The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine: Day 3
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
The air was different today. More intense. More electric. A mix of nerves, adrenaline, and the promise of a generational talent waiting to be uncovered.
The first two days were for the big men—the road graders, the trench warriors, the linemen who control the heartbeat of the game. But today? Today was about the showmen. The quarterbacks, the wide receivers, the running backs.
This is where teams find their future franchise centerpiece. This is where one slip, one stumble, one mistimed throw can mean the difference between a first-round payday and a long wait in the green room.
The stopwatch is the judge. The drills are the jury. And the scouts? They’re the executioners.
Quarterbacks: Who Owned the Stage?
No position gets scrutinized harder. No position carries more weight. If you can’t command the huddle, read the defense, and deliver under pressure, you don’t make it. Today, we saw who’s ready for the next step—and who might have some explaining to do.
Jalen Milroe (Alabama) – The Walking Highlight Reel
Some quarterbacks throw the football. Jalen Milroe launches it.
The first deep ball he uncorked—a 65-yard laser with pinpoint accuracy—had scouts leaning forward in their seats. The second? Just as smooth. Tight spirals, effortless velocity. He made deep shots look routine, and in today’s NFL, where vertical passing is king, that’s the kind of talent that gets you drafted early.
But it’s not just the arm. It’s the legs.
Milroe didn’t run the 40 officially, but scouts whispered about their own unofficial times. 4.50 range. Quarterbacks aren’t supposed to move like this. Defenders aren’t supposed to have to worry about quarterbacks moving like this. But here he is—an explosive, dynamic weapon in an era that demands one.
One GM in attendance put it bluntly:
“Someone is going to bet on the upside. Someone is going to win big.”
Quinn Ewers (Texas) – The Polished Assassin
There are quarterbacks who win you over with their physical gifts. And then there’s Quinn Ewers—who wins by making the game look easy.
The footwork? Smooth as silk.
The mechanics? Sharper than a seasoned veteran.
The accuracy? Surgical.
Every sideline throw was on time, every deep ball perfectly weighted. There was no wasted motion. No forced heroics. Just a quarterback in complete control of his craft.
You don’t draft Ewers for the highlight reel. You draft him because he’s the guy you trust on 3rd and 8 with the game on the line.
Wide Receivers: Speed Kills, and Hands Matter
You can’t fake speed. You can’t teach it. And when a guy rips through the 40-yard dash like he’s running from a nightmare, GMs take notice.
Isaiah Bond (Texas) – The Human Torch
It was the moment of the day.
The stance. The silence. The explosion.
4.22 seconds.
One. One-hundredth. Of a second. From the all-time record.
Bond just made himself a household name. Because there’s no coach in the world who can teach that. His 40 wasn’t just fast—it was different. It was the kind of speed that turns good quarterbacks into great ones. The kind of speed that changes game plans, forces double teams, and makes defensive backs question their life choices.
A scout watching from the sideline just shook his head and whispered:
“He’s gone. First round. No question.”
Matthew Golden (Texas) – The Route Technician with Track Speed
Golden didn’t just run fast. He played fast.
4.29 in the 40. That’s an instant ticket to every war room’s whiteboard.
But what set him apart? The hands. The way he plucked balls out of the air like they were drawn to him. The body control. The effortless transitions from break to burst.
Golden isn’t just a burner—he’s a polished receiver with legitimate WR1 potential.
One NFC scout smirked: “Someone’s getting a steal.”
Running Backs: The Art of Controlled Chaos
The league doesn’t value running backs like it used to. But when you’re a special one? You get noticed.
Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State) – The Chess Master in the Backfield
Some backs run. Some backs read. Ollie Gordon II does both.
Every step was calculated. Every cut was sharp, precise, deadly. His 4.44 speed was more than enough to put him in the top tier of this class, but what really set him apart? The patience. The vision. The way he set up his cuts like a veteran, baiting defenders into bad angles and making them pay.
And then there were the hands.
It’s one thing to be a great runner. It’s another thing entirely to extend the playbook. Gordon caught passes like a natural receiver, running crisp routes, adjusting on the fly, and turning short gains into big plays.
Franchises looking for a true three-down back? They just found one.
Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) – The Sleeper No One Will Sleep On Anymore
Jeanty wasn’t on many radars before today. That changed fast.
4.46 in the 40.
Explosive cuts in drills.
Hands that looked like they belonged to a wide receiver.
He runs angry. He runs fast. He runs like a guy who’s trying to prove he belongs. And after today? He does.
Speed Kills: The Fastest 40-Yard Dash Times (Day 3)
| Player | Position | School | 40 Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Bond | WR | Texas | 4.22 |
| Matthew Golden | WR | Texas | 4.29 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | Arizona | 4.39 |
| Ollie Gordon II | RB | Oklahoma State | 4.44 |
| Ashton Jeanty | RB | Boise State | 4.46 |
| Jalen Milroe | QB | Alabama | 4.50 (estimated) |
NFL GMs don’t overthink this stuff. You either have speed, or you don’t. And these guys? They have it in abundance.
Stock Watch: Who’s Rising, Who’s Falling?
Stock Up
Jalen Milroe (QB, Alabama) – Arm talent + athleticism = sky-high upside.
Isaiah Bond (WR, Texas) – 4.22 speed. That’s it. That’s the pitch.
Matthew Golden (WR, Texas) – Smooth routes, elite speed, strong hands.
Ollie Gordon II (RB, Oklahoma State) – Complete back with high-end vision and pass-catching ability.
Stock Down
Jaxson Dart (QB, Ole Miss) – The arm is there, but inconsistency remains a concern.
Anyone who ran slower than 4.6 – This isn’t the 90s. If you don’t have juice, you’re getting left behind.
What’s Next?
Tomorrow, the offensive linemen take center stage.
The quarterbacks, playmakers, and speed demons made their money today. But none of it matters if you don’t have the guys up front who can protect them.
The Combine isn’t over. The puzzle isn’t complete.
But today?
Today, we found the missing pieces.
– Joseph Angel | Chief NFL Draft Analyst for TheNSR Network
