Scouting Mix Winners and Losers: DL & LB

Winners

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Shemar Stewart | EDGE | Texas A&M

The “Freak of the Day” Award goes to Shemar Stewart, who had a historic mix efficiency.

You learn that proper. As of proper now (with 40 yard sprint and cut up time remaining unofficial), Stewart placed on the third greatest mix of any EDGE rusher EVER. His 10 foot 11 inch broad leap is healthier than Myles Garrett and Montez Sweat. His arm size of 34.125” is insane. His weight caught some discover because it was a 14lb swing from his Senior Bowl weight just some weeks in the past (281 lbs). Clearly he misplaced some weight to make an announcement in testing on the mix and it labored.

The query stays, how would these numbers have checked out nearer to his reported taking part in weight? Elite? Positively. However Historic? Perhaps not.

Stewart has an underwhelming go rush manufacturing, with simply 4.5 profession sacks at Texas A&M, 1.5 in every of the final 3 seasons. He did enhance his pressures yearly from 14 to 26 to 39 as his function grew. His run protection additionally took an enormous leap in 2024 with 6 Tackles For Loss, 15 run stops, 31 tackles, and a 88.2 run cease grade, so he will definitely have early down use in his profession to begin.

But when he ever needs to maximise his athleticism into elite go speeding, he must develop a go rush plan and approach, in addition to reducing his pad degree to extend his leverage.

Nonetheless, that athletic profile is simply so uncommon, he may very well be vaulted into High 10 decide dialogue.

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Jihaad Campbell | LB | Alabama

The 2nd largest riser of the day was Campbell, who had a extremely robust day each in testing and in drills. The Linebacker-Edge Rusher hybrid participant made a ton of performs on the sector for the Crimson Tide, and cemented his case for prime offball Linebacker within the draft class on most groups boards.

Amongst LBs he was:

40 yard sprint: Tied third (with Danny Stutsman [233 lbs], behind Auburn’s Eugene Asante [4.48 at 223 lbs] and UCLA’s Kain Medrano [4.46 at 222 lbs])
Broad Leap: 2nd (behind Georgia’s Smeal Mondon Jr. [10ft, 11in at 224 lbs])
Arm Size: 4th (behind Rutger’s Tyreem Powell [34.625”], Minnesota’s Cody Lindenberg [32.75”], & South Carolina’s Demetrius Knight [32.625”])

Mix that with a stable measurement profile at 6’2.875” and 235 lbs and extremely easy drill performances, Campbell has entered the highest 20 dialog.

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James Pearce Jr. | EDGE | Tennessee

One of many coolest moments of the Mix: James Pearce Jr. operating the 40 in a hoodie. Not solely was it cool, it was actually quick.

Actually needed to see James Pearce Jr. match the explosives and the way he wins with on tape together with his Mix numbers

1.58 10-yard (91st percentile)4.50 40-yard (96th percentile)

That’ll do it! pic.twitter.com/VOlTXsFP0U

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) February 27, 2025

James Pearce Jr. might need had one of many lightest weights of all edge rushers within the mix, however he lit it up together with his velocity and explosiveness testing close to the highest of the place.

Pearce is a transparent velocity runner however wants work on his polish in go rush arsenal. Not like Stewart nevertheless, he received much more together with his extensive set velocity rush. Possible will probably be a Spherical 1 decide, however stays a polarizing participant for scouts.

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Landon Jackson | EDGE | Arkansas

Landon Jackson had a tough Senior Bowl in opposition to among the prime Tackles of the draft, however he bolstered his particular athleticism in Indy for groups to take an opportunity on him.

Dimension, explosiveness, size are a nasty combo with Jackson, and he has sufficient velocity for some glorious pursuit as effectively.

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Instances by way of Getty Pictures

Carson Schwesinger | LB | UCLA

Schwesinger didn’t do a lot by way of testing on the mix, however what he did do was very spectacular. He already turned some heads by weighing in at 242 lbs as an alternative of his listed school weight of 225. With considered one of his largest issues being his measurement, weighing that heavy actually was eye opening.

Afterwards he solely did 2 checks: Bench press and vertical leap. In bench press his 20 reps wasn’t too loopy, however he hit a 39.5” vertical, 2nd within the class for linebackers. Displaying off elite explosiveness whereas being at a far increased weight? Yep, thats a winner. Schwesinger opted out of different occasions, proving all he wanted to scouts.

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Demetrius Knight | LB | South Carolina

The third longest arm size for the Linebackers within the Mix, and hit the quickest prime velocity of all linebackers within the 40 yard drill.

As one of many greater linebackers of the Mix and with an enormous body, to run like that could be a massive inventory enhance for him.

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Teddye Buchanan | LB | Cal

Buchanan is one other LB who was reportedly undersized however was in a position to transfer the scales a bit greater than anticipated and examined very effectively on the Mix.

The Golden Bears’ LB is a go protection maven with a enjoyable profile, and recorded excessive explosion and velocity scores. This helped reinforce his vary to cowl in man and zone, pursuit very quick, all at a much bigger body than anticipated. He might rise on Day 3 boards.

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CJ West | DT | Indiana

Native product CJ West from the Hoosiers confirmed out in a giant manner on the mix, posting prime notch velocity and acceleration at a really stout body. The Huge 10 star was very spectacular all through the season and was a key a part of their shock playoff run.

CJ West posting a 1.73 10 yard cut up with a 4.95 40 at 6’1” 315lbs….

This may simply be a day 2 participant at NT. Legit in each space you’d need. pic.twitter.com/1NFqODSdb4

— NFL Draft Information (@NFL_DF) February 27, 2025

Underestimate this Hoosier at your personal threat. He’ll seemingly be a Day2-early Day 3 decide.

Losers

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Abdul Carter | EDGE/LB | Penn State

Abdul Carter sadly suffered a shoulder damage and was not totally recovered by the point of the Mix, which made him miss the athletic testing and drills. He must be recovered inside the subsequent few weeks to month, so it’s unclear if he will probably be good to go for the Penn State Professional Day.

He must be able to go for precise NFL organized staff actions, however the damage lingering this lengthy into the pre-draft course of is one to watch. For a participant in rivalry for the first total decide, it’s unclear how a lot this may have an effect on his draft inventory on the prime of the draft.

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Mike Inexperienced | EDGE | Marshall

Mike Inexperienced was one other prime EDGE rusher on this draft who was withheld from drills, in his case attributable to hamstring tightness. Hamstring accidents can linger and reinjure for some time, so it was clever to keep away from any aggravation.

All of the Mike Inexperienced SA allegations I’ve been listening to for a couple of months have been confirmed at present by Inexperienced himself. Two separate incidents.

Props for taking the questions head on, however I’d be prepared to wager greater than a handful of groups don’t have him on their draft board in any respect.

— Hunter Haas (@Haas_Football) February 26, 2025

Inexperienced additionally had 2 outdated sexual assault allegations emerge through the Scouting Mix, which he addressed to the media and confirmed had occurred. It will trigger a variety of NFL groups to launch investigations, and will take him off of some boards.

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Deone Walker | DT | Kentucky

Walker is named a extra uncooked however freakier athlete on this class at DT, together with his 6’7 imposing body with 340 lbs of energy behind it and a variety of twitch for a person of his stature on tape. Nonetheless his Senior Bowl whereas having some highlights additionally had a variety of inconsistency, together with his excessive pad degree typically letting different gamers get straightforward leverage on him.

For the Mix, he wanted to point out his elite athletic profile to assist ease some issues, and sadly he examined amongst the bottom of the DT group in each vertical (25”) and broad (8’8”) jumps. He confirmed off his strike energy in drills, however wanted extra of an impression in displaying his decrease physique explosion to assist his inventory.

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Jay Higgins | LB | Iowa

Higgins is a undersized protection linebacker who wanted to point out his means to work in house and make an impression as a fluid athlete.

Sadly he turned in a reasonably dismal Mix Efficiency, severely hurting his inventory.

Fortunately he’s a excessive IQ participant who has good instincts and might make performs together with his anticipation, however his athletic limitations have been clearly highlighted in Indy.

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Smael Mondon Jr. | LB | Georgia

You already learn Smael Mondon Jr.’s title within the Jihaad Campbell part with one of the best broad leap of the entire LBs in Indianapolis. He adopted that up with a 4.62u 40 yard sprint and had a RAS rating of 8.7.

So why does Smael fall underneath the this class?

Due to an unlucky accident that occurred through the on the sector drills.

Smael is hopefully okay after that incident, because it didn’t look fairly. There was an audible gasp from the group at Lucas Oil watching that occur, so hope for one of the best for him.

Nonetheless, regardless of that occurring, he’s actually a participant to keep watch over within the draft together with his athleticism and his glorious 2024 tape.

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Starbucks | Espresso Store | JW Marriott

FOX Sports activities insider Jordan Schultz and NFL Community’s insider Ian Rapoport obtained right into a kerfuffle on the Starbucks contained in the well-known JW Marriott resort in downtown Indianapolis, after they each supplied conflicting studies on the Matthew Stafford and Tom Brady assembly at a ski resort for potential commerce.

Jordan Schultz of Fox verbally accosted Ian Rapoport of NFL Media at an Indianapolis Starbucks on Wednesday afternoon. A report was made to NFL Safety, which is investigating. https://t.co/Ld0weFWYoP

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 27, 2025

Schultz, son of former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, was the confronter of this incident as he approached Rapoport over the NFL Community’s insider countering his declare that Brady hosted Stafford, doubtlessly in violation of NFL tampering coverage now that Brady is a component proprietor of the Las Vegas Raiders. Rapoport, feeling threatened by Schultz’s confrontational demeanor, needed to alert NFL safety to the incident. Whereas no bodily altercation occurred it was not a great search for all concerned.