Five sleepers to watch at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine

By Jack Brentnall

The college football season well and truly kicks off this weekend and there are a tonne of exciting prospects on display. Here are six names to keep an eye on.

Charles Grant - OT, William & Mary (6-4, 300, Senior)

This list has to start with Grant as there simply aren’t many 300+ lbs players who move like he does. Grant played tackle, defensive end and quarterback in his high school career, which speaks to the kind of athlete he is.

He has packed on the weight since arriving at William & Mary at just 240 lbs, but when you watch the tape he doesn’t seem to have sacrificed any movement skills in the process. Watching him climb to the second level as a run blocker is one of the most special things I have seen this year.

Grant is the kind of player who should test well across the board at this year’s Combine, but there are a few drills to keep an eye on. He has reportedly logged a 32” vertical jump in college, which would rank in the 88th percentile amongst offensive tackle prospects.

Even more impressive is his reported 10-yard split time of 1.44 seconds. If he gets anywhere close to that it would be the fastest of any offensive line prospect in history. For context, Lane Johnson had a 1.61 split.

Logan Brown - OT, Kansas (6-6, 315, Senior)

It isn’t often that you find former five-star recruits on a list of sleepers, but Brown hasn’t taken the usual route to the NFL Draft. 

He originally committed to Wisconsin, spending four seasons with the team. Injuries limited his playing time and he was eventually dismissed for an incident in training that saw him strike a teammate.

Since then he’s got back on track and in 2024 he put together an outstanding season with Kansas, starting 11 games as their right tackle and earning Second Team All-Big 12 honours.

When you turn Brown’s tape it is easy to see why he was a five-star recruit. He has the size, length, and movement skills that teams want at the position. During his high school days he was a two-time state champion in the shot put, which speaks to his explosiveness and power.

Don’t be surprised to see him put up some good numbers in the vertical and broad jump. He is definitely a name I expect to see shooting up draft boards after the Combine.

Bhayshul Tuten - RB, Virginia Tech (5-9, 211, Senior)

If there is one running back who could catapult his draft stock with a gaudy showing in Indy, it is probably Tuten. The former Virginia Tech back is coming off a hugely productive season that saw him average 6.3 yards per carry and score 15 touchdowns, earning Second Team All-ACC honours.

He has the potential to put up some eye-popping numbers across the board, but if there are a few drills I’m watching closely it is the 40-yard dash and his jumps. If you turn on Tuten’s tape you will see a player with instant acceleration and the long speed to punish defenses in the open field. He had four 50+ yard runs in 2024, which was the third most in the country.

Some of his reported testing numbers are outstanding. He has been clocked at 23 mph on the GPS and has apparently run as low as 4.32 in the 40-yard dash. He is expected to log a 39” vertical jump, which would put him in the 92nd percentile amongst running backs. Get ready for a big Combine.

Marcus Yarns - RB, Delaware (5-10, 189, Graduate)

Yarns is one of my favourite sleepers in this year’s class. He first came onto my radar when I watched him torch defenders in the 1-on-1 drills at the Senior Bowl. That week in Mobile helped him to show scouts that he could hold his own against top competition. This week he gets a chance to show he has the athleticism to match.

Yarns earned a reputation at Delaware as a speedster and he saw 10% of his 2024 carries go for 15+ yards. His multi-sport background (he played basketball and lacrosse in addition to football in high school) speaks to his athletic potential, and he should test well in Indy.

There are reports that Yarns will run in the 4.4s in the 40-yard dash and that he has the potential to clock a vertical jump of at least 40”.

David Walker - EDGE, Central Arkansas (6-1, 267, Senior)

Walker has been one of the most consistently productive players in college football over the past few years. In three seasons at Central Arkansas he had 151 pressures, including 37 sacks. He also managed to record 130 defensive stops.

Walker had an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl earlier this year and has a chance to build on that with a strong Combine.

Some of the reported testing numbers for Walker are really impressive. He has reportedly recorded a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash at 260 lbs. He has also apparently logged a 36” vertical jump. For context, those numbers are comparable to those that Miami Dolphins edge rusher Jaelen Phillips put up when he was coming out of college.

The measurables may prove to be a sticking point for Walker, standing at a shade under 6’1” with sub-32” arms, numbers that put him in the 0th and 3rd percentile respectively. Nevertheless, his if he tests as expected he will no doubt earn plenty of fans.

JACK BRENTNALL

HEAD OF NFL DRAFT CONTENT

Previously the founder of The Jet Sweep, Jack joined The Touchdown as head of Draft Content in 2024. A Scouting Academy alumnus, Jack has been Covering the NFL Draft since 2020. Follow him on Twitter @Jack_Brentnall.

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