The ball continues to roll at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.

Thursday consisted of defensive backs and tight ends speaking with the media, while defensive linemen and linebackers began their on-field drills. Several players linked with the Raiders in mock drafts spoke, including Malaki Starks, Will Johnson and two-way sensation Travis Hunter.

Here are some observations from Thursday at the Combine.

Tyler Warren, donning No. 44 after Hall of Fame fullback John Riggins, comes into the 2025 NFL Draft expected to be the first tight end taken off the board. After playing quarterback in high school, he switched to H-back at Penn State – ultimately becoming one of the best players in the Big Ten.

Standing at 6-foot-6, 261 pounds, he's equally as impressive of a lead blocker out of the backfield as he is a pass catcher in open field. He set school records for tight ends in total touchdowns (25), receptions (153), receiving yards (1,839) and receiving touchdowns (19) en route to winning the 2024 John Mackey Award. It's possible his rookie season could mirror that of Raiders' sensational tight end Brock Bowers, as both have a similar toolset.

"I think he did a lot of good stuff this year and I think he's a great example just to learn from and kind of see how he plays the game," Warren said of Bowers. "It is a great example to look at and it was awesome to see him do that this year."

Malaki Starks is considered one of the top safeties as a three-year starter and All-American at Georgia. His ability to play multiple positions in the secondary, ranging from nickel cornerback to free and strong safety, makes him a viable first-round pick.

"I think I'm really comfortable in the slot, just having that experience and I think just being able to learn the defense," Starks said. "When I'm at the slot, I know what my safeties are doing, I know what my corners are doing, so I'm just able to play good defense but also play my leverage as well."

Starks won a national championship at Georgia with Raiders' Chris Smith II and Brock Bowers. He labels Smith as a mentor in college that took him under his wing in the secondary. Starks also had his share of battles against Bowers as teammates, both becoming starters as true freshmen for the Bulldogs in 2022.

"He was the best tight end in the country, so they figured if I can cover him I can cover anybody," Starks said of practicing against Bowers in college. "I think just going up against him, just getting those reps – he's such a great player. Some of the things he does is crazy. So, just being able to compete against him made me who I am today."

Will Johnson has been mocked to the Raiders in several mock drafts, and he believes he'll complement any NFL secondary he's drafted to. He's an instinctual, patient cornerback, totaling nine interceptions in his college career, returning three of those for touchdowns. His 6-foot-2 frame is also ideal against some of the league's bigger receivers.

While a foot injury forced him to miss half of his junior season, he told media at the Combine that he's good to go heading into his Pro Day and the NFL Draft.

"I would say something I can bring to an NFL franchise is just someone who's going to come in and earn the respect of his teammates and his coaches," Johnson said. "A guy who's going to work hard, put his head down and earn respect. I'm coming to shut down that side of the field, shut down the number one receiver and capitalize off that and go intercept the ball."

Johnson confirmed he met with the Raiders, saying he enjoyed his meeting with the staff and called new Head Coach Pete Carroll "a real chill guy."

Travis Hunter garnered a huge crowd during his media availability Thursday morning. Rightfully so as the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy since Raiders legend Charles Woodson.

While he's classified as a cornerback for the Combine, he made it clear he's still open to playing receiver at the next level if given the opportunity. Along with his four interceptions and 11 pass deflections on defense, he totaled 15 receiving touchdowns and nearly 1,300 receiving yards on offense.

"I'm going to play both," Hunter told reporters. "That's not my job to figure it out. I like to play both sides of the ball. If they give me the opportunity to play both sides of the ball, I'm going to play both sides of the ball."

Hunter will wait until his Pro Day to do any on-field drills, but is going through the interview and medical processes at the Combine. The Colorado superstar is more than likely to be taken in the top five picks in the draft, but Raider Nation could hope for a player of his caliber to slide to No. 6.