The 2025 NFL Combine starts Thursday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It's a prime opportunity for NFL Draft prospects to showcase their abilities in a controlled environment with every manner of front office personnel in attendance. It's also a chance for players and coaches to meet face-to-face, gaguing mutual interest and testing each other's football knowledge.
Most of the top prospects will participate in some form or fashion, but as always, there are a select few holdouts. Whether it's due to injury or an attempt to maintain leverage, not every prospect deems it necessary to suit up. Many of the holdouts will reserve their participation for a Pro Day at their alma maters, which offers a more familiar environment.
Of note, potential No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward will participate in this year's Combine. It's almost tradition for the best of the best to withhold information and be selective with their workouts, but Ward will seek to make a statement in front of countless GMs and coaches.
That stands out as especially notable when listing the players who won't be on the field in Indianapolis this week.
List of top NFL Draft prospects who won't participate in 2025 NFL Combine
Player | Position | School | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
Sheduer Sanders | QB | Colorado | Opt-out |
Travis Hunter | WR/CB | Colorado | Opt-out |
Abdul Carter | EDGE | Penn State | Injury |
Ashton Jeanty | RB | Boise State | Opt-out |
Josh Simmons | OT | Ohio State | Injury |
Benjamin Morrison | CB | Notre Dame | Injury |
Mykel Williams | EDGE | Georgia | Injury |
Colston Loveland | TE | Michigan | Injury |
Elijah Arroyo | TE | Miami | Injury |
Shavon Revel | CB | East Carolina | Injury |
Walter Nolen | IDL | Ole Miss | Opt-out |
Shedeur Sanders' name stands out the most — especially with Cam Ward participating. This is a prime opportunity for Ward to put some distance between himself and Sanders, who is widely considered QB2 in a two-quarterback draft class.
Sanders will still meet with teams, and he was seen with a trio of NFL hats hanging from his backpack in Indianapolis.
Shedeur Sanders is walking around Indianapolis with Browns, Vikings, and Saints hats on his backpack 🤔
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) February 27, 2025
pic.twitter.com/KcTpju6DXg
This is not the first time Sanders has generated buzz with NFL-themed apparel. He clearly possesses a tremendous self-confidence and is willing to let his game tape do the talking. Ward is definitely the better athlete, though, and should put some impressive numbers on the board at the Combine. It's a bit silly to say Sanders is "ducking" Ward, but there may be an intentional element of mystery at play. We should see him throwing to Travis Hunter and other Colorado wideouts at the Buffs' Pro Day in March.
On that note, Hunter will also be skipping drills at the Combine. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is the best cornerback in the draft and one heck of a receiver, offering dual-position upside for teams at the top of the board. NFL front offices will no doubt look forward to watching him catch passes from Sanders in Boulder a few weeks from now.
Abdul Carter is perhaps the most consequential name in terms of draft positioning at the top of the board. He is the current favorite to join the Tennessee Titans at No. 1 overall, but the Penn State standout will skip drills at the Combine as he nurses a stress reaction in his right shoulder. Carter has the option for surgery, which would entail an eight-week recovery period, but he is expected to let the injury heal naturally and participate in the Nittany Lions' Pro Day next month.
Ashton Jeanty's opt-out should come as no shock. He is far and away the best running back in the draft, with an incredible junior season's worth of tape for teams to stew on. He will be the first RB off the board, no questions asked. It's just a matter of how early he comes off the board, which could be influenced by his individual meetings with teams and his Pro Day performance.
UGA edge rusher Mykel Williams, a projected top-15 pick according to FanSided's Cody Williams, will also wait until his Pro Day to perform in front of scouts. He played his final season with the Bulldogs on an ankle injury and will thus take a few extra weeks to get right. The track record of Georgia defensive stars in the NFL has been remarkably strong of late.
Ohio State OT Josh Simmons, Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison, and Ole Miss IDL Walter Nolen are all projected first-round picks in the FanSided mock draft as well. All these guys will be heard from again, of course, as Pro Days and the NFL regular season loom. Skipping the Combine, whether it's for injury purposes or self-preservation, generally does not have a catastrophic impact on draft stock.