Best NFL combine workouts, draft risers: The top performances and prospects from Day 1

INDIANAPOLIS -- Individual drills for prospects in the 2026 NFL draft started Thursday, with defensive linemen and linebackers taking the field. Defensive backs and tight ends will be next Friday, followed by quarterback, running back and wide receiver prospects Saturday. Offensive linemen will finish the combine with on-field workouts Sunday.

Who ran well in the 40-yard dash? Who dominated the rest of the on-field work? Draft experts Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates are recapping all four days of the combine workouts, evaluating the top performances from every position, picking prospects who are rising (or potentially falling) and addressing notable under-the-radar showings.

Let's get into the breakdown of all the action at Lucas Oil Stadium.

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DL/LB: Takeaways | Risers | Top names | Notes

Day 1: Defensive linemen and linebackers

Notables who did not work out: CJ Allen (Georgia), Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), Gabe Jacas (Illinois), Akheem Mesidor (Miami), Peter Woods (Clemson)

What are the biggest takeaways from Thursday's workouts?

Reid: The biggest story of Day 1 at the combine? This linebacker class is awesome. From testing to on-field drills, the names that were expected to be standouts certainly delivered. Sonny Styles (Ohio State) will be the talk of the position group, but the depth shined as well. Jake Golday (Cincinnati), Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas) and Kyle Louis (Pitt) are three others who helped their draft stock. Golday and Hill are both viewed as top-50 prospects, while Louis is considered a Round 3 player. The competition level at the position was on full display, as it seemed like they were openly jostling with each other to catapult themselves up the draft board.

Miller: Arm length was the topic of the day, as Bain (30 7/8 inches) and Texas A&M's Cashius Howell (30 1/4) measured under 31 inches. According to ESPN Research, those lengths would be the shortest for any defensive lineman drafted in the first round since ESPN started tracking combine data in 2003.

Will NFL general managers bet that they're outliers? I've talked to a few teams that had slightly different measurements, ranging up to 32 inches for Bain, but the point stands that no edge rusher with sub-31-inch arms has had 10-plus sacks in a season since 1999. So which team will bet against those numbers and say Bain or Howell are different than the data? The likely result is that each falls from their current rankings based off film -- Bain is my No. 10 prospect and Howell my No. 23 -- but it's unlikely that either falls completely out of Round 1.

Yates: We've reached a different era of the combine, as player participation has been a hot topic in Indy this week. While there are players whose participation could positively impact their draft stock (i.e. Caleb Banks), we are seeing more players who are cognizant of the minimal upside a workout might offer.

At first, I figured sources around the NFL would find this trend disappointing, but the most popular sentiment that I've gathered is one of understanding. These players must make a decision that is most responsible for their own outlook and in some cases, their college film is more than enough to rubberstamp where they belong in the draft.

Who are the biggest risers from Day 1?

Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

Banks didn't even need to finish the on-field workouts to rank as one of Thursday's winners. The 6-foot-6, 327-pound defensive tackle wowed with a 32-inch vertical jump and a 5.05-second 40. Banks missed most of last season with a foot injury, but his upside is through the roof. He could have moved his way into the first round with his times today. -- Miller

Zane Durant, DT, Penn State

With an eye-popping 4.76 40-yard dash, it didn't take the 6-foot-1, 290-pound Durant long to be among one of the biggest standouts of the defensive line group. He followed that up with a 33 ½-inch vertical leap and a 9-foot-4 broad jump. Known for his first-step explosion, Durant showed his quickness and burst throughout the workout. Viewed as an early Day 3 prospect, he's now positioned himself to potentially be a top-100 pick. -- Reid

Gracen Halton, DT, Oklahoma

Halton was one of the more impressive performers from the first group of prospects, as he posted a 36 1/2-inch vertical jump, the third highest of any defensive tackle over the past 20 years. He also ran a 4.83 40. The 6-foot-3, 293-pound Halton had a combined 8.5 sacks over the past two seasons, with 26 pressures in 2025 alone. When taking notes on Halton for my scouting report, I mentioned that he reminded me of a wrestler on the football field with ability to play with leverage and get underneath interior offensive linemen. I now believe he has a chance to go inside the top 100 picks. -- Yates

Malachi Lawrence, Edge, UCF

The word juice always comes to mind when watching Lawrence's film, the sort of burst that showed up during his combine workout. Lawrence ran a 4.52 40, second to only Bailey among defensive linemen, and looked buttery smooth during on-field workout drills. Lawrence screams off the edge as a rusher, creating 60 pressures over the past two seasons. He had two seasons with at least seven sacks in his college career. The 6-foot-4, 253-pound Lawrence could be the first player taken from this year's Shrine Bowl and might be in play for Round 2. - Yates

Kyle Louis, LB, Pitt

Following a standout Senior Bowl week, the 6-foot, 200-pound Louis continued his strong predraft process with impressive numbers in the vertical (39 1/2 inches) and broad (10-foot-9) jumps and a 4.57 40. The hybrid linebacker/safety prospect is a top 100 selection on my board and teams I've spoken with mention his immediate impact as a weakside linebacker. He'd be ideal for a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. -- Miller

Kaleb Proctor, DT, SE Louisiana

Proctor continues to build momentum in the pre-draft process. After a standout week at the Shrine Bowl, his stock continued to rise Thursday, as he ran a 4.8 40 and leaped 33 inches in the vertical. Proctor is undersized at 6-foot-2, 291 pounds but has the potential to be an option in the middle rounds for teams searching for an explosive 3-technique. Scouts frequently point to his two-sack performance last season against LSU when discussing him. -- Reid

How did other top prospects look on Day 1?

David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech

The fact that Bailey participated was noteworthy by itself, and man did he deliver. The 6-foot-4, 251-pounder ran the fastest 40 of any defensive lineman, posting a blazing 4.5 to go along with a 35-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-9 broad jump. Bailey came into the combine with a strong chance of being picked as high as No. 2, with a floor that probably wasn't much below No. 5. Bailey's testing numbers, combined with the violence and power he showed during bag drills, reminded people exactly why he's ranked so high. -- Yates

Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn

While Faulk did not run the 40, he did the jumps and participated in on-field workouts. Faulk showed body control and balance during on-field work, especially when doing the "run the hoop" drill. That aligns with Faulk's tape, though he remains a player that I've had a tough time evaluating. Faulk has check-the-box measurables at 6-foot-6, 276 pounds and was excellent in 2024 with seven sacks, but his tape this past season was less exhilarating. Faulk has versatility, is a ready-made run defender and is one of the youngest prospects in the class -- along with A-plus character -- which will help him land in the first round. But he must be a much more disruptive and consistent in the NFL. -- Yates

Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State

McDonald entered the day with a late first-round grade on my board and the potential to be the first nose tackle drafted. Despite not running the 40-yard dash, he opted in on the workouts. His performance was uneven, as the 6-foot-2, 326-pound McDonald struggled with his footing during multiple drills, but he did show the upper-body power that made him one of the best run stuffers in college last season. The late first round is still in play, but Ohio State's pro day carries significance for his final grade. -- Miller

Arvell Reese, Edge/LB, Ohio State

Opting to only run the 40-yard dash and participate in on-field drills, Reese still managed to be a big part of the Day 1 discussion. Running a blistering 4.47 40 dash time, the explosive burst and speed of the 6-foot-4, 241-pound Reese didn't disappoint. A mini-competition between him and teammate Sonny Styles ensued as both ran identical unofficial times (Styles' official time was slightly better). The bend of Reese also was on full display, as his quick movement skills and swift change-of-direction were effortless during drills. Reese only helped himself as he continues to be one of the strongest contenders to be selected by the New York Jets at No. 2 overall. -- Reid

Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

The talk exiting Day 1 was Styles' performance. The towering middle linebacker prospect (6-foot-5, 244 pounds) jumped an impressive 43 ½ inches in the vertical, the best leap for a player at that position dating to 2003, per ESPN Research. He also jumped 11-foot-2 in the broad jump and ran a 4.46 40. Styles was expected to have outlandish testing numbers, yet he surpassed everyone's expectations. Labeled as a top-10 pick entering the combine, I'm not so sure he makes it out of the top 5 now. His combination of size, instincts, and range makes him one of the best middle linebacker prospects in recent memory, as he could be the first top-5 pick at the position since Devin White in 2019. -- Reid

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Buckeyes' Sonny Styles reaches 43-5 on vertical at the combine

Ohio State LB Sonny Styles jumps an impressive 43-5 on the vertical at the NFL combine.

Zion Young, Edge, Missouri

Young was among several defensive linemen who opted to not run the 40-yard dash, but he showed out when performing positional drills. Young's "wave" drill was clean, showing quick feet and good body control at 6-foot-6 and 262 pounds. His quickness in drills matched his tape, and his status as a late Round 1 player on my board is unchanged after one of the better positional drill showings in his group. -- Miller

More notes, thoughts and things we heard and saw on Day 1

Miller

• Cashius Howell had a day that'll no doubt send scouts back to his tape. We already noted the Texas A&M edge rusher's subpar arm length, but he then ran an elite 4.6-second 40, which included a 1.59-second 10-yard split. Those numbers in the 88th and 87th percentile for edge rushers since 1999, respectively. Short arms can be overcome with speed, and Howell proved he has that. Despite leaving positional drills after a leg injury, a late first round selection feels secured for the 6-foot-3, 253-pounder.

Reid

• The revival of T.J. Parker's draft stock continues. After a disappointing final season at Clemson, he has continued to build on his impressive Senior Bowl week with a good performance at the combine. Parker ran a 4.68 40 and had a 34-inch vertical at 6-foot-4, 263 pounds. Parker's ascension has resulted in him being back in the picture to be picked at the end of Round 1.

Yates

• Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter's results in the vertical and broad jumps came up in conversations with scouts on Thursday, as he managed just a 21-1/2 inch vertical and 8-foot-4 broad jump. While Hunter's game is not predicated upon solely explosion, those numbers are far from ideal. The 6-foot-4, 318-pound Hunter had flashes of absolute dominance -- none more so than against Oregon in the playoffs -- but also other games that weren't at that level. My best forecast is him landing somewhere in the second round.