Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Defensive linemen put on show at NFL Scouting Combine

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Feb 27, 2025 10:57 PM ET

Defensive linemen are expected to be some of the biggest stars of the 2025 NFL Draft, and some of the best prospects at the position put on a show during the first day of workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday.

Not only is defensive line one of the deepest positions in this class, but the success of the Philadelphia Eagles with their dominant pass rush is likely to create a copycat effect around the league as teams try to duplicate their approach.

The league's general managers, scouts and coaches had to love what they saw from the defensive linemen on Thursday.

Arkansas' Landon Jackson and Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart were two of the most impressive players due to their nearly unmatched level of size and athleticism.

Defensive Linemen to weigh 260+ pounds and jump 40” in the vertical at the Scouting Combine (since 2003):

Landon Jackson (2024 Arkansas)
Shemar Stewart (2024 Texas A&M)
Myles Garrett (2017 Texas A&M)
Mario Williams (2006 NC State)
— Tony Holzman-Escareno (@FrontOfficeNFL) February 27, 2025

Obviously these are just workouts in shorts and that does not always translate to on-field success, but being on a short list with only Myles Garrett and Mario Williams over the past two decades is some pretty good company to keep.

Stewart ended up being one of the most impressive players of the day.

Tennessee edge-rusher James Pearce Jr. also stood out by running the fastest 40-yard dash of any edge at the combine with a lightning-fast 4.47 mark.

James Pearce Jr. is blazin’ pic.twitter.com/wvZ4iZWqKJ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 27, 2025

Speaking of speed, Indiana defensive tackle CJ West also posted an impressive time by posting a 4.95 40-yard dash, making him just the ninth player over 315 pounds to break the five-second mark.

At 316 pounds, @IndianaFootball defensive tackle CJ West ran an official 4.95-second 40-yard dash

West is just the ninth DT to weigh at least 315 pounds and run a sub-5.0 forty at the combine since 2003 pic.twitter.com/E2BZiaM7pL
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) February 27, 2025

Somebody that size who can move that fast and with the agility he displayed in the other drills is going to get a very early look.

The defensive line is so deep in this class that 15 of the top-50 players in Daniel Jeremiah's predraft ranking for NFL.com are defensive linemen. His most recent mock draft has nine of them going in the first round, including Penn State's Abdul Carter with the No. 1 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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