Only two running backs have been selected in the top 10 of the NFL Draft over the last six years. Ashton Jeanty could very well make it three in seven when the 2025 NFL Draft rolls around in April. The running back position has been devalued in the league in recent years, but Jeanty will likely be a rare exception to that trend.
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He won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back and the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best overall player. However, his 2,601 rushing yards—2nd-most in a single season in NCAA history—and 29 TDs were only enough to finish as runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.
Despite that Heisman snub, Jeanty is still confident that his tape will be enough to convince NFL front offices of the value he can bring. With that in mind, he has decided to forego the on-field drills portion of the NFL Scouting Combine, and participate only in the interview portion.
: Boise State Star RB Ashton Jeanty will NOT participate in any drills at the NFL Combine, only interviews.
He will take part in on-field drills during Boise State’s Pro Day. pic.twitter.com/ao5SWnpNc9
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 24, 2025
Jeanty isn’t the only top player to opt out of the Underwear Olympics. The top two QBs in the 2025 NFL Draft class, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward, are not expected to hit the field either. Ward’s status for the drills remains uncertain, but unlikely considering the recent history of top prospects foregoing the on-field portion.
The decision to do their on-field work at their respective Pro Days, where they can control the conditions and variables, makes a lot of sense. The NFL Scouting Combine isn’t really for top prospects to showcase their skills—scouts already know what they bring to the table, which is why the interviews are far more important. As a result, this recent wave of opt-outs has some thinking the Combine has lost its appeal.
The trend is getting old. The combine is going to be non-existent if superstars keep withdrawing.
— Jay (@btcguy35) February 24, 2025
Combine has no value anymore and these stars are realizing that.
Sure the bottom tier guys can get their stock up but the elite guys already proved them themselves on the field with lots of film. ️
No reason to put on a show without pads and contact.
— NFLComedySkits (@NFLComedySkits) February 24, 2025
He of all the participants has zero to prove to anyone there and he knows it.
— Swervin (@SwervinOC) February 24, 2025
makes sense—jeanty’s tape already speaks for itself, no need to risk injury at the combine when he can shine at pro day.
— Chinito (@ChinitoCrypto) February 24, 2025
Last year, 321 players were invited to the Combine. Of those, only 230 did the vertical, 222 did the standing broad jump, and 220 did the 40-yard dash. Just 89 did the shuttle, 77 did the three-cone drill, and a measly 72 did the bench press. The latter used to be one of the marquee events at the Combine.
The top three QBs in the 2024 class, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye, did not participate in on-field drills at the Combine either. Top WR prospects Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers also decided against it. Instead, they ran and did drills at their own Pro Days. Even still, all of those guys had pretty darn good rookie years, especially Nabers and Daniels.
The Combine is a great place for middle-of-the-pack guys to surprise scouts with their athleticism, speed, and strength. However, it simply doesn’t make a ton of sense for the guys who know they are 1st-round talents to risk injury or lowering their draft stock by doing on-field drills.
The much safer route is doing so in a more controlled environment at their respective schools, and simply interviewing top NFL executives at the Scouting Combine. This is likely to become the norm in future years, which could mean the Combine goes the way of the Dodo.
