Taking a closer look at the interior defensive linemen that performed well at the 2025 NFL Combine.
The interior defensive linemen kicked off the televised coverage of the 2025 NFL Combine , and as anticipated, the prospects projected to be the top of this class put on some very impressive performances.
Of our 10 interior defensive linemen we targeted for Detroit Lions fans to watch, a few didn’t participate—Kenneth Grant (Michigan), Walter Nolen (Mississippi), and Shemar Turner (Texas A&M )—while a few others will hope to have better performances at their pro day.
There were seven interior defenders that did stand out, including a few names that were not on the watch list.
Darius Alexander, 3/5T, Toledo (6-foot-4, 305) ran an impressive 1.72 second 10-yard split, looked smooth in the drills, showing minimal pauses when changing direction, with no wasted movement. He was a bit tight bending the edges, but he was balanced and under control when executing pass rush moves, and showed power in his hands.
Joshua Farmer, 3T, Florida State (6-foot-3, 305) gets upfield in a hurry and was at his best when attacking forward. His powerful hands stood out as one of his best traits, but he also showed the range to be gentle when needed (i.e the circle/towel drill). He showed good balance throughout the day and never lost steam.
Derrick Harmon, 3T, Oregon (6-foot-4 1⁄2, 313) has incredible length and it showed up in nearly every drill. He’s better when his feet stay on the ground because it allows him to move his feet quicker and with accuracy. His change of direction was above-average, he was controlled through the hips, and used his hands efficiently.
Omarr Norman-Lott, 3T, Tennessee (6-foot-2, 291) didn’t run the 40, but he showed quick feet and speed in drills. He was one of the faster players when getting upfield, and showed good recovery when he misstepped. He was best in pass rush drills, but did fall when making a 180 degree turn, which prematurely ended his day.
Ty Robinson, DL, Nebraska (6-foot-5, 288) was a player I had considered on my watchlist, and after his performance, I regret leaving him off. He’ll remind people of a bigger and more athletic John Cominsky, both in style and movement. He’s long and powerful (especially in his hands), changed direction well in tight spaces, and was smooth getting up and down the drills. He was balanced and under control in pass rush drills, used his length to his advantage, but it took a beat to slow down his momentum because he was so aggressive. His 1.71 second 10-yards split led the group.
CJ West, 3T, Indiana (6-foot-1, 316) was another standout who was not on my watchlist but probably should have been. While he is a bit sawed-off, he got up and down the drills quickly and looked at his best in pass rushing drills. He’s not an edge bender, and he did wear down by the end of the day, but he had some impressive power in his hands and stayed under control.
Tyleik Williams, NT, Ohio State (6-foot-3, 334) didn’t run the 40, but checked a lot of boxes in drills. He was a bit of a heavy mover—no surprise—but he had solid change of direction movement. He has strong hands and loaded up to show them off—his power showed up throughout the day. He had to fight through the drills where he needed to bend, but the body control was solid, which is what you want in a nose tackle.