I had a pretty good idea who was expected to put on the best shows in Indy based on all the intel I\u2019d gathered over the last offseason, but I also spoke to some top combine trainers who had even more insight \u2014 including on a bunch of guys I apparently missed last summer.<\/p>\n
Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr., who played at Buffalo and New Mexico State before arriving in the SEC, backed up everything trainer Jordan Luallen told me a week ago. The 6-1, 223-pound back ran a 4.33 40 with the best 10-yard split of all the running backs at 1.51 seconds. He also posted a 39-inch vertical and a 10-8 broad jump.<\/p>\n
Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton also showed out. The disruptive Sooner, at 6-3, 293 pounds, ran a 4.82 40 with a 36.5-inch vertical and a 9-6 broad jump \u2014 all elite numbers for an interior defensive lineman. Kentucky defensive tackle David Gusta, at 6-2, 308 pounds, was almost as fast, running a 4.88 40 with a stunning 1.68-second 10-yard split to go with a 32-inch vertical. Only Penn State Freak Zane Durant had a quicker 10-yard split (1.66) and he\u2019s 18 pounds lighter.<\/p>\n
Our top two Freak athletes going into the combine, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, exceeded the hype. Sadiq does not have prototypical tight end size. He\u2019s more in the mold of Brock Bowers than Rob Gronkowski, and he\u2019s not quite the football player Bowers is, but he\u2019s a more explosive athlete. At 6-3 1\/8, he weighed in at 241 pounds \u2014 down from the 255 he weighed last offseason. His 43 1\/2-inch vertical and 11-1 broad jump showcased elite explosiveness. He also ran a 4.39 40 \u2014 the fastest by a tight end in Indy since 2003. Neither he nor fellow Freak Eli Stowers displayed their receiving skills in the on-field workout. A concern with Sadiq is how consistent his hands are.<\/p>\n
Styles blew scouts away when they saw him and his workout. He\u2019s a former safety who is now 6-5, 244 pounds with arms that are almost 33 inches long. He ran a 4.46 40, posted a 43 1\/2-inch vertical and an 11-2 broad jump. Based on his remarkable athleticism, frame and skill set, it would not be a shock if he ends up going in the top five in the draft this spring.<\/p>\n
Stowers, a former Texas 6A state high-jump champion, improved his vertical jump from 39 inches last offseason to 45 1\/2 inches.<\/p>\n
Small-school Freak wide receiver Ted Hurst from Georgia State came in taller and bigger than he measured last year. He was 6-4, 206 \u2014 up from 6-3, 198. Last offseason, Hurst ran a laser-timed 4.51 40 and broad jumped 10-8. Over the weekend, he improved that to a 4.42 40 and an 11-3 broad jump. His stock, which already got a boost from a strong week at the Senior Bowl, should continue to rise.<\/p>\n
From a pure talent standpoint, none of this year\u2019s receivers is close to Ohio State\u2019s Jeremiah Smith, who isn\u2019t draft-eligible until 2027. But this group definitely helped itself \u2014 even if projected top wide receiver prospect Carnell Tate was one of the few guys who ran a bit slower than expected, with an official 40 time of 4.53. He\u2019s still an excellent all-around receiver, and we\u2019ve seen plenty of top wideouts clock 40 times slower than 4.50. The NFL star Tate is often compared to, former OU standout CeeDee Lamb, ran a 4.50 at the combine.<\/p>\n
Here are 11 other takeaways from my week at the combine:<\/p>\n
1. Over the next month-plus, the subject of Rueben Bain Jr.\u2019s arm length is going to be quite the draft subplot. The former Miami D-line standout\u2019s arms measured at 30 7\/8 inches \u2014 less than ideal for an edge rusher. The 6-2, 263-pounder was the most disruptive defensive lineman in college football last year. On top of that, Bain did more to change the culture of a Canes program that had been spinning its wheels for almost two decades until he decided to stay home.<\/p>\n
One veteran NFL defensive coach described him to me as \u201cthe anti-measurables guy\u201d and said it wouldn\u2019t surprise him if Bain turns out to be a DE version of Aaron Donald. That is obviously a mouthful. \u201cHe dominates in the run game and you can\u2019t block him on the rush,\u201d the coach said. \u201cFrom what I heard about his interview, he said (Miami D-line coach) Jason Taylor really taught them how to be a professional in terms of practice habits, film study and his overall approach. And it\u2019s obvious on film that Bain took that to heart. He\u2019s trying to snatch guys\u2019 souls on the field. In my heart, I pray he\u2019s there (in the second half of the first round) when we pick, but my brain says no way he falls that far.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s worth noting that no edge rusher over the last 20 years has been picked in the first round with arms as short as Bain\u2019s. One NFL scout told\u00a0The Athletic that he\u2019ll be shocked if that doesn\u2019t change. He said Bain is too explosive, violent and powerful and that his first-step burst is good enough to help overcome his lack of length on the edge: \u201cI love that kid. He\u2019s just different, and I mean that in a good way.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Rueben](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/USATSI_28342418-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Rueben Bain Jr.\u2019s arm length will be a subplot to the draft, but his explosiveness and power are too much to pass up. (Kirby Lee \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
2. Two other edge players have legit top-10 talent. Ohio State\u2019s Arvell Reese drew some Micah Parsons comparisons from the NFL scouts I spoke to last week in terms of having the ability to be an elite edge player and off-ball linebacker. Coaches love the 6-4, 241-pounder\u2019s range, explosiveness and violent knock-back. His ability to bend and seamlessly change direction is special, too. No one seemed surprised that Reese clocked a 4.46 40 with a 1.58-second 10-yard split. He looks every bit that fast on film when he\u2019s running guys down. He was the breakout defensive star of the 2025 college football season. Some Big Ten coaches we spoke to thought he caused more problems than Caleb Downs.<\/p>\n
Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey was almost unblockable last season. At 6-4, 251 pounds, he ran a 4.50 40 and broad jumped 10-9. I think Bailey is an even better player than Abdul Carter, who went No. 3 overall last year. They\u2019re almost the same size and length, and they test similarly.<\/p>\n
3. Another Red Raider D-lineman, Lee Hunter, came up several times when I asked coaches and scouts for their favorite player interview last week. People just love his energy and personality. The 6-3 1\/2, 318-pound nose tackle was an integral part of Texas Tech\u2019s defensive turnaround. He had an impressive week at the Senior Bowl, bulldozing his way through blockers, but he didn\u2019t test that well in Indy with only a 21 1\/2-inch vertical and an 8-4 broad jump. His 5.18 40, though, is good for a guy that big, and he moved well on the field.<\/p>\n
4. Missouri edge rusher Zion Young (16.5 TFLs last year) seemed to be a guy some NFL D-line coaches like more than some of the draft analysts at this point. At 6-6, 262 pounds with 33-inch arms, Young has the ideal size and athleticism and helped himself in Indy.<\/p>\n
5. USC\u2019s Makai Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as the country\u2019s top receiver in 2025. He\u2019s a stocky 5-11, 192-pounder who is the next in a long line of standout Trojan wideouts, and he draws comparisons to former USC star-turned NFL star Amon-Ra St. Brown. Neither guy has prototype size or will run a 40 in the 4.3s, but both are extremely savvy and quicker than fast. Lemon looks more like a running back than a receiver.<\/p>\n
While in Indy, I spent some time with Tony Villani of XPE Sports, a combine preparation gym in Florida, who has worked with a range of NFL stars, from Cris Carter and Randy Moss to Darrelle Revis to Travis Kelce. When we talked about Lemon, he showed me a freeze-frame from a video of the USC star doing a shuttle run. Villani was almost in awe of Lemon\u2019s ability to be in a position \u2014 crouched so low while changing direction without losing much speed \u2014 that it helps explain why he\u2019s so gifted at getting open and making people miss. Lemon didn\u2019t test in Indy, but he shone in the on-field workout, effortlessly getting in and out of his cuts.<\/p>\n
6. As expected, Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love ran very fast, going 4.36 in the 40. Count me as someone who thinks he\u2019ll be even better than last year\u2019s top RB Ashton Jeanty. One thing I heard from a few NFL people was how complete a back Love is, and that he\u2019s as good in pass protection as any back in this class.<\/p>\n
7. Last year, Arizona State produced a compelling draft story with Cam Skattebo. The Sun Devils have another one in OT Max Iheanachor, a former high school basketball player born in Nigeria who moved to the U.S. at 13. At 6-6, 321 pounds, he ran a 4.91 40 and broad jumped 9-7, and he moved very well in the on-field drills. I was texting with one of his coaches at ASU, strength coach Joe Connolly, over the weekend, who described him as \u201csuper athletic and a great kid.\u201d He also spoke about how glad he is that Iheanachor decided to stay for last season and didn\u2019t leave early. \u201cHe\u2019s a true developmental guy. You don\u2019t get that very much anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Georgia OT Monroe Freeling is another lineman I feel like we should\u2019ve been talking about more. At 6-7, 315 with almost 35-inch arms, Freeling clocked a 4.93 40 and had a 33 1\/2-inch vertical.<\/p>\n
8. Oregon DB Dillon Thieneman, who began his career at Purdue, is a guy some NFL DB coaches we spoke to love. He\u2019s already been compared to former Iowa star Cooper DeJean. They\u2019re both really versatile defensive backs who grew up in the Midwest. They also make a ton of plays and test very well. The 6-0, 201-pound Thieneman was expected to put up some eye-catching numbers in Indy, and he did. He posted a 41-inch vertical and ran a 4.35 40 with a 1.52-second 10-yard split. Those were even better numbers than DeJean posted at his pro day when he went 4.42 with a 38 1\/2-inch vertical. As much as I like Thieneman, I\u2019m going to hold off on the DeJean comp just because of how seamlessly the former Iowa star can play every position in the secondary. That\u2019s rare.<\/p>\n
Or, as one of the DB coaches explained to me: \u201cFast is not the same as fluid.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Dillon](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/USATSI_27915558-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Dillon Thieneman put up more impressive combine numbers to a player he\u2019s been compared to in Cooper DeJean. (Nathan Ray Seebeck \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
9. Another DB whose stock should rise after this week is Arizona\u2019s Treydan Stukes, a former walk-on who has played a lot at nickel and made a bunch of spectacular plays for a much-improved Wildcats team in 2024. The 6-1, 190-pounder with almost 32-inch arms had an impressive showing. His testing numbers were elite: a 4.33 40 with a 1.50-second 10-yard split, along with a 10-10 broad jump and a 38-inch vertical. He was described as a really long, athletic guy with good character \u2014 he was a team captain \u2014 who has some technique things he needs to clean up, but can fix. The traits and makeup are already there.<\/p>\n
10. It\u2019s going to be fascinating to see how NFL teams view Arkansas QB Taylen Green and how some team will try to use him in the next few years. At 6-6, 227 pounds with almost 35-inch arms, he ran the second-fastest 40 time by a QB at the combine, going 4.36 and barely missing Texas A&M\u2019s Reggie McNeal\u2019s 4.35 in 2006. Green also vertical jumped 43 1\/2 inches and broad jumped 11-2. We had him on the Freaks List a few years ago when he was at Boise State and expected him to test well, but I was surprised by what a show he ended up putting on in the testing part of the combine. <\/p>\n
Green (19 TDs, 11 INTs in 2025) was inconsistent as a passer in college and is still pretty raw, but he has a rare combination of size and athleticism. He had four rushes of at least 40 yards last season, but his team went 2-10 despite having him and Mike Washington Jr. on an offense run by Bobby Petrino. It\u2019s also worth pointing out that, as bad as the Hogs were, they ranked second in the SEC in yards per play at 6.94.<\/p>\n
11. Another intriguing prospect to watch will be USC\u2019s other receiver, Ja\u2019Kobi Lane. He\u2019s got one of the most impressive highlight reels of spectacular one-handed catches. He had a very impressive day in the tests and on the field. At 6-4, 200 pounds, he clocked a 4.47 40 to go with a 40-inch vertical and a 10-9 broad jump. There are questions about his maturity and his consistency, but there is a whole lot of talent here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 On Sunday, NFL Network displayed a graphic near the end of its week-long NFL Scouting Combine…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":789227,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5],"tags":[331,7,49,48,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-789226","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-college-football","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-ncaa","11":"tag-ncaa-football","12":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116165815788053524","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=789226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/789227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=789226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=789226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=789226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}