The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine was held in Indianapolis, Indiana from February 22nd to March 2nd. From the 26th to March 1st, 319 NFL Draft prospects participated in on-field workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Based on the results, we have identified 17 prospects whose Combine performances improved their draft stock.
Offense
Taylen Green. Quarterback, Arkansas.
The 23-year-old redshirt senior tested off the charts at the combine. His measurables were fantastic at 6'5 7/8" and 227 lbs. More importantly, he set numerous quarterback-based scouting combine records. Green recorded the fastest 40-yard dash time by a quarterback since 2003 (4.36 seconds), according to ESPN. He also had the best vertical jump (43.5 inches) and a broad jump (11'2") of all QB prospects over the last 23 years. For a guy who didn't wow anybody statistically during the 2025-26 season, Green did wonders for draft stock with an all-time great performance.
Mike Washington Jr. Running back, Arkansas.
Nobody is going to threaten Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love as the number one running back in the Class of 2026, but Mike Washington Jr. put the league on notice with his performance last week. He has the highest athleticism score of all running backs in the 2026 Draft Class (92). The best moment of the combine came when he broke down in tears of joy after running the fastest 40-yard dash of all halfbacks (4.33). Washington went from a Day Three pick to probably a second-, third-, or fourth-rounder after his combine performance.
Jeff Caldwell. Wide receiver, Cincinnati.
When an incredibly respected college football analyst like Todd McShay says you "won the combine for WRs," you can take that to the bank. Caldwell came away from the week with an astonishing 99 athleticism score, which ranks first amongst wideouts in the 2026 draft class. He ran the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash amongst all prospects (4.31 seconds). He also finished the week with a top-ten broad jump (tied for second, 11'2") and vertical jump (ninth, 42"). Caldwell's unofficial 10/10 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) is the best any NFL wide receiver has posted since 1987.
Kenyon Sadiq. Tight end, Oregon.
Perhaps one of the most impressive of the performances of the week came from Sadiq, who had the best athleticism score of all tight ends in this year's draft (95). He set a record for the fastest 40-yard dash time by a tight end since at least 2003 (4.39 seconds). Sadiq's 43.5-inch vertical jump was tied for the second-best mark amongst all draft prospects. He was also tied for the seventh-best broad jump of the 2026 combine (11'1"). On top of that, Sadiq had 26 bench press reps, which was the same number put up by future Hall of Fame offensive lineman Trent Williams when he participated in the 2010 Scouting Combine.
Eli Stowers. Tight end, Vanderbilt.
Despite the amazing performance by Sadiq, Stowers was arguably better. He ran a slower 40-yard dash (4.51 seconds), but Stowers also had the best vertical jump (45.5 inches) and broad jump (11'3") at the combine. In fact, his vertical jump was a scouting combine record for tight ends. Considering he was the most productive TE in college amongst 2026 draft prospects, he’ll probably end up being a first-round or second-round draft pick. While it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Kenyon Sadiq would be the first tight end off the board in April, that no longer feels like a guarantee.
Max Iheanachor. Offensive tackle, Arizona State.
Iheanachor now feels like a lock to be taken within the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft. He tied number one tackle prospect Spencer Fano for the fastest 40-yard dash time amongst OTs (4.91 seconds). It was the second-fastest 40-yard dash of all 2026 offensive linemen prospects. Iheanachor also finished tied for the third-best broad jump amongst O-linemen (9'7"). He was the 18th-best tackle in terms of production, but after the combine, he's now the sixth-highest rated OT in this draft class on NFL.com.
Monroe Freeling. Offensive tackle, Georgia.
Freeling already had an incredibly productive season, but after the scouting combine - where he came in as the third-most athletic offensive tackle in this draft - he'll likely be taken with a top-50 pick. Amongst all offensive linemen in the Class of 2026, he ranked in the top five in 40-yard dash time (fifth, 4.93 seconds), 10-yard split (second, 1.71 seconds), vertical jump (fifth, 33.5 inches), and broad jump (tied for third, 9'7").
Logan Jones. Center, Iowa.
This is the guy who helped his draft stock the most. He had the fastest 40-yard dash of all offensive linemen at this year's combine (4.90 seconds). He was also the best center in terms of the three-cone drill (7.46 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.59 seconds). Considering there was no clear-cut number-one center in the 2026 NFL Draft, Jones now looks like the favorite to be the first one taken off the board.
Defense
Malachi Lawrence. Edge rusher, UCF.
He was a solid performer last year, but last week, he had the most athletic performance of all defensive ends and edge rushers at the 2026 combine with an 86 grade. The only edge rushers who had faster 40-yard dash times than Lawrence were David Bailey and Arvell Reese, two players projected to go in the top ten of the 2026 NFL Draft. Lawrence was second amongst defensive ends in the ten-yard split (1.59 seconds), vertical jump (40 inches), and broad jump (10'10"). For a player who wasn't even on my radar beforehand, Malachi Lawrence now looks like a guy who will go within the first two rounds of the draft.
David Bailey. Edge rusher, Texas Tech.
It seems weird that the NFL Scouting Combine would affect the draft stock of a projected top-ten pick, but in Bailey's case, it's the truth. He was the second-fastest pass rusher at the combine with a 4.5-second 40-yard dash. Bailey also had the third-best broad jump amongst all edge defenders (10'9"). With the highest production score from last season and the third-best athleticism score at the combine, David Bailey is the highest-rated pass rusher in the 2026 draft on NFL.com.
David Gusta. Defensive tackle, Kentucky.
Gusta was not a great on-field producer, but he wowed NFL executives and fans alike at the combine. He recorded the most bench press reps of combine participants (37). In fact, his 37 reps were tied for the eighth-most in scouting combine history. Amongst DTs, he had the fifth-best 40-yard dash (4.88 seconds), the second-best 10-yard shuttle (1.68 seconds), and was tied for the sixth-best vertical jump at 32 inches. His unofficial 9.75 RAS ranked 52nd out of 2,046 defensive tackles to enter the draft since 1987. Gusta has helped guarantee that he will be taken at some point during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Sonny Styles. Linebacker, Ohio State.
Styles is the draft prospect who might have had the best combine performance. He was the most productive linebacker in college last season and is now seen as the most athletic linebacker as well. His blazing 4.46 40-yard dash was faster than that of wide receiver Carnell Tate, a projected first-round pick. His broad jump (11'2") beat Kenyon Sadiq's. Styles was tied for the second-best vertical jump at the combine (43.5 inches). His 10/10 RAS score ranks him as the most athletic linebacker out of 3,215 candidates since 1987. It feels like Sonny Styles will be a guaranteed top-ten pick after his amazing combine.
Jacob Rodriguez. Linebacker, Texas Tech.
Everybody will be gushing over Sonny Styles, and rightfully so, but Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez also performed very well last week. Amongst linebackers, he finished in the top ten in the 40-yard dash (sevent, 4.57 seconds), 10-yard shuttle (tied for seventh, 1.60 seconds), vertical jump (tied for sixth, 38.5 inches), broad jump (tenth, 10'1"), 20-yard shuttle (tied for first, 4.19 seconds), and three-cone drill (first, 6.90 seconds). Rodriguez is almost certainly a lock to be a first-round pick. At the very least, he'll be taken in the top 50.
Chris Johnson. Cornerback, San Diego State.
Another guy who will be rocketing up teams' draft boards is Chris Johnson, who posted the second-best athletic score at the 2026 scouting combine amongst cornerbacks (84). On NFL.com, he's now graded as the third-best corner in the Class of 2026 (79). Only six defenders at the combine ran a faster 40-yard dash. He finished tied for third amongst CBs in the 10-yard split (1.54 seconds). He also posted the second-most bench press reps among defensive backs with 17. Johnson will likely be selected in the first three rounds of the draft.
Dillon Thieneman. Safety, Oregon.
If there were any questions about who the second-best safety is in the draft after Caleb Downs, there aren't anymore. Thieneman posted the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash time of all defenders (4.35 seconds). His vertical jump (41 inches) was second amongst players in his position group. His 18 reps on the bench press were the most amongst all defensive backs at the combine. While it seemed like Thieneman would be a late-first-round draft pick, he'll probably be taken with a top-20 selection after posting the highest athleticism grade among all safeties at the 2026 Scouting Combine.
Jalon Kilgore. Safety, South Carolina.
At just 21 years old, Kilgore did wonders for his draft stock by participating in every workout except for the three-cone drill. This turned out to be a great decision because he ranked in the top ten amongst safeties in the 40-yard dash (fifth, 4.40 seconds), 10-yard split (tied for sixth, 1.56 seconds), vertical jump (ninth, 37 inches), broad jump (first, 10'10"), 20-yard shuttle (second, 4.32 seconds), and bench press (tied for second, 16 reps). Kilgore will probably be a Day Two or early-Day Three pick.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. Safety, Ohio State.
He's the brother of Sonny Styles and a former wide receiver who made the switch to defensive back, and it shows. He ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash at the combine (4.27 seconds). He was also tied for the second-fastest ten-yard split (1.49 seconds). Styles' 39-inch vertical jump was the fourth-best mark amongst safeties. Before the combine, it felt like he would be an undrafted free agent. Now, though, a team will almost certainly take a flyer on him with a late-round pick. Lorenzo Styles Jr. has the athleticism to make an NFL roster, and the combine proved that.
