NFL combine 2026: Biggest moments, fastest 40s and standout performances from QB, WR, RB workouts

Relive everything that happened during on-field workouts in Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon

Running backs started the action Saturday before giving way to the quarterback and wide receivers. Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love was a top performer once the action moved over to the field. 

The presumptive No. 1 overall selection, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, did not participate, but the other signal-callers had a strong throwing session with a talented receiver group featuring Makai Lemon (USC), KC Concepcion (Texas A&M), Denzel Boston (Washington) and others. (Ohio State's Carnell Tate and Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson did not participate in on-field drills.)

For a recap of Saturday's action, check out the live blog below for testing results, highlights, analysis and more.

Sunday is the final day of on-field workouts. The offensive linemen take the field with several looking to make a statement. Miami's Francis Mauigoa, Utah's Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, Penn State's Vega Ioane, Alabama's Kadyn Proctor and Georgia's Monroe Freeling are among the top prospects to watch at the position.

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place April 23–25 in Pittsburgh Panthers. You can find more draft coverage at CBSSports.com, including weekly mock drafts and regular evaluations of the top prospects.

2026 NFL combine where to watch

Date: Sunday, Feb. 28 | Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
TV: NFL Network | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)

2026 NFL combine workout schedule

• Sunday at 1 p.m. -- Offensive linemen

[Feb 28, 2026 at 7:51 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

To me, Alabama's Ty Simpson was the best quarterback to throw today. He helped himself in regards to being the second quarterback taken in April's draft. 

.@AlabamaFTBL QB Ty Simpson hitting the deep throws with ease 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/BXiL9gzyYW

— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2026

LSU's Garrett Nussmeier was the second best in the second group and in the conversation with Carson Beck for the second-best signal-caller on the day.

Overall, the second unit was more accurate. Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia, in particular, turned in a lot of plus marks when charting out the routes. 

.@VandyFootball QB Diego Pavia getting some work in on the sail route.

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
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— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 7:50 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

If there was one quarterback brave enough to attempt a backflip, it was always going to be the former Vanderbilt QB.

DIEGO PAVIA GOT IN ON THE FLIPS 😂

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
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— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 7:36 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

.@GeorgiaStateFB WR Ted Hurst made a crazy adjustment to make this catch

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
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— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 7:24 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

NFL teams are looking for players to catch the ball cleanly without drifting from the line and while maintaining speed. It showcases their ability to find and secure the football quickly. Here are some of the prospects who stood out:  

Player Name	School
Ja'Kobi Lane	USC
Makai Lemon	USC
Eric Rivers	Georgia Tech
Chase Roberts	BYU
J. Michael Sturdivant	Florida
Zavion Thomas	LSU
Colbie Young	Georgia

[Feb 28, 2026 at 7:20 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

The difference between Brenen Thompson's (4.26 seconds) 40-yard dash run and Xavier Worthy's record-breaker (4.21) was the first 10-yards.

Thompson covered the first 10-yards in 1.54 seconds whereas Worthy got there in 1.49 seconds.

Via my guy @ChanceLinton

— Josh Edwards (@EdwardsCBS) March 1, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 6:46 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

One of the funnier combine moments came after Carnell Tate, a consensus first-round wide receiver prospect, ran his second 40-yard dash in a slower-than-anticipated 4.53 seconds.

Bills GM Brandon Beane, who happened to be in the broadcast booth at the time, jokingly dissed Tate in hopes the receiver would fall to Buffalo at No. 26 overall.

"He's pretty slow," Beane quipped. "I probably wouldn't take him early."

"You see how slow he was out of the gate?" Beane continued. "The corner's gonna lock him down."

Unfortunately for Beane? Tate will almost certainly be a top-15 pick. If the Bills want him, they'll have to trade up for him.

Bills GM Brandon Beane on Ohio State WR Carnell Tate: “He’s pretty slow I probably wouldn’t take him early” 😂#BillsMafia 🦬 pic.twitter.com/4vdKojBmSy

— Buffalo Fanatics (@BfloFanatics) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 6:17 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

A 4.28u?!?!@LSUfootball WR Zavion Thomas was FLYING.

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
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— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026

4.26u for @HailStateFB WR Brenen Thompson 🫢

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
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— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 6:14 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

Vertical jump

Player	School	Vertical (in)
Deion Burks	Oklahoma	42.50
Jeff Caldwell	Cincinnati	42.00
Kendrick Law	Kentucky	42.00
Bryce Lance	North Dakota State	41.50
Skyler Bell	Connecticut	41.00

Broad jump

Player	School	Broad Jump
Ted Hurst	Georgia State	11-foot-3
Jeff Caldwell	Cincinnati	11-foot-2
Skyler Bell	Connecticut	11-foot-1
Bryce Lance	North Dakota State	11-foot-1
Deion Burks	Oklahoma	10-foot-11
J. Michael Sturdivant	Florida	10-foot-11
Jalen Walthall	Incarnate Word	10-foot-11

[Feb 28, 2026 at 5:56 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

Germie Bernard, the perfect WR3 in any NFL offense https://t.co/Q0ygQChA6F

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 5:30 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

There's a lot of love for Georgia State's Ted Hurst, although his range is relatively volatile based on who you talk to. North Dakota State's Bryce Lance is the younger brother of Trey. 

Top prospects Makai Lemon (USC), Carnell Tate (Ohio State) and Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) are also in this group and expected to have varying levels of participation today. 

Two names I'm watching are Kentucky's Kendrick Law and Mississippi State's Brenen Thompson, particularly in the 40-yard dash. 

My expectations for a 5'9"/170 WR who run 4.2s was not that he'd play on the outside on 86% of his snaps and only have 4 receptions on screens.

Brenen Thompson earned all 1,054 yards vs. a SEC schedule. pic.twitter.com/6YgMHt8HpR

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) February 25, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 5:00 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

Forgot to add UConn WR Skyler Bell to this list

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 4:53 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

I'll do a longer takeaways story on the quarterbacks later, but I thought Illinois' Luke Altmeyer may have been the most consistent quarterback from start to finish.

Miami's Carson Beck started strong, was inconsistent on deep throws and finished fine. Most of the quarterbacks threw the comeback well. 

Penn State's Drew Allar built some confidence on the downfield throws and finished strong. 

.@PennStateFball QB Drew Allar throwing some beauties out here

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
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— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 4:22 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

I’m surprised Mizzou’s Kevin Coleman doesn’t get more love among the Day 3 wideouts. He’s thin and weighed in at 170 on the dot, but in the slot he’s a fearless receiver who plays bigger than his size in the MOF. Another guy that looks pretty good in drills today

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 4:17 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

Four out of five CBS Sports mock drafts have the Texas A&M receiver/return specialist as a first-round pick. He wants to cement that status with his performance in Indy.

No drops, looked great running down the line. Great start for him https://t.co/l0ylXLYKUV

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 4:15 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

NFL combine 2026: Grades for top RB prospects, plus other standout performers from on-field workouts

Zachary Pereles

[Feb 28, 2026 at 4:13 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

NFL teams are looking for players to catch the ball cleanly without drifting from the line and while maintaining speed. It showcases their ability to find and secure the football quickly. Here are some of the prospects who stood out:

Name	School
Aaron Anderson	LSU
Skyler Bell	UCONN
Malik Benson	Oregon
Zachariah Branch	Georgia
KC Concepcion	Texas A&M
Chris Hilton	LSU

KC Concepcion ridiculously smooth in the gauntlet. pic.twitter.com/fKxX1DPfyq

— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 4:04 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Name	School	Time
Deion Burks	Oklahoma	4.30
Jeff Caldwell	Cincinnati	4.31
Zachariah Branch	Georgia	4.35
Chris Brazzell II	Tennessee	4.37
Malik Benson	Oregon	4.37
Caleb Douglas	Texas Tech	4.39
Skyler Bell	UCONN	4.40
Barion Brown	LSU	4.40
Chris Hilton Jr.	LSU	4.41
Omar Cooper Jr.	Indiana	4.42

[Feb 28, 2026 at 4:02 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

Newest @CBSSports NFL Draft analyst locked in on the gauntlet drill. pic.twitter.com/MW7qkjo2JL

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 3:53 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. is the No. 3 WR (No. 17 overall) in CBS Sports' prospect rankings. 

From NFL Draft analyst Mike Renner: "Cooper is the best YAC weapon in the draft class. His ability to break tackles with shiftiness and play strength, combined with his running back-esque build, is exactly what you want from that type of prospect. He also possesses some of the surest hands in the draft class."

Got it down to a 4.43, good numbers for him

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 3:52 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

.@qb_fernando just walked in the building and the Indiana crowd is going nuts. ❤️ @IndianaFootball

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/qLTgfk669N

— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 3:30 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

4.52 for Germie Bernard is about where I thought he’d be. Not a burner by any means, profiles best as a super tough WR3 who can do the dirty work in an offense

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 3:28 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

2026 NFL combine: This draft prospect just put together the best quarterback performance of all-time

Brad Crawford

[Feb 28, 2026 at 3:12 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green continues to pop off in Indianapolis. He ran an unofficial 4.37-second 40-yard dash, the second-best time ever by a QB at the combine. 

He had already posted a 43.5-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot-2 broad jump -- both of which were the best ever among QBs. Anthony Richardson previously held the jump records.

WOW. @RazorbackFB QB Taylen Green with a 4.37u.

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/60dbFCVSAx

— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 2:45 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

2026 NFL combine: Top prospects explain why they rejected transfer portal NIL paydays

Brad Crawford

[Feb 28, 2026 at 2:39 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

Move over, Anthony Richardson! Arkansas' Taylen Green just posted a 43.5-inch vertical, shattering the combine record for a quarterback by beating Richardson's mark by three inches. 

Oh, and he followed that up with an 11-foot-2 broad jump -- another QB combine record.

The previous QB vertical (40.5") and broad (10'9") jump records at the Combine were set by Anthony Richardson in 2023.@RazorbackFB QB Taylen Green just broke both of those records with a 43.5" vertical and 11'2" broad jump.

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Hr36HtFOzG

— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026

If you didn't know the 6-foot-6, 227-pound QB before, you do now!

TAYLEN GREEN MADE EVERYBODY MISS 😳🔥@RazorbackFB #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/umA3EAhfgD

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 30, 2024

[Feb 28, 2026 at 2:31 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

RBs that impressed in the drills:
- Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love (duh)
- Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price
- Alabama’s Jam Miller
- Navy’s Eli Heidenreich

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) February 28, 2026

[Feb 28, 2026 at 1:51 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Several sub 10.50 seconds 100 meter dash runners out of high school: 

• Zachariah Branch (Georgia) 
• Brenen Thompson (Mississippi State)
•  Barion Brown (LSU)
• Kendrick Law (Kentucky)
• Malik Benson (Oregon)  

[Feb 28, 2026 at 1:48 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Teams want to see players press up towards the bag, cut away from whichever direction the bag moves and then burst to finish the drill. I thought four players, in no particular order, did a really nice job of maintaining proper posture and going through the drill.   

Kaytron Allen	Penn State
Demond Claiborne	Wake Forest
Jam Miller	Alabama
Jadarian Price	Notre Dame

[Feb 28, 2026 at 1:45 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

40-Yard Dash Time (Seconds)	Player
4.33	Mike Washington Jr.
4.36	Jeremiyah Love
4.37	Demond Claiborne
4.42	Jam Miller
4.44	Eli Heidenreich
4.49	Seth McGowan
4.49	Jadarian Price
4.50	Adam Randall
4.52	Robert Henry Jr.
4.56	Emmett Johnson

[Feb 28, 2026 at 1:36 pm ET · Zachary Pereles]

Three different running backs ran a sub-4.4 40-yard dash (unofficially). Considering only 10 running backs took part, that's pretty impressive:

• Mike Washington Jr.: 4.33
  
• Jeremiyah Love: 4.36
• Demond Claiborne: 4.37

Washington was moved to tears after the run. Remember, these guys are in the final steps toward realizing their NFL dreams, and a strong performance like that is a big, big deal.