Nfl Combine: Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese headline first workouts at the 2026 nfl combine

Individual drills at the 2026 nfl combine opened Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with defensive linemen and linebackers taking the field and a string of eye-opening workouts already shifting evaluations ahead of the draft in Pittsburgh. Speed, explosiveness and arm measurements dominated conversation as prospects tried to sharpen their draft positioning.

Sonny Styles' historic performance and linebacker class strength

Sonny Styles (Ohio State) was a focal point of Thursday's work. Styles tied with Ohio State teammate Arvell Reese for the fastest 40-yard dash time of the day at 4. 46 seconds, and Styles also finished near the top of the field in the vertical jump and broad jump. The son of former NFL linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr., Sonny Styles entered the combine as a probable top-12 pick; his on-field workout could have solidified him inside the top 10 or even the top five. He is listed at 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds with 32 7/8-inch arms, and his showing included a historic combination — becoming the first player to run a sub-4. 5-second 40 while also posting a 40-plus-inch vertical and an 11-plus-foot broad jump at 230-plus pounds.

Linebacker depth: Jake Golday, Anthony Hill Jr. and Kyle Louis rising

Draft observers called the linebacker class "awesome, " noting that expected standouts largely delivered. Jake Golday (Cincinnati), Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas) and Kyle Louis (Pitt) all helped their draft stock in Indianapolis. Golday and Hill are viewed as top-50 prospects, while Kyle Louis is considered a Round 3 player. The competition level at the position was apparent during testing and on-field drills.

Nfl Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium: measurements, schedule and standout drills

Organizers scheduled defensive backs and tight ends for Friday, quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers for Saturday, and offensive linemen to finish the combine on Sunday. The combine spans Feb. 23 through March 2, with on-field workouts set for Feb. 26 through March 1. Live coverage is scheduled to begin at 3 p. m. ET on Friday and at 1 p. m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. The on-field work started Thursday with defensive linemen and linebackers at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Notable drill results: Caleb Banks, Gracen Halton, Malachi Lawrence and others

Several individual performances drew attention. Caleb Banks, a defensive tackle listed at 6-foot-6 and 327 pounds, posted a 32-inch vertical and a 5. 05-second 40; Banks missed most of last season because of a foot injury and was described as having enormous upside, with his Thursday numbers suggesting he could have moved into the first round. Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton weighed 293 pounds, measured 31 1/8-inch arms, ran a 4. 82 40 and led all defensive tackles with a 36. 5-inch vertical; he showed quick feet in drills and used his strength tackling dummies. Malachi Lawrence (UCF edge) and Texas Tech edge David Bailey were also listed among Thursday's standouts.

Edge measurables and their draft implications

Arm length was an early theme. Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami) measured 30 7/8 inches and Cashius Howell (Texas A& M) 30 1/4 inches — both under 31 inches — and those lengths would be the shortest for any defensive lineman drafted in the first round since 2003. Some teams had slightly different measurements, with figures for Bain ranging up to 32 inches. Historical context noted that no edge rusher with sub-31-inch arms has recorded 10-plus sacks in a season since 1999. Despite measurement concerns, one evaluator placed Bain at No. 10 overall and Howell at No. 23.

Other workout standouts and roster notes

Capehart showed tackle measurables at 6-foot-5 and 313 pounds with 10 1/4-inch hands and 33 7/8-inch arms; he ran a 4. 85 40 and posted a 33. 5-inch vertical, though he totaled 4. 5 tackles for loss over his last 23 college games. Linebacker Elarms-Orr ran a 4. 47 40 at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds and posted a 40-inch vertical; he entered the combine as a first-team All-Big 12 performer and displayed the quickness to suggest he can play the run and cover at the Sam. UCF's Malachi Lawrence ran a 4. 52 40, posted a 10-foot-10 broad jump and a 40-inch vertical at 253 pounds, and has 33 5/8-inch arms and 20 sacks across four collegiate seasons — results that pushed him into Day 2 consideration.

Logistics, players who did not work out, and quarterback notes

Several notable prospects did not perform on Thursday: CJ Allen (Georgia), Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), Gabe Jacas (Illinois), Akheem Mesidor (Miami) and Peter Woods (Clemson) were listed as not working out. Some players who skipped drills or chose limited participation may have seen their immediate upside constrained for Day 1 or Day 2 selections; for others, college film remains the key evaluator. Miami quarterback Carson Beck plans to throw during the Saturday quarterback drills. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said at the combine that he is a "franchise quarterback. " By most evaluators, Simpson is considered the second-best quarterback in the class behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, and the week also included the note that Fernando Mendoza spoke highly of Tom Brady. USC wide receiver Makai Lemon said it would be "pretty cool" to catch a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers at the combine podium on Friday, and Lemon was also mocked to the Steelers in a recent first-round mock draft.