2026 NFL Combine: Records Shattered, Jaws Dropped, and a Backflip to Close It Out

Lucas Oil Stadium has seen some things over the years. But the 2026 NFL Combine threw a few curveballs that even the most seasoned scouts didn’t see coming. From tight ends moving like cornerbacks to a quarterback who apparently forgot he wasn’t at a track meet, Indianapolis delivered one of the more memorable combine weekends in recent memory.

Let’s break it all down.

Lorenzo Styles Jr. Runs a 4.27 — Hurt

Here’s the part that stings a little. Ohio State safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2026 combine — a blazing 4.27 seconds, the quickest time by a safety since at least 2003 — and he did it while not being close to 100% healthy. He’s scheduled for labrum surgery the following week for an injury he played through the entire 2025 season.

Let that sink in. The man ran a sub-4.3 on one working shoulder and still outran most of the defensive backs in the building. If that doesn’t get a team’s attention, nothing will. And yes, his brother Sonny ran a 4.46 the night before. The Styles family didn’t come to Indianapolis to mess around.

Kenyon Sadiq and Eli Stowers Made the Tight End Position Look Unfair

Tight ends aren’t supposed to move like this. Nobody told Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq.

Sadiq set the NFL Combine record for the 40-yard dash by a tight end, clocking in at 4.39 seconds. He also tied the combine record for vertical jump among tight ends at 43.5 inches and posted an 11-foot-1 broad jump. For a position group that typically celebrates a guy who can jog a 4.6 without pulling a hamstring, this was practically science fiction.

Not to be outdone, Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers set a new combine record for tight ends in the broad jump at 11 feet, 3 inches, and posted a 45.5-inch vertical — tied for the third-highest vertical in combine history across all positions, putting him in the same conversation as Cameron Wake. The same Cameron Wake who terrorized NFL quarterbacks for over a decade.

These two didn’t just help their draft stock. They rewrote the record books at their position in a single afternoon.

Dillon Thieneman: The Safety Who Outran Wide Receivers

Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman posted a 41-inch vertical, a 10-foot-5 broad jump, and a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. He also — and this is not an exaggeration — was filmed casually outrunning three of the top wide receivers in the draft class during a drill.

Three. Wide receivers. Who are paid in scholarships specifically to be fast.

Thieneman checks in at No. 35 overall on CBS Sports’ prospect rankings. After this weekend, that number is probably going to move.

Taylen Green Rewrote the QB Record Books

Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green walked into the combine as a mid-round curiosity and left it as must-see tape for every front office in the league. The 6-foot-6, 227-pound signal-caller posted a 43.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot-2 broad jump — both NFL Combine records for a quarterback, surpassing marks previously held by Anthony Richardson. He then ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash, the second-fastest time ever by a quarterback at the combine.

Anthony Richardson set the bar. Green cleared it by three inches on the vertical alone.

His throwing session was also genuinely impressive. Whether the athleticism translates to NFL production is a question only time can answer, but Green made sure scouts will be asking it for months.

D’Angelo Ponds Silenced the Doubters at 5-Foot-8

Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds came into Indianapolis with a question hanging over him: can a 5-foot-8 corner compete at the NFL level against bigger receivers? His answer was a 43.5-inch vertical jump — the fourth-best mark by a cornerback in combine history. He also finished at the top of the positional leaderboard in the vertical among all corners tested.

Nobody’s asking that question anymore.

The Wide Receiver Group Brought Legitimate Speed

Mississippi State’s Brenen Thompson ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash. LSU’s Zavion Thomas ran a 4.28. Back to back. The Lucas Oil Stadium turf barely had time to recover.

Thompson’s time puts him just five hundredths of a second off Xavier Worthy’s all-time combine record of 4.21. The difference, according to the data, came entirely in the first ten yards — Thompson covered them in 1.54 seconds versus Worthy’s 1.49. That’s basically the width of a football at full sprint. Elite company regardless.

Oklahoma’s Deion Burks (4.30) and Cincinnati’s Jeff Caldwell (4.31) also posted sub-4.32 times, making this one of the faster receiver groups in recent combine history.

Bills GM Brandon Beane Tried His Best

After Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate — a consensus first-round talent — ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash, Bills GM Brandon Beane was conveniently positioned in the broadcast booth. He took his shot.

“He’s pretty slow. I probably wouldn’t take him early.”

It was funny. It was transparent. And it absolutely will not work. Tate is still going top 15. Beane knows it. The rest of the league knows it. But you have to respect the hustle.

Diego Pavia Ended Day Three With a Backflip

If you watched Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia play college football, you knew this was possible. He threw accurately throughout his session — particularly on sail routes, earning strong marks from evaluators — and then closed out Day Three of the 2026 NFL Combine with a backflip.

On the Lucas Oil Stadium turf. In front of NFL scouts. Because why not.

The 2026 NFL Draft takes place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. After a combine weekend like this, April can’t get here fast enough.