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The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone. The top defensive prospects this year have been poked. Prodded. Put through their paces. And now they are one step closer to fulfilling a lifelong dream and entering the NFL.

At this point, this writer has a confession to make. I don’t put a ton of stock into the combine. Yes, it's good to know if a defensive lineman has shorter-than-expected arms (as was the case with Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer and Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham this year). But there are dozens of hours of game tape available of this year's top defensive prospects. Tape of them actually playing football. We know what Graham and Sawyer are capable of doing.

Could watch that on a loop forever.

We have seen far too many instances where a great combine artificially inflated a prospect's stock, otherwise known as a Mike Mamula. But it's clear that many of the NFL's decision-makers do put substantial weight in what players do in Indianapolis. Show out, and a player's stock can get a sizable boost. Fall flat, and down the board you go.

It's a high-stakes game of Chutes and Ladders—as this group of IDPs is about to find out.

NFL Combine Risers and Fallers: Defensive Linemen

Biggest Riser: EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

To be clear, Stewart was hardly an unknown entering the combine—the 6'5", 267-pounder was already widely regarded as a Round 1 prospect despite managing just 4.5 sacks total in college. The reason for that? Stewart's ridiculous athleticism was on full display at this year's combine, per Kassidy Till of the Panthers' website.

"While at the Combine this week, Stewart dominated the testing, grading out as elite in the measurables and skills tests," Till said. "He finished with a 9.99 RAS (relative athletic score) out of 10, which measures a player's raw athletic ability. That included a 4.59-second 40-yard dash and an explosive 40-inch vertical jump. At 267 pounds. The 9.99 RAS ranks Stewart third all-time out of a possible 1,802 defensive ends measured since 1987."

Stewart's lack of collegiate productivity is genuinely concerning. But he was borderline unblockable at the Senior Bowl and followed that up by becoming even slimmer and more explosive at the combine. Stewart could well have worked his way into the top 10, and in the right land spot, he could challenge for the top spot among rookie IDPs at his position.

Biggest Faller: EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn State

Carter converted from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher in 2024 and thrived, piling up a dozen sacks on the way to being named an All-American. While interviewing with reporters at the Combine, Carter made it clear he views himself as not just the best defender in the Class of 2025 but also as the No. 1 player overall.

I want to be the No. 1 pick," he said. "That's the ultimate goal. I would just say my impact on the game, my versatility. I can play multiple positions, and the biggest thing for me is I show up when it matters most. Coming in at a new position and being a first-team unanimous All-American, dominating the way I did, having an impact on the game like I did."

The problem is that Carter was unable to work out in Indy—in addition to a banged-up shoulder, a stress reaction was found in his foot during medicals. Carter has decided against surgery in the hopes that he can give it a go at Penn State's Pro Day, but the timing couldn't be worse for concerns about Carter's health. He needs to be healthy for his pro day.

NFL Combine Risers and Fallers: Linebackers

Biggest Riser: LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama

Campbell was already squarely in the conversation to be the first off-ball linebacker selected in 2025 after tallying 117 total tackles and adding five sacks for the Crimson Tide a year ago. Per Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, the 6'3", 235-pounder did nothing to hurt his chances at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Campbell appears to be a human rocket on the football field, and validated said explosiveness at the combine with a 10-foot-7 broad to go along with a blistering 4.52 with a 1.53 split in the 40-yard dash at nearly 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds. He is built to be a modern-day (star) linebacker.

Campbell did it all in Tuscaloosa—from stuffing the run to coverage and rushing off the edge. That last bit raises some concern about his role in the pros, but his versatility, explosiveness, and performance at the combine have boosted Campbell into my top spot among rookie linebackers—and as the No. 1 rookie IDP overall.

Biggest Faller: Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss

Paul was a solid player for the Rebels in 2024, logging 88 total tackles and 3.5 sacks. But at just 6'0" and a hair over 220 pounds, Paul already had size concerns to overcome with some teams. Per Chad Reuter of NFL.com, Paul's performance may have raised more new worries than allayed old ones.

"Paul was a productive player at Arkansas and Ole Miss, but his combine workout did not help his case to be a Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) pick," he said. "His arm measured 29 7/8 inches, shorter than desired at the position. Paul's 4.63-second 40, 1.62-second 10-yard split, and 9'9" broad jump won’t make it any easier for scouts to overlook his lack of size (6'1", 222 pounds). He showed average stop-start ability and transition from a backpedal, too."

The reality for IDP managers is that there are usually only two or three prospects a season who have a legitimate shot to be an every-down starter early in their careers. Then there's a handful of maybe players who could potentially be if things break the right way. Putting Paul in even that second group just became significantly more difficult.

NFL Combine Risers and Fallers: Defensive Backs

Biggest Riser: S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

There isn't a unanimous top safety in 2025. Depending on the pundit, a few names enter the conversation, including South Carolina's Nick Emmanwori. As Tyler Brooke wrote for The 33rd Team, Emmanwori did as much as any player at this year's combine to stamp his name atop his position.

"The phrase "jump out the gym" can be overused at times, but in this instance, it fittingly applies to South Carolina safety prospect Nick Emmanwori," he said. "Emmanwori's jumps alone will turn the heads of scouts. It's unlikely that anyone at the combine will break either of his numbers, posting an absurd 43-inch vertical and 11-foot-6 broad jump, all while measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. To add to his strong day, Emmanwori blew by other safety prospects with an unofficial 40-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds."

Emmanwori's Relative Athletic Score at the Combine was 10.00—a perfect score. He amassed almost 90 total tackles for the Gamecocks last season, intercepting four passes and returning four for scores. He's in the Round 1 conversation and could be the first safety selected in 2025.

Biggest Faller: Malaki Starks, Georgia

Before the combine, Starks was the consensus top safety—a talented youngster who had played an important role for multiple years for the Bulldogs. Not only did Bleacher Report's Scouting Department rate him as the top safety in the class, but they had the 6'1", 205-pounder graded as a top-five player overall.

"Starks projects as a first-round pick with the potential to make an immediate impact in the NFL. His combination of athleticism, ball skills, and physicality make him a versatile safety capable of excelling in both coverage and run support," Cory Giddings wrote. "While he may need to refine his technique against faster receivers, Starks' overall skill set and football IQ give him a high ceiling as a defensive playmaker. With the ability to contribute from day one, Starks is poised to become a key player in any NFL secondary, offering the potential to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber safety."

To be fair, Starks didn't have a terrible combine—he looked fluid changing directions in position drills. But his RAS of just 5.5 belies how unimpressive his athletic testing was. One bad weekend shouldn't make or break a player's draft stock, but Georgia's pro day just became a lot more important if Starks is going to realize those Round 1 aspirations.

Gary Davenport ("The Godfather of IDP") is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on Twitter (Can't make him call it X) at @IDPSharks.