Nfl Combine 2026 Kicks Off Feb. 26 in Indianapolis as Blizzard Disrupts East Coast Attendance
The nfl combine 2026 opens Thursday, Feb. 26, and runs through Sunday, March 1, in Indianapolis — an event that promises to reshape draft boards as testing, medical exams and interviews converge in one four-day window. The timing matters because a Blizzard of 2026 is already stranding many team personnel and agents on the East Coast, potentially changing who is on-site to see drills and meet prospects.
Nfl Combine 2026 at Lucas Oil Stadium: dates, times and coverage
The combine occupies Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis from Thursday, Feb. 26 to Sunday, March 1, with live coverage beginning at 3 p. m. ET on Feb. 26 and running until 5 p. m. ET on March 1. Broadcast and streaming outlets scheduled to carry drills, press conferences and analysis include NFL Network and NFL+, with additional branded streaming content presented by Microsoft Copilot. The combine has been held annually in Indianapolis since 1987.
Prospect invitations and a numerical discrepancy
Organizers and observers list roughly three hundred and change prospects in Indianapolis this week: one account mentions 318 NFL prospects in the city, while the official invitation tally is 319 prospects. The field includes some of college football’s best, with named invitees such as Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles taking part in position-specific drills across the four-day schedule.
Key prospects scouts will watch: Thompson, Tate, Bain, Mesidor and more
Scouts and draft experts have flagged a group of prospects they want to evaluate closely. A speedy receiver referred to as Thompson projects to be very small on measurements — probably about 5 feet, 9 inches and around 170 pounds — but arrives with a 10. 18-second high school 100-meter time, a 2025 league-leading five catches of 50-plus yards, and a projected 40-yard dash around 4. 28 seconds. Other speed candidates expected to challenge for sub-4. 35 times include Barion Brown (LSU), Chris Hilton (LSU), Deion Burks (Oklahoma), Eric Rivers (Georgia Tech), Desmond Reid (Pittsburgh) and Malik Benson (Oregon).
Tate is currently viewed as the favorite to be the first wide receiver drafted and is expected to run closer to a 4. 4 than a 4. 5 in the 40. Bain produced dominant moments on 2025 tape but remains polarizing because of a non-traditional body type and shorter arms; some teams view him as an interior three-tech rather than an edge. Mesidor, long labeled the “other” Miami pass rusher, played out of Bain’s shadow this season; with multiple foot injuries in his history, Mesidor’s medical evaluation at the combine will be critical for teams that evaluate him as a first-round talent. Cisse, despite uneven tape, was included in a midseason top 50 listing.
Measurements, medicals and interviews that can swing draft status
Executives stress that the combine’s core value remains context: athletic testing, medical feedback and interviews. One evaluator invoked a longtime scout’s line that those who dismiss the combine do not know how to properly use it. For some players the week is pivotal — for example, Simpson’s projection ranges dramatically from a potential 13th pick to the 53rd pick depending on verified height, weight and hand size, passing his medicals after a late-season issue, and the passing drills when quarterbacks work out. As a coach’s son, Simpson is expected to navigate team interviews well.
For others, measurements and testing could resolve or deepen positional debates. Will Bain’s verified numbers push teams toward using him inside, or accentuate reservations? Will Thieneman’s testing quantify the range seen on tape and justify a top-25 projection? Those outcomes will flow directly from this week’s measurements and medical clearances.
Coverage, commentary and pre-combine analysis
Analysis and mock drafts have multiplied in the run-up. Daniel Jeremiah updated his prospect rankings for the 2026 draft, adding three new players and listing a tight end among the biggest risers. Charles Davis highlighted seven standouts from the HBCU Legacy Bowl. Gennaro Filice’s first mock bucked positional orthodoxies by projecting a running back, a linebacker and a safety inside the top 10. Charles Davis’s mock suggested a surprising slide for a top talent, while Daniel Jeremiah’s second mock foresees the Giants initiating a receiver run that goes six deep in the first 32 picks. Dan Parr’s first mock projects the Commanders adding a new weapon for Jayden Daniels and the Jets making a trade for a quarterback; Parr also distilled seven takeaways from Daniel Jeremiah’s pre-combine conference call. Bucky Brooks released an early snapshot ranking the top five prospects at each position.
Blizzard of 2026 and expert perspectives
Veteran observers are adjusting to weather-driven disruption. Albert Breer said he is stranded on the East Coast and noted many team personnel and agents along the I-95 corridor are similarly affected by the Blizzard of 2026, though he added that most players do not train in the Northeast and getting prospects to Indianapolis is less of an issue. That disruption could give the NFL’s annual “underwear Olympics” a different feel in 2026. Breer described leaning on Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network and Todd McShay of the Ringer to parse the class — he has worked with Jeremiah at NFLN and said McShay lives nearby — and offered a set of takeaways plus a bonus section to guide readers through non-draft topics during the next seven days.
What makes this notable is the convergence of precise, measurable testing and unpredictable human factors: travel disruptions, medical histories such as Mesidor’s foot injuries, and a range of mock-draft scenarios mean one week in Indianapolis can substantially rework league evaluations that had been settling since the regular season. The combine’s four days will deliver that context in real time.
Additional distinct details of the week include a long-running focus on Indianapolis as host since 1987, a mix of position-specific drills beyond the core testing sequence, and a noted roster of invitees and watch-list prospects that also includes Zachariah Branch, who made 81 receptions during his lone season at Georgia after transferring from USC. One analyst noted this is his 16th straight combine trip, underscoring how teams and evaluators lean on the week to refine decisions ahead of the draft.
