The time for NFL prospects to impress or flop is here.
Three former Oklahoma Sooners will participate in the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The trio of defenders in linebacker Danny Stutsman, safety Billy Bowman Jr. and defensive end Ethan Downs will all be trying to improve their NFL Draft stock during the event.
Time to put on a show. #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/9yVl6fiCVP
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) February 27, 2025
The NFL Scouting Combine will start Thursday morning before concluding on Sunday. Below is the schedule, how to watch and what's on the line for each OU player.
Position schedule
Thursday (Drills start at 2 p.m. CT): defensive linemen and linebackers
Friday (Drills start at 2 p.m. CT): defensive backs and tight ends
Saturday (Drills start at 12 p.m. CT): quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs
Sunday (Drills start at 12 p.m. CT): offensive linemen
How to watch: NFL Network (Fubo)
Combine tracker: NFL.com
Danny Stutsman, LB
Danny Stutsman will go Day 1 with the linebackers. Stutsman's starting grade of 6.24 has him at No. 8 among the 28 linebackers participating.
At 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds, Stutsman has the size to be an inside linebacker in the NFL, so measurements won't impact him much. However, Stutsman has been scouted as having weaknesses with his explosiveness and change of direction, especially in the open field, so impressing during footwork drills could be vital for Stutsman.
Ethan Downs, DE
Ethan Downs will also go on Thursday with the defensive ends.
With a grade of 5.81, Downs has a lot of room to move up. Downs is listed at 6-foot-3 and 272 pounds, and NFL.com's scouting report starts by saying Downs tends to be physically overmatched on the line before the snap. However, it then notes his leverage and strength help make up for it, so it's important for Downs to back that up during drills. There's still questions surrounding Down's strength because of his lack of size, though.
Because of his size, Downs could be moved to a strong-side linebacker, but only if he proves to be fast enough, so overachieving in footwork drills and the 40-yard dash could benefit his draft grade.
Billy Bowman Jr., S
Billy Bowman Jr. has the highest grade among the Sooners, going in with a 6.34. That ranks him as the third-best safety participating on Friday.
Bowman already helped his cause at the Senior Bowl, so another impressive performance at the NFL Scouting Combine could make Bowman a lot of money, especially if a team is wanting to draft a safety early and willing to overlook Bowman's lone fault.
The main thing holding Bowman back can't really change. He lacks NFL size at only 5-foot-9 and 198 pounds, and that won't alter enough to make a difference at this point.
That's really the only knock on Bowman so far, so if he continues to impress what he can control, it will just depend on if a team wants him bad enough and isn't concerned with his size.