Things picked up on a busy Friday in Indianapolis at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.

It was the turn for the secondary and tight ends to get on the field, and the group turned in quite the performances.

The top prospects from the cornerback and tight end groups — Colorado's Travis Hunter, Michigan's Colston Loveland, Penn State's Tyler Warren and others — did not participate on Friday, with most opting for their respective Pro Days.

But that gave others such as Georgia's Malaki Starks, South Carolina's Nick Emmanwori, Texas' Jahdae Barron and Bowling Green's Harold Fannin, Jr. a chance to stand out in what are deep position groups.

Friday's podium sessions featured the quarterbacks, as Miami's Cam Ward, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and the rest of the class chatted with the media for the first time.

It was also the day for running backs and wide receivers to talk to the media, which included some intriguing names like Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan, Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka, North Carolina's Omarion Hampton and more.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty headlined the skill position groups, however, as the consensus top running back prospect and one of the top overall prospects is excited for what he can bring to the table to whatever team he lands on.

"Just being a three-down back. Obviously, be able to run the ball, catch it and pass protect and be on the field on those third downs," Jeanty said.

He later added: "My best trait is my big-play ability, to have those 60, 70-yard runs ... yards after contact, just being able to break tackles and make plays down the field."

The Main Takeaway

The defensive backs certainly brought the speed to the on-field drills in Indy.

And at the top of them all was Kentucky's Maxwell Harriston, who showed off his blazing speed in the 40-yard dash with the top speed of the day at 4.28 seconds. Harriston, reached a top speed of 24.25 miles per hour, tied for the fifth-fastest time by a cornerback at the Combine since 2003, according to Next Gen Stats.

Harriston is Dane Brugler's No. 54 overall prospect, but made a strong case to improve after an impressive afternoon.

In addition to Harriston, there were seven other cornerbacks with a 40-yard dash of 4.40 seconds and under. That includes Iowa State's Darien Porter, Kansas State's Jacob Parrish, USC's Jaylin Smith and Texas' Barron, who each reached at least 23.3 miles per hour in their runs according to Next Gen Stats.

Rutgers' Robert Longerbeam, who also had a 4.39 second run, also wowed with the best broad jump of the day for the corners at 11-foot, 2-inches, which fell in the 96th percentile at his position, according to Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema.

On the safety side, Starks was impressive in the position drills, as he recorded the fastest top speed among safeties in five different drills according to Next Gen Stats. Starks, Brugler's top safety prospect, put together an all-around strong showing.

It was Emmanwori, however, who put on quite the display of athleticism and arguably the most eye-popping numbers of the day.

Measuring in at a big frame of 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, the South Carolina product led the safeties with a dazzling 43-inch vertical jump and 11-foot, 6-inch broad jump, both of which were in the 98th percentile among his position, according to Sikkema.

To top it all off? A 4.38 second 40-yard dash, second-best on the day among his position and a stellar number for someone at his position at that size.

The tight ends wrapped up the day with on-field drills, as Fannin and Texas' Gunnar Helm headlined the group.

Fannin put together 4.71 40-yard dash, 34-inch vertical and 9-foot and 10-inch broad jump, as he also looked smooth during the catching drills among his position. LSU's Mason Taylor, who did not run the 40-yard dash, also flashed his sure hands during a smooth gauntlet drill.

Among other tight ends who had strong performances were Oregon's Terrance Ferguson, who led the position with his 40-yard dash of 4.63 seconds. He also led the group with a 39-inch vertical and was third with a 10-foot, 2-inch broad, as Brugler's seventh ranked tight end showed off his explosiveness on Friday during the on-field drills, too.

South Carolina's Joshua Simon was right behind Ferguson, finishing with a 40-yard dash of 4.65 seconds and finished one inch behind him on the vertical jump. He did edge him out in the broad jump, however, as he had a 10-foot, 4-inch jump.

Tweet of the Day

If the first couple of days of the drills at Lucas Oil Stadium are any indication, the depth runs deep at certain positions.

ESPN's Matt Miller, who recently released his Top 50 prospect rankings prior to the Combine, joined the Chargers Weekly podcast in Indianapolis to talk about the draft.

And it's clear this is a draft that's deep with physicality — or a "meat and potatoes" draft as Miller put it.

A Peek Ahead

Saturday marks the final day of podium sessions in Indianapolis, as the offensive linemen will speak to the media in the morning.

But it's also a major day for the on-field drills, as some big name offensive weapons among the quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs will run through the drills.

Sanders, Ward, Jeanty, McMillan and Egbuka are among the names that won't participate in Saturday's drills, but others like Burden, Golden and Henderson are some who will as they try to boost their stock heading into April.

It's shaping up to be a draft with lot of dynamic offensive weapons, and all eyes will be on Saturday to see how explosive some of them could prove to be. Drills will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT

A couple of prospects have even set some high expectations for themselves ahead of tomorrow.

"I'm going to break the [40-yard dash] record [Saturday], for sure," Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond said. "I anticipate running 4.20, or possibly if I'm feeling great, I might run 4.1."

Texas running back Jaydon Blue added: "I think I'll break the [40-yard dash] record... maybe 4.1 or 4.20."