A football fan favorite event, the NFL Combine, has been completed and the talent pool for this year's class is glaringly exceptional. The event in Indianapolis was the most watched in nearly a decade as everyone wanted a preview of fan favorite players headed to the league. With 329 invites this year, there were bound to be many under the radar players who shined in their first real spotlight, while some well-known players increased their stock over the weekend. Here is the review of notable names and performances on the defensive side. Full notes can be accessed by messaging Gaasch Gazette social media accounts.

Day one saw the defensive lineman and linebackers take the field for their workouts and it became obvious that the line has some of the best talent available. Darius Alexander of Toledo stood out amongst the interior lineman and proved he belongs with the top of the class. Based on film, I had him projected as a late first rounder to early second but after his performance, he likely has cemented himself into the middle of the first round. Another lesser-known riser is CJ West of Indiana who had a surprisingly excellent performance and earned himself some money in Lucas Oil Stadium. More well-known commodities such as Joshua Farmer (Florida State), Derrick Harmon (Oregon), and Zeek Biggers (Georgia Tech) had a fantastic workout, doubling down on great film from the past few years. Jordan Phillips from Maryland was my disappointment from the group while Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins of Georgia is a name to watch out for. Though Walter Nolan (Ole Miss), Kenneth Grant (Michigan), and Mason Graham (Michigan) did not compete, they are still expected to be the best of the class for the interior defense.

Group two for the defensive lineman hosted the edge rushers and while they have been touted as one of the deepest position groups, it was a somewhat underwhelming workout. That did not mean standouts did not exist, but the group was weaker at the Combine than on film. Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss) displayed fantastic body control through most of the day (aside from his run and club drill) and answered a big question surrounding his size. Umanmielen certainly proved his point to scouts and has risen up the boards. James Pearce Jr. of Tennessee showed off his athleticism and did not struggle with any drill. His questions surrounding his personal life haven't been publicly answered but teams likely got what they needed out of private meetings. Ahmed Hassanein from Boise State was praised for his effort and attitude in being a leader of the group. His workouts were solid but not exceptional. His character is what shone for his workout. Most of the group stayed after traditional workouts to take conversion reps at outside linebacker and JJ Pegues (Ole Miss) even took reps as a fullback. Overall, this group was solid but did not live up to the hopes that onlookers had that they would be the best performance on the field. Abdul Carter (Penn State) didn't work out but stood out even more so due to the underwhelming performance.

The linebacker group was the last for the first day and the star players proved to be the best of the group. Not many standouts came from group three's prospects aside from the likes of Danny Stutsman (Oklahoma), Carson Bruener (Washington), and Jihaad Campbell (Alabama), all of which were the expected top three linebackers in the class. The one exception was Jack Kiser of Notre Dame who showed greater athleticism than expected which was a pleasant surprise. No one has called into question what Kiser can do as a leader or what he knows and loves about the game. The one question is whether he can grow as a physical athlete and the short offseason for him has certainly shown improvement. Lastly, Jeffery Bassa, the leader of Oregon's defense had a solid enough day to keep him firmly in the top five for this year's class. It was not much but good enough. That about sums up the group as a whole.

Day two saw defensive backs and tight ends take the field in three groups. The first group featured the true corners who largely performed very well. Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky) stole the show and featured everything someone wants to see out of him in this context. Hairston displayed great speed in his 40-yard dash with an incredible 4.28. He brought that speed to the workouts and showed the control he has for the speed with excellent footwork and steady hips. His breakaway speed in backpedal to sprint conversions was stellar and he left no doubt that he won the day. Trey Amos of Ole Miss demanded attention be brought to him. Amos is all over my notes for every drill consistently showing superior hip control and change of direction. He rose quickly throughout the day and the one thing I want to see in his pro day to help him out is better burst out of his conversions between pedaling and running. A name to watch for in the draft process is Zah Frazier out of UTSA. Frazier showed excellent speed and control that is expected from his tape. His lesser-known name may make a team in the third round full of excitement to see he has flown (literally) under the radar. Two other little-known risers of note were Robert Longerbeam (Rutgers) and Mac McWilliams (UCF). Both made splashes and helped their draft stock greatly. Buckeye brothers Jordan Hancock and Denzel Burke are names college football fans will easily recognize and be happy to see that they helped themselves in Indianapolis. Azareye'h Thomas (Florida State) also had a good and expected day. It was nothing spectacular but rather a clear display of natural talent. The top two corners were mostly missing with Travis Hunter (Colorado) sitting out and Jahdae Barron (Texas) only working out for half the day. Overall, this was one of my two favorite groups to watch. Corners are a deep class this year and will leave few teams disappointed in their selection.

The second group of defensive backs featured the safeties and was the last of the defensive positions to perform. Ideally, this would have been the year to flip the safeties and corners for workout orders. The corners were a fantastic group that showed exceptional talent and depth all day. The safeties on the other hand were rockier and deteriorated as the day moved along. The drills became increasingly sloppy, and the group at large was visibly tired. The three best safeties for this draft were not all competing on the field. Xavier Watts of Notre Dame was present but not performing as he continues to rest and rehab from the season. Malaki Starks (Georgia) and Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina) both performed and were the only players in the group that did not succumb significantly to the physical demands of the combine. Emmanwori had a stellar day, but uncharacteristic mistakes showed up late in the day. Starks was largely great all day and only had one drill in which he slowed down. Watts, Starks, and Emmanwori are the cream of the crop, and each warrant a first-round grade in my opinion. Expect Emmanwori to be the first off, the board. As for the rest of the safeties, there were not many standouts who increased their stock aside from Billy Bowman Jr. of Oklahoma. Bowman has been put under a microscope for his size, but he had an exceptional day that allowed him to rise from the others in the group, potentially moving him from the fifth-round area to the third round. Overall, the group was disappointing with bits and pieces of hope.

This defensive group is largely very talented in particular positions. Last year's draft in which offense was taken for the first fourteen picks will not happen again and if anything, defense will take up the majority of the early selections. It is a highly impressive class and many people who performed in Indianapolis earned themselves large paydays in a league that is transitioning back to a defensive world. The draft is about buying as many win shares per player and the defense should uphold their end of the bargain in 2025.