If I told you that Jager Burton did well at the NFL Combine, you probably wouldn’t be surprised. Athleticism was never an issue for the Lexington native. He looks like somebody who would excel in an event like this. To say Burton “excelled” would be an understatement. He kicked the NFL Combine’s ass.

The former Kentucky center was one of only nine offensive linemen to run a sub-5-second 40-yard dash, clocking in at 4.94 seconds. Burton also went 9-foot-3 on the broad jump and posted a 28-inch vertical.

Those are just numbers. Are they good? The answer is yes, but how good? What if I told you that Jager Burton is one of the 10 most athletic centers to ever test at the NFL Combine?

Relative Athletic Score (RAS) is a formula created to add context to athletic testing numbers for certain positions. Kent Lee Platte created RAS in 2013 to evaluate an NFL prospect’s athleticism by comparing their combine/pro day testing (height, weight, speed, explosiveness, agility) against historical data of their position group since 1987. Jager Burton ranks seventh among 676 centers in the RAS database.

Not too shabby. The NFL uses a similar tool and graded Jager as the second-best center at this year’s Combine.

Ahead of his senior season at Kentucky, Jager hit the weight room and transformed his body while transitioning back to the center position. After one failed attempt earlier in his career, he mastered his second test as the highest-graded Kentucky offensive lineman in 2026.

There is not a ton of positional value in the NFL for centers, but Burton has experience at all three interior offensive line positions. That experience in the SEC, along with a strong showing at the NFL Combine and the Shrine Bowl, may do enough to convince a team to select him on the third day of the NFL Draft.

Jalen Farmer Shined at the NFL Combine

Burton wasn’t the only former Kentucky offensive lineman who wowed on the final day of the NFL Combine. Kentucky football fans were surprised when Jalen Farmer declared for the NFL Draft with a year of eligibility remaining. The offensive guard was primed to earn a nice payday at Kentucky as an All-SEC candidate. We’re learning why he decided to bet on himself at the next level.

Like Burton, Farmer also beat the 5-second mark in the 40-yard dash. His 4.93 was the fourth-fastest among all offensive linemen at the NFL Combine. He had the second-fastest 10-second split among offensive guards. The NFL ranked Farmer as the fourth-highest-performing guard at the event, giving him an elite RAS score.

The #Patriots met with Kentucky IOL Jalen Farmer at the Combine, per @thepatriotsbeat.

The 6’5 312-pound guard started 2 years on the right side and measured in with 34 1/4″ arms.

Farmer described Mike Vrabel as “intense” during their meeting.

He is a projected mid-round pick. pic.twitter.com/HWSMoxcUF4

— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) March 1, 2026

If the NFL Combine has taught Kentucky fans anything, it’s that last year’s failures were not for a lack of athletes. We’ll hear plenty of their names called at the NFL Draft in April.