Roughly half an hour before the cornerbacks ran their 40-yard dash Friday night, a reminder echoed through Lucas Oil Stadium: be respectful to the participants, who are in the middle of the biggest job interview of their lives.

Defensive backs and tight ends spent a number of hours working through drills in Indianapolis, completing their on-field workouts in front of scouts, coaches and executives on the second night of the 2025 NFL scouting combine.

And on a windy Friday in the Circle City, some participants’ draft stock blew in different directions.

South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori

After finishing his second run in the 40-yard dash, the 6’3”, 220-pound Emmanwori bounced up and down in front of the crowd and pounded his chest. The clock showed 4.38, capping one of the best all-time performances by a safety in NFL combine history. He leaped 43 inches in the vertical jump and 11 1/2 feet in the broad jump. Emmanwori, who had four interceptions and was a first-team Associated Press All-American, has largely been pegged as a Day 2 pick. His performance in Indy may have sealed his spot in the top 50, if not higher.

Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston

Considered a likely second-round pick entering Indianapolis, Hairston opened eyes with the fastest 40-yard dash of the day, clocking a 4.28. He paired his speed with a 40-inch vertical, and his explosiveness translated to the field. The 5’11”, 183-pounder showed clean footwork and was twitchy getting into and out of breaks. He was quick during click-and-close drills, and his hips were fluid in turn-and-run situations. Hairston, a team captain in 2024 and a two-time second-team All-SEC honoree, checks quite a few boxes and should appeal to man coverage teams in the late first to early second round.

Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman Jr.

Bowman quelled any concerns about his long speed, running a 4.43 40-yard dash. He’s on the smaller end at 5’10”, 192 pounds, but he glided around the field with urgency and fluidity. Bowman is a loose athlete who showed the range needed to play a deep zone, and his ball production at Oklahoma—11 interceptions over the past three seasons—validates his ability to turn traits into takeaways. He looked the part of a Day 2 pick Friday night.

Tulane cornerback Caleb Ransaw

Ransaw was already a candidate for this list after vertically jumping 40 inches and running a 4.33 40-yard dash, but his on-field performance cemented his place. He was twitchy in and out of breaks, showed loose hips and rarely looked out of control. Largely a nickel at Tulane, Ransaw has the foot quickness and fluidity to cover in space at the next level, and his athletic profile is one of the best among this class’s defensive backs.

Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson

Ferguson suggested in his press conference Thursday that tight ends are athletes, and he had the best athletic performance among all tight ends Friday. He timed the fastest 40-yard dash at 4.63 40-yard dash and topped the sheet with a 39-inch vertical. In his field workout, Ferguson showed soft, sticky hands and quality body control. Ferguson, who had 43 receptions for 591 yards and three touchdowns, looked every bit of a Day 2 player.

Oregon cornerback Jabbar Muhammad

It’s important to trust the film on Muhammad, who has tremendous instincts and tallied 12 pass breakups for the Ducks last fall. But if a team drafts Muhammad this spring, it will have to look past his testing numbers. He stands at 5’9”, 182 pounds, and his arms measure less than 29 inches. He had the worst vertical jump among all cornerbacks at 29.5 inches. Muhammad moved efficiently during on-field drills, and his ball skills impressed. But with his lack of size and explosiveness, Muhammad is fighting an uphill battle.

Texas tight end Gunnar Helm

Off the back of a strong season at Texas in which he caught 60 passes for 786 yards and seven touchdowns, Helm ranked as a solid mid-to-late Day 2 pick entering the combine. However, he logged the worst vertical jump at 30 inches and timed only 4.84 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Helm had an occasional drop in the field portion, though he was better overall in drills than during athletic testing. Regardless, his stock took a hit Friday.

Neither of the draft’s top two cornerbacks—Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Michigan’s Will Johnson—participated in workouts. At tight end, both Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland, a pair of projected first-round picks, opted against testing, as did Miami’s Elijah Arroyo.

At safety, Emmanwori tested but didn’t do any drills. His counterpart at the top of most safety rankings, Georgia’s Malaki Starks, ran a 4.50 40-yard dash and participated in all drills—his twitch and fluidity were apparent in comparison to the rest of the safeties. Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts, a likely Day 2 pick, didn’t participate.

Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron ran a 4.40 40-yard dash and added a 35-inch vertical. He didn’t do drills, but his athletic profile is above average and his film, which is a masterpiece in instincts and versatility, supports the use of a top 20 selection.

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