Five takeaways from front seven defenders at the 2025 scouting combine
Indianapolis - On Wednesday, edge rushers, off-ball linebackers and several defensive tackle prospects met with the media at the 2025 NFL scouting combine. Here are some of the more interesting and amusing anecdotes from the day.
Skating from QB to LB
At 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, South Carolina’s Demetrius Knight looks the part of an NFL linebacker. That’s not always the case for prospects at his position, where many are smaller and faster to match the spread offenses that dominate their level of competition.
Knight’s frame and playing style, which includes plenty of physicality, is all the more amusing when you consider he was recruited to play quarterback at Georgia Tech.
“If you would have told me I'd end up right here (as a linebacker) my freshman year, I probably would have cried and probably would have said, ‘That does not sound right,’“ Knight said.
When asked if he could still be an emergency quarterback on an NFL roster, Knight has no lingering delusion.
“I think a year or two ago I may have said yes to that question, to be considered as a backup,” Knight said. “I feel that I have officially retired as a quarterback. He’s all rested up now.”
While making the position change at Tech, Knight was a teammate of current Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs. That means Knight was navigating those waters while having to match up against someone who would soon become one of college football and the NFL’s most electric playmakers. Curious, I asked about Knight's memories of those practices.
“It was very — if you go and watch one of the Disney on Ice plays, that's what it looked like for the majority of us linebackers trying to guard Jahmyr Gibbs one-on-one,” Knight said, chuckling. “Occasionally, you'll stay with him, but he'll still make a play or catch a pass just with his acceleration.”
Still, it wasn’t a totally lopsided affair. Knight and the rest of the corps were able to turn the tide when Gibbs was forced to block.
“With pass rush, it was a different situation,” Knight said. '“We could get him there because he wasn't running anywhere, so we could get him there.”
As a prospect, Knight has three-down and special teams potential. Linebacker may not be near the top of Detroit’s wish list, but there’s an upcoming need to restock the cupboard, putting him in play on Day 2 or early Day 3.
Addressing allegations
Marshall edge defender Mike Green has been a rapid riser through his final college season and the early stages of the pre-draft process. However, there have been some online rumblings about sexual assault allegations potentially anchoring his stock.
Among the first group of prospects to meet with the media Wednesday morning, Green spent around half of his 20-minute session taking questions on the topic.
To his credit, he didn't duck the questions. Green explained there were two separate allegations, one in high school and a second anonymous report while he was at Virginia. He maintained his innocence and repeatedly noted that he had never been interviewed by the police.
“It's just a bunch of people that really don't know what actually happened,” Green said. “I've never done anything wrong. I've never been charged with anything. My main focus right now is just telling these teams everything they need and want to know. It's just a little frustrating, just seeing online that everybody just has everything to say. That's not the case. So, I'm just going to continue to stick to the process, and I'm confident in myself and the way I've been handling this process. That's what I'm going to keep on doing.”
Green was suspended from the Virginia football team when the anonymous report surfaced. However, he was told he could remain enrolled at the school before he ultimately opted to transfer to Marshall.
In pre-draft meetings, he said teams have been asking about the allegations and he’s being forthcoming with the information. He has no concerns about the situation affecting his draft positioning.
“As you can see, throughout this process, I've been rising higher, higher and higher,” Green said. “That should tell you everything that you need to know. I've been sticking to the process, like I said earlier, and I've been telling the truth. I have no concerns and I have no problem with talking to these teams about it because I know who I am and I know the truth.”
Regardless, the existence of the accusations, particularly given there’s been more than one, will unquestionably give many teams pause with the potential first-round talent. It demonstrates some of the unique challenges that go into the evaluation process that extend beyond a prospect’s film.
Driven to get better
A popular player who has been slotted to the Lions in early mock drafts has been Texas A&M edge rusher Nic Scourton. His combine media session only strengthens the case that he’s a fit for Detroit.
A productive pass rusher who tallied 10.0 sacks at Purdue in 2023, Scourton said he transferred to Texas A&M to play in a more complex scheme and refine his ability to defend the run.
“I thought A&M did exactly for me what I needed to go over there to learn to play the run better, you know, learn more run schemes,” Scourton said.
Scourton played at 285 pounds last season but has dropped 20 in preparation for the draft. He noted that he previously felt he had to carry the extra weight to set an edge, but his vastly improved technique now allows him to be effective at 265.
Scourton views himself as an edge defender, but he won't hesitate to bulk back up and play more inside if that’s what the team that drafts him wants.
Combine's most confident player
When it comes to consensus opinion, most draft analysts view Ole Miss edge rusher Princely Umanmielen as a Day 2 pick. He couldn’t disagree more.
"If you ask me, I think I'm the best, to be honest,” Umanmielen said. “I think I stack up with anybody. In the past two seasons, three seasons, as far as pass rushing goes, I feel like I get to the quarterback more efficiently, faster, and better than anybody."
"…To be honest, I think I'm a game changer,” Umanmielen said. “If you watch my film, I think there are a lot of times where we need a big play on defense, and a lot of times, I step up to the plate. I put it on myself to go out there and make a big play. I don't feel the pressure of having to do that."
There are a lot of confident players at the combine, but Umanmielen’s is on a different level. That was most apparent when he was asked to name his top five edge rushers in the league.
"No order, Myles Garrett, gotta throw Von Miller in there, T.J. Watt, Aidan Hutchison, and me next year,” Umanmielen said.
In-state connections
The group included a few Michigan connections, including Detroit native and former Michigan State Spartan Derrick Harmon. He finished his college career at Oregon and is tracking toward being selected in the first 40 picks.
Harmon said the magic word when asked to describe his game.
“I’ve got a dawg in me,” Harmon said. “Real gritty player, just trying to get to the ball and make a play.”
Asked which players he studies, Harmon listed Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill among a small group that also included All-Pros Cam Heyward and Chris Jones.
From Michigan, nose tackle Kenneth Grant is down 13 pounds from the 345 he played at last season. He was hoping to stun with his athletic testing at the combine, including a sub-5.0-second 40-yard dash. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury revealed during medical evaluation will sideline him for the event.
“I'm a 3-down player, for sure,” Grant said. “I can rush the passer with my strength and a little bit of finesse in there. Most guys think I'm just a run-stopper, but I'm super athletic and can rush the passer.”
