Month: March 2025

Former Texas Longhorns wide receiver and Kansas City Chiefs first-round pick Xavier Worthy ran a 4.21-second 40-yard dash a year ago, breaking the NFL Scouting Combine record that John Ross (4.22) set in 2017.

Just a year later, another Texas wideout was certain he could snatch the combine’s 40-yard dash crown from Worthy.

“I’m going to break the record tomorrow, for sure,” Isaiah Bond said Friday. “I anticipate running a 4.20 or possibly if I’m feeling great I might run a 4.1.”

He wasn’t the only Longhorn to announce he will break Worthy’s record, either. Texas running back Jaydon Blue felt the same way as Bond, citing workouts with Worthy prior to his record-breaking sprint last offseason.

“I think I’ll break the 40 record … 4.1 or 4.20,” Blue said Friday, via The Athletic.

“Workouts all last year, that was the person [Worthy] I ran next to,” Blue continued, via Landry Locker. “Me and him used to go at it. He won a few, I won a few. He’s fast, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think people really know how fast I am because I don’t really run in games unless I have to. I think y’all will see that”

Neither Blue (4.38 seconds) nor Bond (4.39) failed to threaten Worthy’s record when they ran Saturday. That led to Worthy clapping back at both players on his Instagram story: “Respect those who come before you.”

Funny enough, they weren’t even the fastest Texas Longhorn to run Saturday. Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden’s 4.29-second 40 was the best among all wide receivers on Saturday. Sometimes it’s better to undersell and overdeliver because both Bond and Blue ran strong times; they’re just not historic.

Every NFL prospect is currently sliding under the microscope for evaluators to come away with their impressions and whether or not they’ll eventually have their clubs select them at the 2025 NFL Draft later this spring. Throughout this evaluation period, which includes the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, a clearer picture should develop, specifically as it relates to the quarterback class.

Unlike years past when there has been a clear pecking order, the 2025 class is a little more muddied. NFL Media reported Saturday that Miami’s Cam Ward has begun separating himself as the QB1. Beyond that, however, it’s currently unknown who’ll come off the board next.

That nugget should raise some eyebrows, particularly as it relates to the stock of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Throughout the early stages of the pre-draft process, he’s been billed as the second-best quarterback in the class and has been mulled as a potential top-five or top-three pick. In a recent mock draft, CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Josh Edwards has the New York Giants selecting Sanders with the third overall pick. Currently, he’s CBS Sports’ No. 24-ranked prospect overall and the No. 2-ranked quarterback.

So, if all of a sudden it’s a question if he’ll even be the second-best quarterback taken, that could signal him falling further down the board on draft day. Moreover, it could also suggest the possibility of another prospect rising through the ranks and crashing into the first-round conversation. After Sanders, CBS Sports ranks Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart (48th-ranked prospect overall) and Texas’ Quinn Ewers (No. 107) as the next best quarterbacks followed by Syracuse signal-caller Kyle McCord (No. 109) and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (No. 118).

Sanders, who initially began his collegiate career at Jackson State and transferred to Colorado as his father Deion Sanders took the head coaching gig, turned in a 2024 season in which he led the Buffalos to a 9-4 record and completed 74% of throws for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. That led to first-team All-Big 12 honors along with being named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

Will it result in him being one of the top two quarterbacks taken and a first-round pick at the NFL Draft? That appears to be still up in the air.

The Deebo Samuel era in the Bay Area has reached its end. The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to trade the star receiver to the Washington Commanders, per CBS Sports lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. As for the compensation, the Commanders are sending a fifth-round pick to the Niners in exchange for Samuel, per ESPN.

While this trade is agreed to between both sides, it cannot become official until the start of the new league year on March 12. The Commanders, however, took to social media to signify that some news had just gone down.

Samuel’s departure from the 49ers had been looming for quite a while, and general manager John Lynch had told reporters this week at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team was “going to honor” his trade request. They have, and now Samuel is heading to Washington where he’ll join an offense headlined by NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, who will be throwing him the football.

Along with the Commanders, who ultimately landed Samuel, Jones reports that the receiver garnered interest from several teams, including the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, The Athletic reports that the Commanders and 49ers discussed potentially including defensive lineman Jonathan Allen — who recently requested a trade — in this deal. However, he was ultimately left out with just a fifth-rounder heading back to San Francisco.

player headshot
team logo
Deebo Samuel
SF • WR • #1
TAR
81
REC
51
REC YDS
670
REC TD
3
FL
1
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The crux of Samuel’s trade request stemmed from the wideout entering the final year of his contract. He’s currently due a base salary of $1.17 million and has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal, so it’s likely that the Commanders will also be inking him to some sort of an extension to help facilitate the deal and integrate him into the organization. ESPN does report that Washington will take on the remainder of Samuel’s contract, which includes his $17.55 million total salary for 2025.

Samuel, 29, had spent his entire career with the 49ers up until this trade. The team drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of South Carolina. Last season, he totaled 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns over 15 games played. He also rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown.

With Samuel gone, the Niners will look toward 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall along with veteran Jauan Jennings to step up in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. At the moment, Brandon Aiyuk, who is coming off a torn ACL, also factors into the equation of added targets with Samuel gone, but he’s also been the subject of trade talks this offseason.

As for the Commanders, they get a much-needed secondary pass-catching option for Daniels. After fellow star Terry McLaurin, Olamide Zaccheaus was the No. 2 wide receiver in Washington’s offense last season with 506 yards receiving. Tight end Zach Ertz, who is set to be a free agent, was second on the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns behind McLaurin, so Samuel comes in as the clear No. 2 option.