The 2026 NFL Combine kicked off at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Wednesday with edge rushers, interior defensive linemen, and linebackers taking the field, and Day 1 delivered exactly the kind of jaw-dropping athletic spectacle that sends draft boards into a blender. Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles posted the best vertical jump by any linebacker in combine history, UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence earned the top athleticism score among all defensive ends, and Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks measured out with the longest wingspan any DT has recorded since 1999. With the 2026 NFL Draft set for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh and the Raiders holding the No. 1 overall pick, the positioning battle for the top of the first round is just heating up.
Sonny Styles Puts on the Most Explosive Linebacker Performance in Combine History
Let's start with the player who absolutely dominated the conversation all day. Sonny Styles, the 6-foot-5, 244-pound Ohio State linebacker, turned in a performance that does not have a real historical comparison. His 43.5-inch vertical jump is the best ever recorded by a linebacker at the combine. Period. It is also the best ever by any player weighing more than 240 pounds, surpassing the 42.5-inch vertical that Calvin Johnson posted at 6-5, 239 in 2007. Think about that for a second: a linebacker just out-jumped Megatron.
But the vertical was only part of the story. Styles blazed a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, tying for the fastest time among all linebackers on the day. His broad jump of 11 feet 2 inches was equally absurd for a man his size. NFL.com's simulcam showed Styles pulling away from CeeDee Lamb and Kyle Hamilton in the 40-yard dash, which is the kind of visual that gets scouts out of their seats and general managers reaching for their phones.
Styles is a converted safety who is still learning the linebacker position, which means the tape has not always matched the athletic testing. That distinction matters for draft positioning. He entered the combine ranked No. 7 on Mel Kiper's big board, No. 11 on Tankathon, and No. 13 on USA TODAY's rankings. A performance like this almost certainly pushes him into the top-10 conversation for anyone who was on the fence, and it could make him the first linebacker drafted since Devin White in 2019 to go in the top five.
Record-Breaking Performance: Sonny Styles' 43.5-inch vertical is the best EVER by a linebacker at the NFL Combine, and the best by any player above 240 pounds, surpassing Calvin Johnson's 42.5 inches at the 2007 Combine.
How Styles' Combine Performance Affects 2026 NFL Draft Betting Odds
Here's where it gets interesting from a betting perspective. Styles was projected as a top-15 pick before he stepped into Lucas Oil Stadium. After Wednesday, his draft stock is climbing fast. The question every bettor should be asking is whether the sportsbooks have adjusted quickly enough, or whether there is a window to grab value on Styles' draft position prop.
Converted defensive players are always a bit of a puzzle for NFL teams because the projection element introduces uncertainty. But combine testing this dominant tends to override tape concerns, especially when you are talking about a prospect who can do things no player at his position has ever done before in this setting. Teams drafting in the 4-8 range who need a versatile defensive weapon just got a very compelling reason to move Styles up their board. If you see an over/under on his draft slot sitting at pick 10.5 or higher, the under looks awfully interesting right now.
Arvell Reese Matches Styles' Speed, Keeps Powder Dry
Styles was not the only Ohio State defender who showed up. Arvell Reese, the 6-4, 241-pound edge rusher/linebacker hybrid, also ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash to tie Styles for the fastest time among linebackers. His measurements were impressive across the board: 32.5-inch arms, 9.5-inch hands, and a 79.5-inch wingspan that gives him the length NFL teams covet on the edge.
The interesting decision from Reese was to skip the vertical and broad jump entirely, saving those drills for Ohio State's pro day on March 25. That is a calculated bet on himself. CBS Sports gave his Day 1 performance an A- grade, and multiple outlets have him projected as a top-5 pick who could go as high as No. 2 to the Jets. For a player in that tier, there is no upside to risking an injury on drills he knows he will crush in a more controlled environment. Smart move.
Day 1 Combine Results: Top Performers at a Glance
| Player | School | Pos | 40-Yard | Vertical | Broad | Key Measurable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonny Styles | Ohio State | LB | 4.46 | 43.5" | 11'2" | 6-5, 244 lbs |
| Arvell Reese | Ohio State | EDGE/LB | 4.46 | DNP | DNP | 6-4, 241, 79.5" wingspan |
| Malachi Lawrence | UCF | EDGE | 4.52 | 40" | 10'10" | 6-4, 253, arms ~34" |
| Caleb Banks | Florida | DT | 5.04 | 32" | -- | 6-6, 327, 85.75" wingspan |
| David Bailey | Texas Tech | EDGE | -- | -- | -- | Top 5 pick, Von Miller comps |
| Zane Durant | Penn State | DL | 4.75 | -- | -- | Fastest DL 40 time |
Malachi Lawrence: The Biggest Riser of Day 1
If there is one player who can legitimately say he made money on Wednesday, it is Malachi Lawrence out of UCF. The 6-4, 253-pound edge rusher put together the kind of complete athletic profile that forces evaluators to go back and re-watch every snap of tape with fresh eyes. His 4.52-second 40-yard dash (with a blistering 1.58 10-yard split), 40-inch vertical, and 10-foot-10-inch broad jump earned him the No. 1 athleticism score among all edge rushers at the combine.
When you pair those numbers with arms that measure nearly 34 inches, you are looking at a player who has the explosive burst to win off the snap, the length to keep offensive tackles from locking onto his chest, and the raw power at 253 pounds to hold up against the run. Multiple draft analysts said Lawrence "most certainly made some money" on Day 1, and that is probably an understatement. His testing profile compares favorably to first-round edge rushers of the past, and teams picking in the 15-25 range should be circling his name right now.
Combine Riser Alert: Malachi Lawrence (UCF, EDGE) earned the #1 athleticism score among all edge rushers. At 6-4, 253 with a 4.52 40, 40-inch vertical, and nearly 34-inch arms, he has first-round explosiveness from a mid-round prospect.
Caleb Banks: Historic Wingspan Locks First-Round Status
Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks did not run the fastest 40 or leap the highest, but he confirmed what NFL teams have known for months: this is one of the most physically imposing interior defenders to come out of the draft in years. At 6-6, 327 pounds, Banks measured out with an 85.75-inch wingspan, the longest among any defensive tackle at the combine since 1999. His 35-inch arms give him a reach advantage that most offensive linemen simply cannot deal with.
His 5.04-second 40-yard dash and 32-inch vertical are solid but not spectacular for a player his size, and that is perfectly fine. Interior defensive linemen do not get drafted because they run fast in a straight line. They get drafted because they can occupy space, disrupt passing lanes, and collapse the pocket from the inside. Banks' combination of length, mass, and verified athleticism has him locked into the first round of the April draft.
Day 1 Losers: Bain's Arms, Overton's 40
Not everyone had a good day in Indianapolis. Rueben Bain Jr. from Miami made the puzzling decision not to test at all in the athletic drills, which is never a great sign when teams are looking for reasons to spend a premium pick. What made it worse was his arm measurement: 30.875 inches, the fourth-shortest among edge rushers at the combine since 1999. For a player whose pass rush relies on getting around the edge, short arms are a legitimate concern because they limit how effectively he can keep blockers off his body.
Overton also had a rough outing, running a 4.87-second 40-yard dash, the third-worst time among all edge rushers. That kind of number can absolutely tank your draft stock, especially in a class loaded with explosive defenders who tested well. When teams have options like Lawrence at 4.52 or Bailey drawing Von Miller comparisons, a 4.87 from an edge rusher becomes a serious red flag in the evaluation process.
Red Flags from Day 1: Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami) did not test and measured just 30.875-inch arms, 4th-shortest among EDGE players since 1999. Overton's 4.87 40-yard dash was the 3rd-worst among edge rushers. Both face a real fight to maintain their draft positions.
David Bailey and the Von Miller Comparison
Texas Tech's David Bailey was penciled in as a top-5 pick heading into the combine, and the draft community immediately started drawing comparisons to Von Miller, who went No. 2 overall to the Broncos in 2011. That is an enormously high bar, but it speaks to how evaluators view Bailey's combination of bend, speed, and finishing ability at the point of attack. The combine is about either confirming what teams already believe or forcing them to reconsider, and for Bailey, the goal was simple: test well enough to solidify the top-5 projection and let the tape do the rest of the talking.
Breaking Trade: Jets Send Jermaine Johnson to Titans for T'Vondre Sweat
TRADE ALERT: NYJ / TEN
Jets send: DE Jermaine Johnson II (13 career sacks)
Titans send: NT T'Vondre Sweat (6-2, 366 lbs, signed through 2027, $1.7M cap hit)
Effective: March 11, 2026 (new league year)
Johnson reunites with Robert Saleh, who is now the Titans' head coach. The Jets get a massive, cost-controlled nose tackle who can anchor the middle of their defensive line.
While the combine was dominating the athletic testing headlines, the Jets and Titans made a significant defensive swap. New York is sending defensive end Jermaine Johnson II to Tennessee for nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat. The move reunites Johnson with Robert Saleh, who coached him with the Jets before taking the Titans' head coaching job.
From a value perspective, the Jets are getting the better end of this deal on paper. Sweat is 6-2, 366 pounds, signed through 2027, and carries only a $1.7 million cap hit. That is absurdly cheap for a starting-caliber nose tackle in today's NFL salary landscape. Johnson has 13 career sacks but has not been the dominant edge presence the Jets hoped for when they drafted him. Both teams address needs, but New York walks away with a massive interior presence at a bargain price while shedding a player who was not fitting into their long-term defensive plans.
The Big Picture: What Day 1 Means for Draft Betting
The combine's first day set the stage for what promises to be one of the most volatile draft classes in recent memory. The Raiders still hold the No. 1 overall pick, and quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman winner out of Indiana, remains the projected top selection. But the real action is happening in the 2-15 range where combine testing is actively reshuffling the order.
Arvell Reese's 4.46 time solidified his top-5 case, and the Jets at No. 2 make sense as a landing spot. Styles' historic testing could push him from a projected top-15 pick into genuine top-10 territory. Lawrence went from a player few casual fans knew about to a first-round lock with his No. 1 athleticism score among edge rushers. And on the other end, Bain's short arms and refusal to test are going to create value opportunities for teams drafting later in the first round who are willing to bet on the tape over the measurements.
Saturday is the day everyone is waiting for. That is when the quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs take the field, and in a draft class where Mendoza is the consensus No. 1 pick, the skill position testing could be the most watched combine session in years. But Day 1 already delivered more than enough fireworks to reshape the draft landscape. Sonny Styles jumped higher than any linebacker in history. Malachi Lawrence exploded into the first round. And Caleb Banks proved that 85.75 inches of wingspan is a real, measurable, unignorable physical advantage.
This draft class is loaded with elite defensive talent, and the combine just proved it.