10 NFL draft prospects Colts fans should watch at the combine today

Posted by author February 26, 2025 NFL

Spread the love

INDIANAPOLIS – The NFL Scouting Combine is officially underway, with interviews and workouts ramping up by the day.

Wednesday will see a mix of linebackers, defensive linemen and kickers interviewing with the media. As always, the group holds a number of Colts possibilities as the draft inches closer.

Here are some names to keep a watch on:

Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

The Colts have an opening at weak-side linebacker with E.J. Speed hitting free agency, and they need their coverage and tackling to be immensely better in this area of the field. So it’s worth considering even a first-round selection on the difference making linebacker they haven’t had since Shaquille Leonard’s back injury.

Jihaad Campbell can be that player. He racked up 117 tackles in just 13 games last season to go along with five sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles. He’s not at his best shedding blocks, so the Colts would have to solidify some things up front to justify using the No. 14 pick on him. But his ability to tackle and blitz could be exactly what new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo needs right now.

Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State

It seems unlikely that the Colts would invest a second-round pick at this position with all their other needs, but that could change based on how free agency shakes out, including what they do with Dayo Odeyingbo, Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis. If Indianapolis moves on from all three, Jack Sawyer could be an ideal fit as a No. 3 rusher who could grow into Kwity Paye’s starting spot in a year. He has shorter arms, limiting his run defense, but he offers outstanding athleticism, a high motor and a knack for always being around the football, as he showcased with a strip-sack scoop-and-score to send Ohio State to the national championship game this past season.

Sawyer has gotten better each season, topping out at nine sacks last year, and he’d be hard for the Colts to resist if they were to drop below their preferred number of edge players.

J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State

If the Colts let Odeyingbo walk in free agency, they’ll have a need for a base defensive end in order to save Laiatu Latu more for passing downs. J.T. Tuimoloau might be the best fit for a down-specific role. He started three seasons at Ohio State, peaking last year with 12.5 sacks and a dominant postseason en route to lifting Ohio State to a national championship. That run could push him into too pricey of a territory, but the book on Tuimoloau has been that he’s a dominant run defender who works in more pressures than sacks, as showcased by 18 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks across his first two starting seasons.

Tuimoloau is expected to be a Day 2 pick, and if he slides to the third round due to a lack of athletic upside, it wouldn’t be past Colts general manager Chris Ballard to invest a higher pick than expected on this type of player.

Demetrius Knight, LB, South Carolina

As the Colts search for a linebacker who can cover, Demetrius Knight should jump on their radar. He doesn’t have the skills of the first-round options, but he was solid in zone coverage in an elite conference last season. He was also productive at finding stops in the run game, as he totaled 82 tackles and eight tackles-for-loss.

Knight isn’t a star, but his instincts and reliability make him a good option to replace Speed, and he could likely be had for a third- or fourth-round pick.

Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA

Carson Schwesinger fits a similar mold. He’s a bit capped in his long-range pursuit speed, but he’s shown to be more than capable in coverage and was able to translate his seek-and-destroy traits as a tackler to the rugged Big Ten last season, when he totaled an obscene 90 solo tackles. Add in his nine tackles-for-loss, four sacks and two interceptions, and this was one of the better defensive stars in the country, now only limited by high-end athleticism and position.

Schwesinger brings the traits of a middle linebacker but also has the coverage skills to handle the weak-side position. He could be an ideal fit next to Zaire Franklin if the Colts could land him in the third or fourth round.

Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson

If the Colts are looking for a weak-side linebacker who can theoretically do it all, they’ll be drawn to Barrett Carter. He’s undersized at around 220 pounds, but that’s the profile they once went after in Shaquille Leonard. Carter has been at the heart of Clemson’s defense for the past three seasons, logging at least 60 tackles and double-digit tackles-for-loss each season. He excels in man and zone coverage as well as on blitzes, as he racked up 12.5 sacks in his college career.

Carter doesn’t react as quickly as other linebackers in this class but offers a wider skill set. He’ll be another that should go in the middle rounds.

Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia

One more option in the middle rounds is Smael Mondon Jr. He was one of the stars of one of the best college defenses at Georgia, where he was on pace for a third-straight 60-tackle season before suffering a foot injury that limited him to 10 games last season. He’s a strong blitzer with eight career sacks and is just as strong in coverage. His sound tackling makes up for some deficiencies in diagnosing and getting around blocks.

The medical evaluations on his foot will be key, but he should also be an option in the Round 4 range.

David Walker, EDGE, Central Arkansas

One of the most intriguing players in this year’s draft comes from the FCS ranks. David Walker wasn’t just any other player at that level, as he won the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defender. That wrapped up a career in which he packed in 31 sacks and 63 tackles-for-loss while dominating nearly every tackle he went up against.

It’s one thing to do that at a small level of competition, but Walker jumped on radars more at the Senior Bowl, where he was arguably the most dominant player in the game itself. It showcased a limited but valuable skill set as a smaller but compact power rusher who could have a lot of value as a No. 3 defensive end, something that new Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo enjoyed using on obvious passing downs with the Bengals.

Walker is likely to be an early Day 3 pick.

Barryn Sorrell, EDGE, Texas

Anarumo loves a toolsy No. 3 edge rusher to add to the mix on passing downs, and he’s had his most success with former Texas Longhorn Joseph Ossai in that role in Cincinnati. So could another Texas edge rusher be his answer in Indianapolis? That’ll be the test with Barryn Sorrell, who might measure too light for a starting role in the NFL, which caps his ceiling. But his floor produced at least five tackles-for-loss and four sacks in three starting seasons at Texas, and his ability to play standing up or with his hand on the ground could add to Anarumo’s hope to confuse and diversify his fronts.

Based on how Sorrell measures, he could fall anywhere in the middle rounds and would become of most interest to the Colts if he slides to Day 3.

Jordan Burch, EDGE, Oregon

If the Colts do let Odeyingbo walk, this draft happens to have someone built very much like him. That is Jordan Burch, who was one of the top defenders on an Oregon team that held the No. 1 ranking for most of the season. He could measure as large as 300 pounds this week, making him appear like a 3-technique but with the length and production of an edge player after last year’s 8.5-sack season playing in a versatile role.

Burch needs some seasoning as a rusher, but NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein’s player comparison for him is Odeyingbo. If that kind of player slides to Day 3, the Colts will likely have a lot of interest.

NFL combine schedule today

(all times ET)

Combine Experience gates open: 1-7 p.m.; Inside Look gates open 1-9 p.m.; Drills begin 3 p.m. Defensive linemen and linebacker conduct interviews.

When and where is the 2025 NFL combine?

Workouts start Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, and continue through Sunday, March 2, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Is the NFL Combine open to the public? Can anyone go to the NFL Combine?

Fans can watch workouts and attend the Combine Experience, where they can meet NFL legends and take part in an interactive fan festival. To attend, go to nfl.com/onepass to download the NFL OnePass app and register. The Combine uses the NFL’s clear bag policy, access is not guaranteed and Lucas Oil Stadium seating is general admission.