2026 NFL combine: Kenyon Sadiq, Eli Stowers and Dillon Thieneman put on a show during TE, DB workouts

Relive everything that happened during on-field workouts in Indianapolis on Friday night.

The defensive backs and tight ends took to the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday afternoon and into the evening. Top prospects like Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers starred during the event.

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

On Saturday afternoon, local fans will flock to see national champion and former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs will be on display. Can a quarterback separate himself as QB2 behind Mendoza? It also figures to be an electric group of wide receivers.

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

2026 NFL combine workout schedule

• Saturday at 1 p.m. -- Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs
• Sunday at 1 p.m. -- Offensive linemen

[Feb 27, 2026 at 7:49 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Sadiq set the NFL Combine record for the 40-yard dash (4.39 seconds) by a tight end.

[Feb 27, 2026 at 7:10 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

What Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers and Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq just did is insane...

[Feb 27, 2026 at 6:53 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman first jumped out of the gym and is now running to the exits. He has been a standout today with a 41-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-5 broad jump, as well as a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. 

[Feb 27, 2026 at 6:37 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

Lorenzo Styles Jr., the brother of potential top-five pick Sonny Styles, made his own history Friday night by running the fastest 40-yard dash by a safety at the NFL combine since at least 2003, according to NFL+ data. The Ohio State product clocked a blazing 4.27 seconds -- currently the fastest time at this year's event.

And what's even crazier is that he's not fully healthy! 

[Feb 27, 2026 at 6:28 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

Daylen Everette, the No. 15 CB (No. 144 overall) in CBS Sports' prospect rankings, could climb after separating himself as a speedster during on-field drills.

[Feb 27, 2026 at 5:53 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

After his brother, linebacker Sonny Styles, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds on Thursday night, safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. one-upped him on the same turf.

[Feb 27, 2026 at 5:35 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

NFL Media's Stacey Dales reported the 2026 draft class's top safety prospect decided to do all his testing at Ohio State's Pro Day later in the spring. That's a contrast to his fellow Buckeyes defensive teammates like linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese who both participated in on-field testing. Reese didn't do the jumps, but he did most of everything else. Styles' historic combine efforts compared favorably to Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson's output coming out of Georgia Tech in 2007.

[Feb 27, 2026 at 5:34 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Six safeties recorded a broad jump of 10'7" inches or higher. Genesis Smith, DeShon Singleton, Treydan Stukes and Bud Clark were inside the top five of the safety position for both the vertical and the broad jump. 

Player (school)	Broad jump
Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina)	10'10"
DeShon Singleton (Nebraska)	10'10"
Treydan Stukes (Arizona)	10'10"
Genesis Smith (Arizona)	10'8"
Bud Clark (TCU)	10'7"
VJ Payne (Kansas State)	10'7"

[Feb 27, 2026 at 5:28 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Seven safeties recorded a vertical jump of 38 inches or higher. 

Player (school)	Vertical jump
Genesis Smith (Arizona)	42'5"
Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)	41"
DeShon Singleton (Nebraska)	39.5"
Lorenzo Styles Jr. (Ohio State)	39"
Bud Clark (TCU)	38"
Ahmaad Moses (SMU)	38"
Treydan Stukes (Arizona)	38"

[Feb 27, 2026 at 5:09 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.

Marcus Allen	North Carolina
Daylen Everette	Georgia
Colton Hood	Tennessee
Chris Johnson	San Diego State
Hezekiah Masses	California
Malik Muhammad	Texas
Avery Smith	Toledo

[Feb 27, 2026 at 4:57 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

NFL teams want to see how quickly a player can break on the football and change directions before catching the football to finish the drill.

Colton Hood	Tennessee
Malik Muhammad	Texas
D'Angelo Ponds	Indiana
Ephesians Prysock	Washington
Collin Wright	Stanford

[Feb 27, 2026 at 4:54 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Avieon Terrell	Clemson
Daylen Everette	Georgia
Avery Smith	Toledo
Malik Muhammad	Texas

[Feb 27, 2026 at 4:34 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Jadon Canady	Oregon
Colton Hood	Tennessee
Hezekiah Masses	California
Daylen Everette	Georgia
Chris Johnson	San Diego State
D'Angelo Ponds	Indiana
Avieon Terrell	Clemson

[Feb 27, 2026 at 4:03 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Missouri cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. had the fastest time (4.36 seconds) after his first run, and he only improved on that (4.32) in his second run. He is an undersized prospect who transferred from Clemson in the offseason. 

[Feb 27, 2026 at 3:45 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Tacario Davis stands 6-foot-4 and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds. He has the speed to carry routes up the boundary, but that combination of size and speed also allows him to muddy pass windows and recover more quickly when beaten. Davis began his career at Arizona and later followed him to the Pacific Northwest. 

[Feb 27, 2026 at 3:27 pm ET · Josh Edwards]

Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette is jockeying for position in the 2026 NFL Draft. He is currently projected as a third- or fourth-round pick but showed off his speed Friday afternoon.

Here's Everette's CBS Sports scouting report:

Daylen Everette is a physical, aggressive cornerback who plays with the hard-hitting mentality of a linebacker. He excels in zone coverage and at the line of scrimmage, where he uses his strength to disrupt receivers and shut down short passes. While he possesses the long speed to carry vertical routes, he's at his best moving forward to attack the ball and wrap up ball carriers in space.

Pro comparison: Andrew Booth Jr.

About

• 2025: First-team All-SEC (AP)
• 2024: SEC Championship Game MVP (2 INT)

Strengths

• Highly aggressive tackler who plays with a physical, linebacker-like mentality.
• Excellent at disrupting the line of scrimmage and blowing up screens.
• Effective in trail technique and undercutting short-to-intermediate routes.

Weaknesses

• Can appear stiff in lateral movements and transitions when playing high.
• Susceptible to shifty receivers who create separation in open space.
• Takes time to reach top-end speed on vertical routes.

[Feb 27, 2026 at 3:24 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Ponds entered the combine with some concerns about his ability to leap with bigger receivers and play on the outside, but he's putting some of those concerns to rest today with a 43.5-inch vertical jump.

[Feb 27, 2026 at 3:22 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Much of the same cast of suspects from the vertical jump are inside the top five for the broad jump among cornerbacks. 

Player (school)	Vertical jump
Julian Neal (Arkansas)	11-foot-2
Charles Demmings (Stephen F. Austin)	11 feet
Will Lee III (Texas A&M)	11 feet
Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)	10-foot-11
Latrell McCutchin Sr. (Houston)	10-foot-11

[Feb 27, 2026 at 3:19 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Despite being 5-foot-8 ⅝, Hoosiers cornerback D'Angelo Ponds recorded the top vertical jump among cornerbacks.

Prospect (school)	Vertical jump (in)
D'Angelo Ponds (Indiana)	43.5
Charles Demmings (Stephen F. Austin)	42
Will Lee III (Texas A&M)	42
Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)	41
Colton Hood (Tennessee)	40.5

[Feb 27, 2026 at 2:57 pm ET · Kyle Stackpole]

It's time for tight ends and defensive backs to take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. 

There are plenty of top prospects who will showcase their skills over the next several hours. Here are the cornerbacks, safeties and tight ends in the top 50 of CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst's Mike Renner's rankings:

7. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

9. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee -- not participating

11. Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

12. Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU -- not participating 

28. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

29. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

35. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

37. Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

40. Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State

43. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

47. D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

Renner's 2026 NFL Draft Big Board: Ranking the top 200 prospects as the NFL combine unfolds

Mike Renner