8 Biggest DL/EDGE Winners At 2025 NFL Combine

After days of player and coaching podium interviews at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, the first group of on-field workouts commenced on Thursday. Defensive linemen represented the debut positional workouts in Indianapolis. Watching the prospects perform is the true purpose of the NFL Combine, and the defensive linemen did not disappoint.

On-field workouts and testing results offer the prospects an opportunity to increase their 2025 NFL pre-draft stock. We've identified which defensive linemen took the most advantage of their opportunity at the NFL Combine.

Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M

Shemar Stewart has been garnering league-wide buzz due to his measurables and athleticism. Both were on full display at the NFL Combine. Stewart possesses elite arm length at just over 34 inches. Even rarer athletic ability took center stage at Lucas Oil Stadium when he leaped a 40-inch vertical and had a 10-foot-11 broad jump, the latter of which is a 99th-percentile result. Placing a bow on a historically impressive performance was a 4.59 40.

Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon was first a winner at the weigh-in process, checking in at 6-foot-4.5 and 313 pounds with an elite arm length of 34 3/8 inches. The Oregon standout then ran a 4.95 in the 40-yard dash, an 82nd-percentile result historically among defensive tackles. Harmon possesses the measurements and athleticism to develop into a difference-maker at the next level. He's received some top-32 buzz, and his on-field showing in Indianapolis strengthened his chances of hearing his name called in the first round.

Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas

Landon Jackson leaped a position-best 40.5-inch vertical, joining Stewart as the only EDGE defender to surpass 40 inches. Only one EDGE reached or surpassed that mark in the vertical last year, and that was Minnesota Vikings first-round pick Dallas Turner. Jackson also leaped a 10-foot-9 broad, an equally freaky result for a 264-pound defensive end.

Ty Robinson, DT, Nebraska

Ty Robinson has been among the best-kept secrets in the interior defensive line class. That may have changed in Indianapolis. Robinson shed eight pounds from his Senior Bowl weigh-in (296 vs. 288) and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.83 seconds with a 1.71 10-yard split. The only defensive tackle to run a faster time at the 2024 NFL Combine was Florida State's Braden Fiske (4.78), who posted a Defensive Rookie of the Year-worthy campaign. The Cornhuskers defender also showcased strong hands and a nifty club-rip during pass-rushing drills.

Aeneas Peebles, DT, Virginia Tech

Sleep on Aeneas Peebles at your own peril. Peebles is undoubtedly undersized at 6-foot and 282 pounds, but the tape showcases a violent, tenacious player. The energizer bunny of Virginia Tech's defense, the technically savvy defensive lineman was explosive with a 40-yard dash time of 4.94 seconds, and a 1.74 10-yard split.

Antwaun Powell-Ryland, EDGE, Virginia Tech

Antwaun Powell-Ryland is more appreciated in the scouting community than the general public realizes. The diverse pass rusher was a stud in Indianapolis, posting a 4.69 40-yard dash with a 1.64 10-yard split. Other impressive results included a 36.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot-4 broad jump. Powell-Ryland excelled in everything he participated in.

CJ West, DT, Indiana

CJ West was among the best performers at this year's East-West Shrine Bowl, and he converted that momentum into a quality NFL Combine showing. West was moving at an abnormal pace in the 40, running a 4.95 at 316 pounds. Even more impressive was his 1.73 10-yard split, and four-bag agility drill, matching the short-area explosion and quick feet he displayed at Indiana throughout 2024.

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DT, Georgia

Don't let Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins' results fly under the radar. The Georgia standout posted position-best results in the broad jump (10-foot-4 inches), vertical (36 inches), and 10-yard split (1.69, tied with Jared Harrison-Hunte), and finished third in the 40-yard dash (4.86). Ingram-Dawkins is powerful and versatile on tape. At the combine, he proved he's athletic, too.