A year ago, a former Texas receiver broke the record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the scouting combine.
Could it happen again in 2025?
That’s what Isaiah Bond is planning for Saturday, as he declared during his Friday press conference.
“I’m going to break the record tomorrow — for sure,” Bond said, adding that he’s shooting for a 4.20 or, if he’s feeling great, a 4.1.
Now-Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy broke the record in 2024 with a 4.21. While Bond has high expectations for this weekend, he said he’s tested at 4.23.
“I’ve been running my whole life. I’ve been one of the fastest my whole life,” Bond said. “When practice meets preparation, greatness is achieved. I’m going to go out there and trust my training — put on a show.”
Bond, who turns 21 on March 15, transferred from Alabama to Texas in 2024 to play for head coach Steve Sarkisian after Nick Saban retired. He said he wanted to learn under one of the better offensive minds in college football.
He ended up catching 34 passes for 540 yards with five touchdowns and rushing four times for 98 yards with a TD in 2024.
Given that Bond plans on breaking the 40 record, it’s not much of a surprise that he said “sheer speed” is the factor that separates him in this year’s draft class.
“[There’s] not a receiver out there that has the speed that I have,” Bond said. “And it’s not [just] the speed — I feel like I’m a complete receiver. I have amazing routes. If you watch the tape, you’ll see that.”
In 41 career college games between Alabama and Texas, Bond caught 99 passes for 1,428 yards with 10 touchdowns.
Jaxson Dart had plenty of success at the college level, becoming a first-team All-SEC honoree for his performance in 2024.
But speaking to the media on Friday at the scouting combine, he had an answer that could surprise some when asked who his favorite quarterback is to watch right now.
“I think it’s a little bit of a cop-out because he just won the Super Bowl, but I love J Hurts and what he does,” Dart said, referring to Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX MVP, Jalen Hurts. “I feel like I’m very similar in my play style to him. I feel like we can do a lot of the same things.
“Obviously, he’s an elite player and I’m trying to reach that level. But he’s been somebody that I’ve tried to resemble my game after just because of his versatility — being able to run and throw the ball, and just how strong he is in the pocket. That’s something that I’ve had a lot of fun watching, observing his play style.”
Dart began his college career at USC before transferring to Ole Miss in 2022. He doesn’t have any experience sitting on the bench, as he played as a true freshman before starting for three years at Ole Miss. But he wouldn’t have a problem with taking a year to sit and learn if he had to.
“I’ve never sat on the bench before. So, that would definitely be an adjustment early on,” Dart said. “But I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. I think it’s something that you can come into a situation and learn as much as you can. A lot of times when you’re in that situation, [you’re] playing behind a veteran quarterback who’s had a ton of success and just knows a ton about the game. So, you’ve got to be a sponge. And I think a lot of times, you’ve seen some of the most successful quarterbacks come out of situations like that. You can bring up Patrick Mahomes, as of late Jordan Love. And for me, I’m excited to just have the opportunity and compete wherever I go.
“I know I can make a room better, I can make a team better. So, I’m just going to be a sponge in any situation that I’m in — really, just try to take my game to the next level.”
Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. headed into the NFL Scouting Combine as a first-round prospect, and he made a big statement during on-field workouts.
Pearce ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, making him the fastest defensive lineman at this year’s Combine.
Pearce had 19.5 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss in three seasons at Tennessee. He was a two-time first-team All-SEC defensive end.
The next-fastest defensive lineman, Fadil Diggs of Syracuse, was a tenth of a second behind Pearce at 4.57.
Marshall edge rusher Mike Green will not work out at the Scouting Combine.
Dane Brugler of TheAthletic.com reports that Green experienced tightness in his hamstring Wednesday, and thus Green will wait until his Pro Day to do positional drills and run.
Green, who led the nation with 17 sacks last season, did practice at the Senior Bowl with some of the videos of his domination of the offensive linemen going viral.
“It was kind of crazy,” Green said Wednesday. “I’ve seen a few views that had a million views. It was just a pleasure, and it was relief. Because I was out there for one reason, one reason only, and that’s to show that I can compete with these top guys. It was just a pleasure. I’m thankful for the Senior Bowl and the opportunity that they gave me to go out there and show my talent.”
The bigger question Green has to answer is off the field. He revealed Wednesday he was the subject of two allegations of sexual assault, including one at Virginia that got him suspended and prompted his transfer to Marshall. He denies any wrongdoing.
Travis Hunter’s ability to impact games in multiple ways while at Colorado helped him win the Heisman and has him set to be one of the first players taken in this year’s draft, but another one of this year’s prospects thinks he has Hunter beat in one area.
Will Johnson was an All-American cornerback and championship game MVP during his time at Michigan and he was asked during a Thursday visit to PFT Live if he felt slighted by all of the attention being paid to Hunter heading into the draft. Johnson said he didn’t because of what Hunter accomplished while playing offense and defense in college, but he added that he sees himself as a better cornerback than his peer.
“A lot of respect to him,” Johnson said. “He’s won the Heisman, did a lot of great things, but I know I’m the best corner in this draft. I’m gonna just wait until I get on the field and let my play do the talking.”
Johnson is expected to come off the board shortly after Hunter is taken and he’ll have ample opportunities to prove himself right on the professional level.
Former Penn State tight end Tyler Warren was one of the most dominant forces in college football in 2024, winning the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best at his position.
Warren will now enter the 2025 NFL Draft with a chance to be one of the top players off the board.
He said in his Thursday press conference at the scouting combine that it took him a couple of years to get into a flow. But after racking up 1,451 yards from scrimmage with 12 total touchdowns in 2024, it’s clear he found the right groove.
“I’d say when I got to Penn State, I wasn’t really a fully developed tight end yet and I had to really kind of wait my turn and learn from the guys in front of me, understanding that I wasn’t at the point where I needed to be to be able to play and contribute,” Warren said. “And trusting the process, — everybody’s looks different. Mine took a few years until I really got into the flow of college football.”
Warren mentioned a few present-day tight ends that he likes to watch and pick up things to mimic and emulate — like Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Pat Freiermuth. But he also mentioned an old-school Hall of Famer and another former All-Pro as players he’s spent time watching.
“I wore [No.] 44 because when I was younger, my dad put on John Riggins film and said, ‘This is how I want you to run the ball,’” Warren said. “But yeah, I think another guy I saw this summer was Jeremy Shockey — and the way he kind of played, and his mentality running the ball is something I kind of liked.”
As he’s met with teams this week, Warren said he’s stressed his strength as a blocker and receiver. He noted that at Penn State, tight ends aren’t even going to see the field unless they’re willing to block.
“I’d say kind of what I try to be as a football player is unselfish,” Warren said. “I feel like whether it’s catching 15 passes in a game or having 100 run block reps … either of those, that’s my ability. And if we win, I’m going to be happy either way. That’s kind of the way I approach the game and is a trait about me, I think, that’s a good one.”
The Nittany Lions used Warren in all kinds of different ways, as he caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards with eight touchdowns, and also took 26 carries for 218 yards with four TDs.
Tight end Colston Loveland is thought to have a good chance of being a first-round pick in April and the Michigan star’s right shoulder injury doesn’t look like it will get in the way of that.
Loveland had surgery at the end of January after playing through the injury during his final season with the Wolverines and he was wearing a sling during his media session at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Thursday. Loveland said that he’s on path to be cleared to do some work during OTAs this spring and be cleared for a full workload at training camp.
Loveland caught 117 passes for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns over the last three seasons.
Penn State’s Tyler Warren is generally considered to be the top tight end prospect this season and Loveland is usually right behind him in the rankings.
Mason Graham won’t be the only Michigan defensive lineman passing on doing on-field drills during the Scouting Combine this week.
NFL Media reports that Kenneth Grant will also be holding off until Michigan’s pro day. Grant was diagnosed with a hamstring strain during his medical check in Indianapolis and pushed to participate, but will wait for a clean bill of health ahead of the March 21 workout.
Grant had 69 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, an interception, 10 passes defensed, and three fumble recoveries over three seasons on the defensive line in Ann Arbor.
Graham is projected to go earlier than Grant, but Grant is also considered to have a good chance to go in the first round in Green Bay this April.
Defensive lineman Mason Graham will be skipping most drills at the Scouting Combine this week.
Graham’s agent Ryan Matha told Ian Rapoport of NFL Media that his client will only do the bench press while in Indianapolis. Graham will do the rest of his drills at Michigan’s pro day workout.
Graham is projected to be one of the first players off the board after an All-American career in Ann Arbor and he didn’t sound like he feels he needs to show teams much more than he did in the biggest win of his final collegiate season.
“I mean, I feel like just rolling out Ohio State film, you know, that’s all you need to see really,” Graham said.
Graham had seven tackles in Michigan’s upset win over the eventual national champs and he had 45 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in his final season with the Wolverines.
The Browns have the second overall pick in the draft and a need for a quarterback, so there’s been plenty of discussion about whether they will take Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders early in the first round.
On Wednesday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that the team has met with both of those players at the Scouting Combine. He added that those aren’t the only quarterbacks in play for the Browns as they move through the pre-draft portion of the calendar.
“This is a really good class from top all the way through,” Stefanski said, via the team’s website. “Mentioned Cam and Shedeur, but there’s really good players like throughout this draft at that position. I could go through some other positions, but I’m impressed with the whole group.”
The Browns still have pro days and further meetings to use as data points and Stefanski said that there’s “so much that goes into this evaluation” by way of noting how early they are in the process. Free agency and trades will also play out ahead of the draft, so other things may happen to change the outlook for Cleveland and other teams in the quarterback market.
