2026 NFL combine bold predictions: Blazing speed, a record jump and more hot takes
On-field workouts kick off Thursday inside Lucas Oil Stadium
The 2026 NFL Draft class has parity at a lot of positions. There aren't many clear-cut top players on tape, which means athletic testing at the NFL Scouting Combine will help to sort out several positions in the class.
With that in mind, here are five bold predictions about the crop of talent that we'll see in Indianapolis over the next few days.
1. Multiple prospects will run the 40-yard dash in the 4.2s
There have been eight wide receivers to break 4.30 seconds in the 40-yard dash since the NFL officially began collecting records on the event in the mid-2000s. There have never been two guys in the same class, though.
I'm betting that changes with this year's group. Mississippi State's Brenen Thompson and LSU's Chris Hilton Jr. would be my two picks. Tennessee's Chris Brazzell II, Oklahoma's Deion Burks, and LSU's Barion Brown could all be in the ballpark as well. There's some real deal speed in this receiver class that could cause some records to fall.
2. The vertical jump record falls
Despite everyone seemingly getting bigger, faster and stronger in the NFL, Donald Washington's 45-inch vertical jump record has never been bested since he set it in 2009 (although Chris Conley tied it in 2015). That's the longest-standing record of all the on-field combine tests.
There's a wide receiver in this year's class, though, who has been jumping higher than that in training. Cincinnati's Jeff Caldwell is an explosive marvel. The 6-foot-5 wideout can really go up and get it. His 40, broad jump and vertical jump should all be freakishly impressive for a man that big. Don't be surprised if records fall in the process.
3. LB will be the most athletic position group
While there's not really a great way of proving this, expect most lists of "winners" post-combine to be filled with linebackers. Ohio State's Sonny Styles, Texas' Anthony Hill Jr., Cincinnati's Jake Golday, Georgia's CJ Allen, Missouri's Josiah Trotter, Pittsburgh's Kyle Louis, and LSU's Harold Perkins Jr. should all test at a high level.
If you have ties near the top of the linebacker class, I'm not even sure you'll be able to break them because they are all so gifted athletically. It's a great group of linebackers who will test how much the NFL values the position in the draft.
4. The fastest and smallest CB will be the same
Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds is going to give NFL teams a lot to think about in the pre-draft process. That's because the College Football Playoff National Championship winner not only has some of the best tape in the class, but is also arguably the best athlete as well.
There's one small problem -- he's listed at 5-foot-9 and 173 pounds. There hasn't been a cornerback who was 5-feet-9 and weighed under 180 pounds in the top 100 since Scott Starks in 2005 (pick 87). If Ponds runs in the 4.2s, someone will take a chance on him in the top 100.
5. More than half of the first round won't test
This is the saddest one on this list. The pre-draft process has become so micro-managed by agents that live in fear of their players looking bad. The 2025 draft was only a couple of players away from this mark, and the trend keeps growing and growing every year. There's a good chance we won't see on-field drills from half of the first round this week.
While I hope we'll at least get to see them at their pro days, there's even a growing contingent of players who opt out of all testing. It's time to end the trend!
