaps, allowing one hurry to the highly touted edge rusher.

While Webb may not be selected until Day 3, Kandra and Ratledge are firmly in the Day 2 conversation after each letting up fewer than 10 quarterback pressures in 2024.

Sleeper to Watch: Miles Frazier , LSU An SEC guard who goes 579 pass-blocking snaps without allowing a sack will always be one to watch, and thats Frazier.

He turned heads in Senior Bowl pass-blocking drills and brings a ton of experience as a four-year starter at FIU and LSU.

1.

Jared Wilson, Georgia (80.3) 2.

Drew Kendall, Boston College (78.3) 3.

Jake Majors , Texas (76.4) The 2025 center class is without a bona fide star, but Georgias Jared Wilson is the cream of the crop.

Although he was only a one-year starter, he placed in the 98th percentile in PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets and fared decently in run blocking.

Majors didnt allow a sack over his last two seasons at Texas, while Kendall was one of 11 FBS tackles to play 300-plus pass-blocking snaps and surrender five or fewer quarterback pressures.

Sleeper to Watch: Jonah Monheim , USC While Monheim is hardly a sleeper in the center class as PFFs third-ranked prospect at the position.

His 0.06 wins above average generated in 2024 ranked in the 78th percentile among college centers, and he has plenty of room to grow; it was his first season of playing the position after four years at guard and tackle.

1.

Mason Graham , Michigan (92.5) 2.

Aeneas Peebles , Virginia Tech (91.0) 3.

Darius Alexander, Toledo (90.6) Graham, the No.

4 overall player on PFFs 2025 big board , is a certified star in the middle.

His 25 run stops in 2024 tied for the seventh most among FBS interior defenders, and his 34 pressures tied for the 10th most.

Peebles was similarly dominant as a pass-rusher, ranking third in pass-rush win rate (17.7%), but was less effective in run defense.

Alexander comes in at No.

28 on PFFs 2025 big board and placed in the 80th percentile or higher in five of PFFs six stable metrics for interior defenders in 2024.

Sleeper to Watch: Rylie Mills , Notre Dame Mills tallied a quarterback pressure in every game he played in this past season, and his eight sacks tied for the FBS lead among interior defenders.

Notre Dame s national championship run ended in defeat with Mills out injured, but he anchored the Fighting Irish's defensive line all year.

1.

David Walker, Central Arkansas (94.8) 2.

Mike Green , Marshall (93.6) 3.

Elijah Roberts, SMU (93.2) Walker orchestrated three elite pass-rushing seasons at Central Arkansas, resulting in a combined 37 sacks the most in college football over that span.

Green is a consensus first-round pick.

He placed above the 85th percentile in all six of PFFs stable metrics for edge defenders, including the 99th percentile in PFF run-defense grade.

After joining SMU in 2023, Roberts turned an elevated role into two productive pass-rushing seasons, tying for the most quarterback pressures (130) among edge defenders over that span.

Sleeper to Watch: Que Robinson, Alabama Robinson is buried a bit in a deep mid-round edge group.

His 2024 season was cut short by an elbow injury in early November, so his counting stats are mild, at best.

But his 24.0% pass-rush win rate in 2024 ranked second among draft-eligible edge defenders.

The 6-foot-5 pass-rusher should stand out at the NFL Combine despite his limited college snaps.

1.

Jay Higgins , Iowa (92.2) 2.

Jack Kiser , Notre Dame (91.0) 3.

Kobe King , Penn State (90.5) Higgins was at the heart of Iowas defensive-minded approach over the past two seasons.

The team captain allowed a 57.2 passer rating into his coverage in 2024 the 11th-best rate at a position for which any semblance of coverage ability is coveted at the next level.

He was the most valuable linebacker in college football in 2023, according to PFF's wins above average metric .

Another Notre Dame linchpin set to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, Kiser allowed just one touchdown in coverage during his college career while never earning lower than an 80.0 PFF run-defense grade in any of his four seasons with significant snaps.

King recorded an 80.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of the past two seasons, built on stellar run defense.

His 90.8 PFF run-defense grade from 2023-2024 ranked in the 97th percentile.

Sleeper to Watch: Danny Stutsman , Oklahoma A popular sleeper pick among draft pundits, Stutsman will bring impeccable run-defense smarts to the NFL Scouting Combine and, eventually, the league itself.

His 127 run-defense stops over the past three seasons were 27 more than the second-ranked FBS linebacker.

1.

Sebastian Castro , Iowa (91.2) 2.

Jahdae Barron , Texas (90.7) 3.

Travis Hunter , Colorado (90.2) Castro could be the latest promising defensive back out of Iowa, joining Cooper DeJean and Riley Moss .

He was less impressive in 2024, allowing a 72.3% catch rate and five touchdowns to only one interception, but his 2023 campaign featured a 54.2% catch rate allowed and three interceptions.

Some draft experts have him moving to safety in the NFL.

Hunter and Barron rank first and ninth, respectively, on PFF's 2025 big board as locked-in Day 1 draft picks.

For Hunter, the potential No.

1 overall pick, nothing more needs to be said; the combine wont change his stock.

Barron's 88th-percentile-plus marks in six of PFFs seven stable metrics for cornerbacks will likely carry him to a top-15 selection.

Sleeper to Watch: Darien Porter , Iowa State Porter is a PFF darling, recording 95th-percentile figures in six stable metrics in 2024.

He comes in at No.

54 on PFFs 2025 big board and has tons of speed .

1.

Xavier Watts , Notre Dame (90.0) 2.

Andrew Mukuba , Texas (90.0) 3.

R.J.

Mickens, Clemson (89.9) Watts and Mukuba are the only 2025 NFL Combine safety invites who earned elite 90.0 PFF overall grades over the past two seasons.

Watts racked up 13 interceptions and allowed zero touchdowns in coverage over that span, while Mukuba also kept a clean sheet in scores allowed to pair with five picks.

Mickens gained more than 2,000 defensive snaps worth of experience at Clemson and enjoyed his best year in coverage in 2024 (89.8 PFF coverage grade).

Sleeper to Watch: Malachi Moore , Alabama It feels wrong to call any Alabama product a sleeper, but alas.

Moore is a consensus Day 3 prospect with more than 3,000 college snaps to his name.

The former four-star recruit has the coverage chops to play in the NFL, boasting 21 career pass breakups and just a 43.3% catch rate allowed in 2024..

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