Winners of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine

We’re on our way to the 2026 NFL Draft, and one of the most exciting events for fans is the Scouting Combine. The workouts are often more for the media than for scouting purposes, but they can still create buzz for prospects who perform well. Behind the scenes, teams are doing the real tasks: learning players’ measurements, performing medical exams, and interviewing them. These visits do not count against teams’ top 30 visits, and they allow teams to learn about a ton of prospects at one place and time. Therefore, I thought I’d look at the players who really helped themselves at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. This could be through their workout performances, testing, or interviews. Let’s go!

DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech

Hunter has been a riser over the course of the offseason, and it’s easy to see why. He’s a big and powerful DT who moves well for his size. His testing numbers weren’t very good in general, but I don’t particularly care about that for a 325-lb defensive tackle. One number, Hunter’s 1.79-s 10-yard split, was the only important one, and he did well there. Production-wise, he’s a beast (31 TFLs in 3 years), and I liked what I saw from him in the drills. Hunter didn’t slip and stumble around. He completed tasks well and boosted his stock accordingly. With such a jumble at the top of the DT class, he could be the first guy off the board.

EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech

Another Red Raider defender showed out at the Combine (they spent their cash well!). I’ve been hyping this guy up for a while, and the media has finally caught up with me. His 4.50-s 40 time was the fastest among all defensive linemen, and his drills were nearly flawless. Isolated statements like these don’t always mean a lot, but the important part is that the Combine backed up his game tape. Bailey looks fluid and refined on film, and that showed up during testing. He’s in the running to be the first edge rusher off the board, which right now would likely be the #2 pick. This performance certainly helped with that endeavor.

LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

If I could only pick one star of the entire Combine, it would be Styles. The versatile linebacker seemed likely to test well, but this was on another level. He had a ridiculous 43.5″ vertical jump, the highest of any prospect standing 6’4″ or taller (Styles is 6’5″). Styles followed that up with an 11’2″ broad jump and a 4.46-s 40 time. That latter number tied for the best among all LBs. NFL Network’s athletic comp for him was Calvin freaking Johnson. His drills looked easy, and nothing was forced. To top it off, sources say he interviewed fantastically. Styles had the best Combine in recent memory and may now be a top-5 selection.

The Rest of the LB Class

I had to separate Styles from everyone else because he was so impressive, but the other LBs were all great too. Every participant ran 4.63 or better in the 40. TCU’s Kaleb Elarms-Orr would’ve been the star athlete if not for Styles. He really put himself on the map. Another Buckeye, potential #2 pick Arvell Reese, quietly dominated the event alongside his teammate. I saw almost no errors by anyone during the drills. The only LBs who didn’t excel were the ones that didn’t compete. Every player in this position group did well, making this the best batch of players I’ve seen during my time watching the Combine. This position is DEEP.

CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State

Here we have the 2026 edition of Trey Amos. Just like the 2nd-round pick from last year, Johnson checked pretty much every box with his tape. The coverage, ball skills, and instincts were all there. One question remained unanswered: his long speed. His 4.40-s 40-yard dash time was not only good for him but great for a CB in general. At 6’0″ and with 9 PBUs last season, Johnson seems like a very safe pick to be at least a solid starter. There aren’t many holes to poke in his game anymore, and his floor now appears to be the 2nd round. While we’re at it, Johnson also did a great job in the drills, finishing off a fantastic Friday.

CB Toriano Pride Jr, Missouri

Another player whose speed was a question mark, Pride didn’t do much except run the fastest 40 time among all CBs at the Combine. As well as he played for the Tigers, he got burned on deep routes, which stuck out when I watched his tape. For a 5’10” CB whose likely pro destination is the slot, that’s not deal-breaking, but a complete lack of speed would be. Enter his 4.32-s 40 time. Now that we know he’s plenty fast, it’s clear that something else (maybe his eyes?) is causing him to lose on deep shots. Athleticism isn’t the culprit, so whatever the issue is can be coached away. That greatly improves Pride’s ceiling.

S Lorenzo Styles Jr, Ohio State

We’ve spent so much time talking about Sonny Styles that his brother must’ve gotten annoyed and decided to show out himself. Lorenzo wowed everyone with an unexpectedly sensational 4.27-s 40 time. A college SS who had more success at the line than back deep, Styles is a converted WR. That reminds me of Tariq Woolen, who had the same profile: relatively new to the position of DB but with freakish athletic talent. Lorenzo isn’t going to be taken anywhere near where Sonny will end up (Woolen himself was a 5th-round pick). However, he has great tools to work with, and someone is going to have an enjoyable project on their hands.

S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

Most of the discussion about Thieneman has concerned his great instincts on the field, as he’s always in the right spot to make plays. In the NFL, that’s not enough if you aren’t sufficiently athletic to finish the job. I thought Thieneman would test decently, but he far exceeded that with a 4.35-s 40 and a flawless set of drills. You can pencil him in for a mid-to-late round-1 selection at this point. His position is the only thing pushing him even that low on the board. One more note: I’m not going to say “the entire safety class” like I did for the LBs because that would be boring, but this group was also exceptional.

TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

Back in week 12 of the college season, I named Stowers my top TE in the draft if you’re looking for a receiving threat. I knew the Combine would make him look good, and he did not disappoint. Somehow, his very good 4.51-s 40 time barely registered because of how well he jumped. Stowers set TE records for the vertical jump (45.5″) and the broad jump (11’3″), highlighting his supreme explosiveness. While his blocking could use some work, I think he has the physical tools to succeed in that area. He wasn’t the Mackey Award winner as the nation’s top TE for nothing though, and he should be a plus receiver out of the gate.

TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

The consensus TE1 in the draft left Indianapolis with a Combine record, running a blazing 4.39-s 40-yard dash. While that hasn’t necessarily been a good predictor of TE success, it does underscore the elite athleticism that Sadiq brings to the table. His jumping numbers would’ve had people fawning too if Stowers hadn’t stolen the show there. I haven’t been as high on Sadiq as some others because of his limited size (6’3″) and limited production in a spread offense. There’s no denying though that he helped himself greatly with his testing at the Combine. Confirmation bias alone should keep him in round 1 in April.

RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

It feels good when your hot-take players do well. Jeremiyah Love did indeed star from an athletic standpoint, but once we started doing actual football activities, Price took over. Nobody looked smoother making cuts or running routes, and his receiving prowess is one of his defining attributes. I think he had the best day overall among the RBs, and he’ll be a 2nd-round value pick in April. Personally, I don’t think first-round picks should be spent on RBs unless you’re a contender, as you’re wasting their primes. Based on their projections, you’ll get better value with Price than you will with Love. You may even get the better player.

QB Carson Beck, Miami

Judging Beck based on what he did on the field (no testing, just throwing), he did well. The ball launched off of his hand, and he was mostly accurate. We already knew that he can sling it when he isn’t under pressure, but this was nice confirmation, and he had a good day. That’s not enough to land on the winners list though. He got here because idiot Hoosiers fans in attendance at Lucas Oil Stadium booed him every time he touched the ball. Their team WON, and they’re going after the guy? I’ve never seen anything like that. Beck couldn’t have been prepared for this, so he earns credit for being unfazed by the unexpected adversity.

QB Ty Simpson, Alabama

Going into this event, I viewed Simpson as the best pure thrower of the football in this class. My opinion hasn’t changed. Like Beck, he gets into trouble when pressured, but in a free-flowing event like the Combine, he was in his element. Simpson demonstrated great accuracy, and I liked the trajectory he threw with. He didn’t put too much air under the ball, nor did he fire all fastballs. On most boards, Simpson is QB2 after Fernando Mendoza. There’s no chance of him passing the IU signal caller, but he wanted to exit the Combine firmly in the #2 slot. I think he succeeded there, as he did really well in the drills.

WR Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State

As always, the fastest man at the Combine gets his flowers, and that was Thompson with a blistering 4.26-s 40-yard dash. At just 5’9″ and 164 lbs, he needed to run fast. Nobody wanted another Tez Johnson situation. Instead, Thompson looked far more like Xavier Worthy, the Combine record-holder in the 40. Thompson didn’t just run “fast” though; he EXPLODED off the line. Curiously, the fastest WRs to ever run at the Combine don’t have the best track record in the pros, but they’re tantalizing anyway because you simply can’t teach speed. I’m not sure this gets Thompson into round 1, but it certainly helps his draft grade.

WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia

Another undersized (5’8″ and change) receiver, Branch needed a good 40 time and delivered with a 4.35-s result. Plenty of WRs ran well though, including some much larger players. What helped Branch specifically was his on-field work. Georgia receivers have earned a bit of a reputation the past couple of years for dropping passes. Under the lights at the Combine, Branch caught everything that came his way. That was a reassuring sign, and it solidified Branch’s status as a day-2 pick. He’s definitely bound for the slot, but those players have more value than ever, so the shifty Branch should make some team very happy.

WR Ja’Kobi Lane, USC

While everyone else gushes over Makai Lemon (who did just fine for himself), I want to spotlight the other Trojan receiver. His 4.47-s 40 didn’t stand out, but he posted that time as a large 6’4″ receiver. Lane proceeded to be the star of the drills, catching numerous off-target passes. He’s known for his catch radius and sticky hands. At 10.5″, his biggest-in-class mitts surely help, but so does his concentration. With enough speed to separate and a knack for bringing in the tough catches, there’s WR1 potential with Lane. He’s quickly rising to the top of day 2 with the chance to become one of the draft’s hidden gems.

OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

Physically, Proctor has a great ceiling, and we’ve seen it at times for Alabama. His main issue is a lack of consistency, which most agree is brought about by weight mismanagement. When Proctor gets heavier (he has supposedly been 400 lbs at one point), he looks sluggish and doesn’t play well. Teams will be thrilled to see his weight down to 352 lbs during Combine testing. Like clockwork, Proctor balled out as his lighter self. He posted an awesome 32.5-inch vertical jump and moved as well as I’ve seen him move. Convincing teams that they’ll consistently get THAT version would do wonders for Proctor’s draft stock.

OT Caleb Lomu, Utah

First off, Lomu had a nice workout. He ran a 4.99-s 40 (not that it really matters for offensive linemen) and moved just as well during the drills. It’s everything that happened around him that made him a winner though. College teammate Spencer Fano got dinged for having short arms, potential OL1 Francis Mauigoa didn’t participate, and Monroe Freeling had a tough time staying on his feet. All of that in combination might make Lomu the first legitimate LT prospect on teams’ boards. Positional scarcity would then result in Lomu becoming a hot commodity. Such a scenario would be a perfect storm for a rise on draft night.