On Tuesday, 32 teams continued their 2025 NFL draft scouting process on the campus of South Alabama. They all had to like what they saw out of Elijah Arroyo.

While there were ample standouts from both the National and American team practices—and we’ll get to plenty—Arroyo was the best of the bunch. Checking in at 6'4" and 251 pounds, the former Miami (FL) tight end showed his talents, continuously winning in both one-on-one and team drills on a variety of routes, including short and downfield.

Arroyo, who was limited to just six games between his sophomore and junior campaigns due to a torn ACL in his left knee, bounced back in 2024 as a senior. He played 13 games and caught 35 passes for 590 yards and seven touchdowns, serving as a key target for likely first-round quarterback Cam Ward. 

Now, fully healthy and beginning the draft process, Arroyo is right where he needs to be. 

“It’s been a long journey,” Arroyo said. “I give all the glory to God. I kept my head down. I had a plan. I knew I had to keep the faith. I knew where I wanted to end up at. I kept my head down and this is the result.”

The result might be ending up as a top-100 pick come April when the draft gets going in Green Bay. Of course, there’s myriad work to be done beforehand including Miami’s pro day, along with going through the medicals at the combine in Indianapolis next month before performing at Lucas Oil Stadium.

But for Arroyo, who says he sees his game in the Detroit Lions’ Sam LaPorta and the Baltimore Ravens’ Isaiah Likely, the work is welcome after years of frustration and injury.

And over the past year, while trying to improve in a bevy of areas, there’s one that stands above the others.

“My vertical presence,” Arroyo said. “I’ve always had the size. But this year, especially, I focused on my speed and just being able to play smooth and fast. Just knowing different defenses. I can get different hints so I can play smooth and play freely.”

In Arroyo’s case, he’s honed in on some of the nuances that will help him be successful at the next level, something that really developed while he was injured. He’s taken to focusing on different fronts and how to utilize leverage while also eyeing corner depth and safety rotation. 

For a 21-year-old with just 36 games and one true, full year of starting experience at the collegiate level, his maturity will get plenty of attention from NFL teams throughout the next few months.

Oregon’s Tez Johnson is a fascinating player to watch

If you thought Xavier Worthy and DeVonta Smith were small, feast your eyes on Tez Johnson.

Johnson, coming off two strong seasons for Oregon in which he caught 169 passes for 2,080 yards and 20 touchdowns, enters draft season at just 5'9" and 156 pounds. For comparison, Worthy was listed at 165 pounds when selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 first-round, while Smith was a comparatively monstrous 166 pounds back in ’21. 

During the National team’s practice Tuesday, Johnson was repeatedly winning his man-to-man battles with quickness and acceleration, showcasing the ability to run crisp routes at top speed. 

However, Johnson’s major lack of size puts the onus on him to be almost flawless in every other aspect of his draft profile. As things stand, he’s a possible Day 2 pick, much in the same way we saw Tank Dell go to the Houston Texans with the No. 69 selection in 2023. Of course, Dell has been quite productive in his two years with Houston at only 165 pounds, but unfortunately has suffered serious leg and knee injuries over that time. 

Still, of all the receivers on either the National or American sides, Johnson was one of the most impressive.

The big bodies up front showed some promise

While the quarterbacks, corners and pass catchers are always going to command the most ink, let’s not forget about some of the trench play. 

On Tuesday, there were some standout performances in team drills, including a dominant show of force on consecutive plays by former Virginia Tech defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles. 

Peebles comes in at 6'0" and 291 pounds, and twice blew up the line of scrimmage during the National practice against the run. A four-year starter who played at Duke before transferring to join the Hokies as a redshirt senior, Peebles showed quickness and strength off the snap, traits that showed up with his eight sacks over the past two years in the ACC. 

Elsewhere, Kentucky’s Deone Walker was dominant at times during the American team’s portion of the afternoon. Walker is expected to be a top-50 pick and is a behemoth at 6'7" and 340 pounds on the interior. Almost impossible to block one-on-one, Walker consistently created penetration. Walker posted 23 tackles for loss and 10 sacks over his three seasons at Lexington. 

Finally, keep an eye on Omarr Norman-Lott. The 295-pound defensive tackle showed the power you’d expect from someone his size, but was also creating havoc with backside pursuit. A five-year player between Arizona State and Tennessee, Norman-Lott had a knack for getting home with 13.5 career sacks. 


This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 Senior Bowl Notebook: Miami Tight End Elijah Arroyo Stands Out.