Lions 2025 Draft Watch: Linebackers Who Shined at Combine

Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman

Stutsman tied for the third-fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.52 and had a solid overall day. His technique was solid during the individual drills, and demonstrated some explosiveness. Known most for his physicality, Stutsman showed that he has the ability to have some finesse in his game.

The Oklahoma product was an efficient tackler at the college level but had some issues in coverage. As a result, his performance in the drills was important to quiet some concerns about his ability to move in the open field.

Cal LB Teddye Buchanan

Buchanan entered Thursday's workouts lower on most draft boards, but showed off some intriguing athleticism that should pique the interest of teams across the league. He had the best vertical of any linebacker, outdoing UCLA's Carson Schwesinger with a jump of 40 inches.

In addition, Buchanan broad jumped 10-feet, 6-inches and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6. A transfer from UC Davis, he surpassed 100 tackles at Cal in his only season at the FBS level and added five sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He announced his presence at the Combine and will be a name to watch moving forward.

Oklahoma State LB Nick Martin

An injury limited Martin to just five games in his final season, but he was full-go at the Combine and made the most of his chance to perform in front of scouts. With a 4.53 40-yard dash and a 38-inch vertical, he has intriguing athletic tools.

Martin had a huge 2023 season with 140 total tackles and had double digits in each of the first two games of 2024, including a 16-tackle, 4.5 tackle for loss showing against Arkansas. Though the injury is cause for some concern, there's a lot to like about the ability he showed in his performance Thursday.

UCLA LB Kain Medrano

With Schwesinger only performing in the vertical jump, his teammate stole some of the show in the on-field portion. Medrano ran the fastest 40 of any linebacker at 4.46 and added a 38-inch vertical and a 10-foot 5-inch broad jump.

He spent six years at UCLA and gradually increased production each year. Time will tell what his draft outlook is, but he certainly helped his case with a strong showing in Indianapolis.

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