The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine concluded with several prospects delivering notable performances in front of team officials. While the combine is just one part of a team’s evaluation process, it provides insight into a player’s athletic ability and adds context to their college game film.
Thirteen players were highlighted for their standout workouts as the draft approaches in two months. The following are some of the offensive and defensive prospects who drew attention:
On offense, Deion Burks from Oklahoma posted a 4.3-second 40-yard dash, ranking third among receivers, and led his position group in both vertical jump (42.5 inches) and bench press (26 reps). Jeff Caldwell from Cincinnati recorded a top 10-second split at 1.48 seconds and had an unofficial relative athletic score of 10, placing him second among wide receivers since 1987.
Monroe Freeling, an offensive tackle from Georgia, measured at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds with impressive speed for his size—a 4.93-second 40-yard dash—and ranked highly in broad and vertical jumps among linemen.
Quarterback Taylen Green from Arkansas set combine records for his position with a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, a vertical jump of 43.5 inches, and a broad jump of 11 feet, 2 inches—all bests for quarterbacks since at least 2003 according to ESPN Research.
Bryce Lance from North Dakota State ran the fifth-fastest time among receivers at his position with a strong showing in other drills as well. Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon ran the fastest-ever tight end time at the combine (4.39 seconds) and performed well across all tests.
Running back Mike Washington Jr., also from Arkansas, posted the fastest running back time in the event (4.33 seconds) while showing strong marks in jumping drills.
On defense, David Bailey from Texas Tech ran a fast time for edge rushers (4.5 seconds) and showed explosiveness with his broad jump performance.
Dani Dennis-Sutton out of Penn State excelled with top marks in broad jump and agility drills among edge defenders while maintaining competitive times in other categories.
Malachi Lawrence from UCF continued his upward trend by ranking near the top in multiple events for defensive ends including sprints and jumps.
Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech) stood out particularly for short-area agility drills important to his role on defense.
Sonny Styles (Ohio State) led all linebackers in major athletic testing categories including setting a mark not seen since at least 2003 per ESPN data.
Safety Dillon Thieneman (Oregon) delivered solid results across speed, strength, and jumping metrics during testing.
The Atlanta Falcons are based in Atlanta, Georgia (official website) where they compete as part of the NFL’s NFC South division (official website). The franchise began play as an expansion team in 1965 (official website) and has advanced to two Super Bowls—1998 and again in 2016 (official website).
