The 2025 NFL Combine is now officially underway at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as more than 300 prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft are in the building to work out, interview, undergo medical testing and so much more. Of course, the part that many NFL fans always have their eyes on are guys trying to run the fastest 40-yard dash.
While you can debate all day about how much you should weigh the 40-yard dash into draft evaluations, there's a reason that the old adage is true: You can't teach speed. While there is more to a draft prospect than how fast their 40-yard dash time came in at, the measured speed at the NFL Combine can help either confirm what was on tape, quell or raise concerns combined with the tape, or make someone revisit to the tape even.
However, it's undoubted the most exciting part of the NFL Combine, so we're going to help you keep up with all of that. We're tracking the fastest 40-yard dash times at the 2025 NFL Combine, both overall and by each position group that takes the field throughout the event.
Fastest 40-yard dash times at the 2025 NFL Combine
NFL Combine Participant | College | 40-yard dash time |
|---|---|---|
LB Kain Medrano | UCLA | 4.46 seconds |
DE James Pearce Jr. | Tennessee | 4.47 seconds |
LB Eugene Asante | Auburn | 4.48 seconds |
LB Jihaad Campbell | Alabama | 4.52 seconds |
LB Danny Stutsman | Oklahoma | 4.52 seconds |
LB Nick Martin | Oklahoma State | 4.53 seconds |
DE Collin Oliver | Oklahoma State | 4.56 seconds (u) |
DE Fadil Diggs | Syracuse | 4.57 seconds |
LB Carson Bruener | Washington | 4.58 seconds |
LB Demetrius Knight Jr. | South Carolina | 4.58 seconds |
LB Smael Mondon Jr. | Georgia | 4.58 seconds |
* (u) denotes an unofficial 40 time.
Well, the big fellas of the defensive tackles went first to set the table for the fastest 40-yard dash times, but it was then the defensive ends that wiped the board clear of them. That's to be expected, of course, but we got to see James Pearce Jr. and Shemar Stewart, two of the best overall athletes at the NFL Combine and in the NFL Draft, show what they can do athletically in a great performance.
Turnabout is fair play, of course, as the linebackers came through and reset the TOp 10 fastest times.
5 fastest defensive tackle 40-yard dash times at the 2025 NFL Combine
NFL Combine Participant | College | 40-yard dash time | 10-yard split |
|---|---|---|---|
DT Ty Robinson | Nebraska | 4.83 seconds (u) | 1.71 seconds (u) |
DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins | Georgia | 4.86 seconds (u) | 1.69 seconds (u) |
DT Jared Harrison-Hunte | SMU | 4.86 seconds (u) | 1.69 seconds (u) |
DT Aeneas Peebles | Virginia Tech | 4.94 seconds (u) | 1.74 seconds (u) |
DT Derrick Harmon | Oregon | 4.95 seconds (u) | 1.74 seconds (u) |
DT CJ West | Indiana | 4.95 seconds (u) | 1.73 seconds (u) |
* (u) denotes an unofficial 40 time.
It was a bit of a bummer with the defensive tackles this year that several of the top prospects at the position, most notably Michigan stars Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, were unable to work out and test at the NFL Combine this year. Grant was actually slated to but a minor injury kept him out of action in Indianapolis.
Several of the expected top prospects did not participate in the 40-yard dash, though, which allowed some lesser-known prospects to shine. Ty Robinson was the star of the group with his time on the track but, as you'll often hear at the NFL Combine, the 10-yard split is oftentimes far more important to scouts when it comes to defensive linemen. So Georgia's Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and SMU's Jared Harrison-Hunte both running sub-5.00 seconds but also with a 10-yard split under 1.70 seconds really turns some heads.
It's also worth noting that Toledo defensive tackle Darius Alexander ran a 4.96-second time but wit h the fourth-fastest 10-yard split (1.72 seconds). As arguably the biggest name or most notable draft prospect running the 40, that stood out.
5 fastest defensive end 40-yard dash times at the 2025 NFL Combine
NFL Combine Participant | College | 40-yard dash time | 10-yard split |
|---|---|---|---|
DE James Pearce Jr. | Tennessee | 4.47 seconds (u) | 1.56 seconds (u) |
DE Fadil Diggs | Syracuse | 4.57 seconds (u) | 1.60 seconds (u) |
DE Shemar Stewart | Texas A&M | 4.59 seconds (u) | 1.58 seconds (u) |
DE Jah Joyner | Minnesota | 4.61 seconds (u) | 1.67 seconds (u) |
DE Tyler Baron | Miami (FL) | 4.63 seconds (u) | 1.61 seconds (u) |
* (u) denotes an unofficial 40 time.
All eyes were on Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart — especially after posting a 10'11" broad jump and 40" vertical jump — coming into the defensive ends running the 40-yard dash and he delivered, though perhaps not as fast as expected. Still his time and an elite-level 10-yard split will certainly continue to boost the stock of this absolute freak athlete. However, it was Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. that stole the show with both the fastest 40-yard dash time and 10-yard split among his position group.
It's also worth noting that Ole Miss edge rusher Princely Umanmielen put up a near-elite 1.62-second 10-yard split while players like Kyle Kennard and Landon Jackson also came up with great splits, even if that trios 40 times overall weren't inside the Top 5.
5 fastest linebacker 40-yard dash times at the 2025 NFL Combine
NFL Combine Participant | College | 40-yard dash time | 10-yard split |
|---|---|---|---|
LB Kain Medrano | UCLA | 4.46 seconds | 1.57 seconds |
LB Eugene Asante | Auburn | 4.48 seconds | 1.52 seconds |
LB Jihaad Campbell | Alabama | 4.52 seconds | 1.53 seconds |
LB Danny Stutsman | Oklahoma | 4.52 seconds | 1.55 seconds |
LB Nick Martin | Oklahoma State | 4.53 seconds | 1.54 seconds |
UCLA's Kain Medrano was the fastest linebacker on Thursday as well as the fastest player period. While the Bruin topped the rest, Alabama's Jihaad Campbell might have done the most to solidify his status as a first-round pick. He nailed just about every event, including his impressive 4.52-second 40. That's better than fellow Crimson Tide star Will Anderson and better than his most mouthwatering comp: Fred Warner.
Oklahoma's Danny Stutsman will be very happy with his mark of 4.52 seconds. He matched Campbell's time while impressing across the board.