NFL Combine: Virginia Tech’s Aeneas Peebles Puts On A Show Running One Of The Fastest 40-Yard Dash Times Among DT’s
Today was the opening day ofthe2025 NFL Combine and it was the defensive tackles turn first. The big guys got to go through drills first and the 40-yard dash was up first. Now. the 40-yard dash is obviously not the top thing to judge defensive tackles on when it comes to the draft, but you can help your cause by running a good 40-time. Virginia Tech’s Aeneas Peebles was one of the DT’s working out today and he posted one of the fastest times in the 40-yard dash. Peebles ran a 4.95, which tied for 4th among defensive tackles. Nebraska’s Ty Robinson (4.83), Georgia’s Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (4.86), and SMU’s Jared Harrison-Hunte (4.87) finished above Peebles. Peebles also topped out at 20.47 MPH.
This was a good start to the combine for Peebles and he will have a chance to continue impressing NFL Teams with his ability throughout the day.
Our own RJ Schafer broke down Peebles ahead of the draft and talked about his strengths:
“Peebles’ was the Hokies’ highest graded player by PFF in 2024. In 516 snaps, Peebles received a grade of 85.0. Aeneas’ pass rush grade has always been high and he has one of the most consistent PFF grades out of defensive linemen in this year’s NFL draft.
Peebles’ floor is pretty high as a defensive lineman, but his small arms limit his ceiling at the next level. With some better pass rush moves, and becoming less reliant on the swim move, he could get starter reps in a defense that fits him best. He plays with a great center of gravity and he attacks whenever the linemen make mistakes.
MEASURABLES:
This topic comes up again and again when Aeneas Peebles is mentioned and there is no overemphazize the importance of physical measurables when it comes to defensive line talent. Peebles is fairly undersized in essentially every metric besides hand size and weight. He’s shown the ability to use his size to his advantage, but his short arms and small stature probably limits his ability as an every down player. His height gives him natural pass rush leverage.
PASS RUSH:
Peebles is a violent (!) player in the pass rush, and his motor is non-stop. All of the concerns regarding Peebles’ size are silenced once a bit of film of Peebles is seen in the pass game. He uses very natural leverage to get in the backfield quicker than any other player on the defensive line. He can beat double teams with a low-balance spin move, as he was constantly in the backfield against Miami. He’s shown plenty of potential as a quick pass rusher, a big combine could help that.
RUN DEFENSE:
Peebles has shown flashes, key word—flashes, in the run game as a defensive lineman. As previously mentioned, he uses his natural leverage to get to the ball carrier, but his short arms can often get him caught up in a block. Peebles at his best as a run defender is a scary player, but he struggles finishing tackles in the backfield.
OVERALL:
Peebles is not a first-round draft selection, but with a solid 40-yard dash time and some other successful drills, he could move into the early-middle parts of the draft.”
