Nfl Combine Day 1: Sonny Styles, Toriano Pride and a parade of measureable jumps and 40s
The 2026 nfl combine opened with defensive linemen and linebackers staking early claims, as a series of eye-popping timed sprints and jump numbers reshuffled prospect evaluations. With the NFL draft scheduled for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, these workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium provide one of the final, high-stakes measuring sticks for undecided evaluations.
Nfl Combine schedule at Lucas Oil Stadium
The combine runs Feb. 23 through March 2, with on-field workouts set for Feb. 26 through March 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. NFL Network is carrying coverage, and additional streaming is available on NFL+. Live coverage is slated to begin at 3 p. m. ET on Friday and at 1 p. m. ET on both Saturday and Sunday.
Sonny Styles' historic workout shifts his draft standing
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles — the son of former NFL linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr. — turned heads on Thursday. The 6-foot-5, 244-pound ‘backer ran a 4. 46-second 40-yard dash (tied for the day’s fastest) and finished near the top of the field in both the vertical and broad jump. He arrived at the event as a probable top-12 pick; Thursday’s performance may have pushed him into top-10 or even top-five conversations. What makes this notable is that he combined rare size (6-5, with 32 7/8-inch arms) and explosion in a single workout, a package teams rarely see at that weight.
Toriano Pride Jr. posts combine-best 4. 32 in the cornerback class
Missouri cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. posted the fastest 40-yard dash among cornerbacks, officially clocked at 4. 32 seconds. He celebrated the run afterward, saying, “I told you, I needed it. ” Pride’s time stands apart from the day’s other sub-4. 5 efforts and immediately elevates his measurable profile among defensive backs.
Edge and interior standouts: Lawrence, Halton and Capehart
UCF edge Malachi Lawrence produced a 4. 52-second 40-yard dash, a 10-foot-10 broad jump and a 40-inch vertical while weighing 253 pounds and measuring 33 5/8-inch arms. His college production included 20 sacks across four seasons at UCF, and the combination of 4. 52 speed and the jump marks should move him into Day 2 conversations.
Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton displayed quickness and power at 293 pounds, running a 4. 82 40 and posting a 36. 5-inch vertical while showing active hands in drills despite 31 1/8-inch arm length. Another interior option, Capehart, drew attention for movement at 6-foot-5, 313 pounds with 10 1/4-inch hands and 33 7/8-inch arms; he ran a 4. 85 40 and recorded a 33. 5-inch vertical, an effort intended to offset modest college production (4. 5 tackles for loss over his last 23 games).
Linebacker and safety leap leaders: Elarms-Orr, Genesis Smith and broad-jump top performers
Linebacker Elarms-Orr combined size and explosion, measuring 6-2 and 234 pounds while running a 4. 47 40 and posting a 40-inch vertical after earning first-team All-Big 12 honors. His workout suggested the speed to play a SAM coverage role in addition to run defense.
In the safeties group, Arizona’s Genesis Smith led with a 42. 5-inch vertical. Broad jump leaders tied at 10 feet, 10 inches included South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore, Nebraska’s DeShon Singleton and Arizona’s Treydan Stukes; Genesis Smith logged a 10-foot-8 broad jump. A compiled vertical-leader list also showed Dillon Thieneman at 41 inches, DeShon Singleton at 39. 5 inches, Lorenzo Styles Jr. at 39 inches and Bud Clark and Ahmaad Moses each at 38 inches. Other named vertical measures included Xavier Nwankpa at 37. 5 inches, Jalon Kilgore at 37 inches and Kamari Ramsey and Dalton Johnson at 36 inches.
Stock movement, roster implications and next steps
Thursday’s displays prompted immediate stock movement: a handful of prospects vaulted up draft boards after delivering rare combinations of size, speed and explosion, while others who chose not to perform or showed measurable limitations saw Day 1 and Day 2 hopes dim. The combine’s timing matters because teams must weigh these performances before the draft in Pittsburgh on April 23-25; strong on-field workouts can turn borderline evaluations into firm draft-day plans.
Workouts continue Friday with tight ends and defensive backs, then quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs on Saturday and offensive linemen on Sunday. Teams will pair on-field results with interviews across the week as they finalize pre-draft boards.
Missouri’s Toriano Pride Jr., Ohio State’s Sonny Styles and defensive standouts such as Malachi Lawrence, Gracen Halton, Capehart and Elarms-Orr are the early names to watch as evaluations tighten in the month before the draft.
