Where Do Former Oklahoma Prospects Rate Heading Into NFL Scouting Combine?

Three former Oklahoma defenders are preparing for a career in professional football.

But heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, where do safety Billy Bowman, defensive lineman Ethan Downs and linebacker Danny Stutsman stand among their peers?

It’s a big week for NFL hopefuls, as the NFL Scouting Combine begins Thursday in Indianapolis. Bowman, Downs and Stutsman are among 329 prospects participating in the job fair at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Bowman had a huge week at the Senior Bowl. Downs was injured and didn’t practice in Mobil, AL. Stutsman was invited but declined the invitation and instead focused on his combine workouts.

So far, Bowman has been the OU defense’s darling of the pre-draft season. 

According to All-Access Football, the 5-foot-9, 198-pound Bowman is the No. 2 safety prospect in this year’s draft and projects as a first-round pick when the draft unfolds in April.

Bowman, a four-year starter from Denton, TX, played in 47 games during his OU career while making 195 carer tackles with 9.0 tackles for loss and 11 interceptions that produced a school-record 251 return yards with three touchdowns as well as two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries with one touchdown. He was the winner of last year’s Don Key Award and was named third-team All-SEC.

AAF actually projects the 6-3, 272-pound Downs as a defensive tackle (he ranks 32nd at that position), even though he played almost exclusively at defensive end for the Sooners, and predicts he’ll go undrafted as a high priority free agent.

Downs, a three-year starter from Weatherford, OK, played in 50 games as a Sooner with 106 tackles, 31 TFLs, 12.5 quarterback sacks with an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered. Downs received last year’s Bob Kalsu Award and was twice named second-team All-Big 12.

Stutsman was a consensus All-American linebacker and was a finalist for the Butkus Award as the game’s top overall linebacker, but All-American Football ranks Stutsman 23rd among linebackers in this year’s NFL Draft. He’s forecast as a sixth-round draft pick.

Stutsman, a three-year starter from Windermere, FL, played in 47 games at OU and ranks No. 9 in program history with 395 career tackles to go with 36 TFLs, eight sacks, three interceptions, two fumbles forced and one fumble recovery. Stutsman earned consensus All-America and first-team All-SEC accolades in 2024 and was a finalist for the Butkus Award.

NFL prospects begin arriving in Indianapolis later this week, and workouts begin Thursday.  Downs and Stutsman will start early as defensive linemen and linebackers take center stage on Thursday, and Bowman will be up next as defensive backs and tight ends perform Friday. (TE prospect Jalen Conyers of Texas Tech began his college career in Norman as a true freshman in 2020.) 

Quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs debut on Saturday (keep an eye out for former Sooner QB Dillon Gabriel as well as former Sooner wideout Theo Wease, who finished their respective careers at Oregon and Missouri), and offensive lineman are in the spotlight on Sunday. 

Workouts will be televised by NFL Network.