2. Who will emerge as QB3?
It’s anyone’s guess.
Ahead of the event, Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) is the favorite. He’s the only other QB to appear in the top 50 of big boards from Pro Football Focus, ESPN, The 33rd Team, Tankathon and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah. (He ranked No. 36, according to ESPN, and No. 41, per Jeremiah and Tankathon.)
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) could also claim the spot directly behind Ward and Sanders. He has excellent speed, which could be intriguing to certain teams. Per Pro Football Focus, Milroe gained 679 rushing yards on designed QB runs, the most among Power Five QBs in 2024.
It will be interesting to see where College Football Playoff QBs land in the 2025 pecking order. National champion Ohio State QB Will Howard, Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard, Texas QB Quinn Ewers, Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke and Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel received invites and could use the opportunity to remind scouts why they were successful in college. — Eric Smithling
3. Will we see any trades?
Trades can’t be formalized until March 12, but teams can agree in principle before the 2025 league year commences. The Titans are reportedly exploring all options with the No. 1 pick, including trading down. If Tennessee isn’t sold on this year’s QB class but another team is, talks could accelerate toward the end of the Combine.
In 2023, the Bears traded that year’s No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers on March 10, four days after the Combine ended March 6.
The Rams could loom large over the Combine. On Saturday, NFL Network insiders Pelissero and Ian Rapoport shared that Los Angeles had allowed QB Matthew Stafford’s agent to gauge other teams’ interest in the 16-year veteran. The team has already told wide receiver Cooper Kupp it plans on trading him.
A potential trade the Combine won’t impact is one involving Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. Cleveland would incur a $36.2M dead-cap charge by trading Garrett before June 1, giving the Brown no rush to trade the star before the draft in April. — Eric Smithling
4. Which of Ohio State’s 15 prospects stands out?
The national champions have the most draft prospects scheduled to attend.
Of the 15 Buckeyes, left tackle Josh Simmons (6-foot-5, 310 pounds), who suffered a season-ending knee injury in October, is arguably the best available. After Simmons declared for the draft in December, agent Drew Rosenahus told ESPN the lineman “will be fully cleared for practice by the start of NFL training camp.”
Among Ohio State players expected to participate at the Combine, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) and running back TreVeyon Henderson (5-foot-10, 208 pounds) should stand out. In 2024, Egbuka had 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. In 2024, Henderson averaged a Big Ten-high 7.1 yards per carry and rushed for 1,016 yards and 10 TDs.
Defensively, lineman Tyleik Williams (6-foot-3, 327 pounds) and edge-rushers Jack Sawyer (6-foot-5, 260 pounds) and J.T. Tuimoloau (6-foot-5, 269 pounds) are worth monitoring. Williams was arguably the team’s best run defender, while Tuimoloau had a conference-high 12.5 sacks, and Sawyer led the team with 64 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. — Eric Smithling
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