Combine Surge: How Lorenzo Styles and the Styles Family Are Rewriting Speed and Draft Momentum

What matters now is measurable momentum: in Indianapolis, lorenzo styles Jr. 's blazing 4. 27-second 40-yard dash and 39-inch vertical have injected new urgency into safety evaluations and draft boards. The performance, delivered one day after his brother Sonny stole Thursday's headlines, alters how teams rank speed at the position and raises fresh questions about where conversion and athletic upside move a player on draft day.

Market shift: speed and explosiveness are changing defensive-back rankings

Combine metrics are increasingly decisive in the early draft narrative. Lorenzo's sprint and jump numbers force a re-sorting of defensive-back lists: a safety leading the defensive-back group in the 40 is uncommon, and his official 4. 27 time — the fastest by a safety at the Combine since at least 2003 — compels teams to reconsider raw-athletic thresholds for the position. Here's the part that matters: when measurable traits outpace film profile, a player's draft momentum can accelerate quickly.

Lorenzo Styles' 4. 27 40 and 39-inch vertical — the event in context

In Indianapolis on Friday, Lorenzo Styles Jr. posted an official 40-yard dash time of 4. 27 seconds and recorded a 39-inch vertical jump. He chose not to perform the broad jump. The 4. 27 is the fastest recorded 40 by a Combine safety since at least 2003. It is rare for a safety to top the defensive-back group in the 40; Missouri cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. paced the cornerbacks with a 4. 32-second run. Through two days of testing, the Styles brothers are drawing outsized attention.

Broader family and background details that shape perception

IN IND IANAPOLIS, the Styles family narrative is hard to ignore. Sonny Styles, Lorenzo's Ohio State teammate over the past three seasons, was the headliner on Thursday with a showcase in jumping, running and positional work. Sonny measured 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, and his on-field testing included a 43. 5-inch vertical (the best for a linebacker at the Combine in nearly two decades), an 11-foot-2 broad jump (fourth best all-time among linebackers) and a 4. 46-second 40-yard dash — a package described as a major boost to his draft stock this week. Lorenzo Jr. isn't currently viewed as the same NFL prospect his brother is, but Friday's showing cannot hurt his cause.

Career arc: position change and college production

Lorenzo Styles Jr. 's path includes a conversion that matters to evaluators: he played wide receiver at Notre Dame in 2021 and 2022, catching 54 passes across those two seasons, before transferring to Ohio State and converting to defensive back. In three seasons with the Buckeyes he did not record an interception but logged 46 tackles and seven passes defended. Their father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., played six NFL seasons and was part of the Rams' Super Bowl XXXIV-winning team — a family lineage evaluators note when contextualizing upside. Now the next generation is set to embark on the NFL, and through two days the brothers are running away with the spotlight and doing it in high fashion.

Other combine signals and notable measurements from Indianapolis

Day-to-day developments at the Combine provide supporting signals: Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq ran the fastest 40 by a tight end since at least 2003, and other position groups posted attention-grabbing marks. Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. had arms measured at 30 and 7/8 inches; Bain said that NFL clubs don't appear overly focused on that measurement. Questions around which prospects boosted their draft stock and which took steps back have been a leading theme in the stock reports from Indianapolis, and there are follow-ups on prospects who skipped on-field work or changed position projections.

Photos and quick visual roll from Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026

• Oklahoma linebacker Kendal Daniels runs a drill.
• TCU linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr runs the 40-yard dash.
• Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott participates in the broad jump.
• Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher runs a drill.
• Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday participates in the broad jump.
• Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke runs the 40-yard dash.
• Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. runs the 40-yard dash.
• Alabama linebacker Justin Jefferson participates in the broad jump.
• BYU linebacker Jack Kelly runs a drill.
• Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson runs a drill.
• Pittsburgh linebacker Kyle Louis runs a drill.
• TCU linebacker Namdi Obiazor runs the 40-yard dash.
• Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez runs a drill.
• Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder participates in the broad jump.
• Iowa linebacker Karson Sharar runs the 40-yard dash.
• All photos dated Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.

The USC connection also grabbed notice: USC wide receiver Makai Lemon drew comparisons to a current NFL receiver for similar body type and style; Lemon said that receiver is his favorite and highlighted the way that player impacts the game without the football — a talking point NFL teams will probably like to hear.

• Lorenzo's sprint and jump push safety speed expectations upward.
• Sonny's historic testing amplifies the family's draft visibility.
• Position change (receiver to defensive back) remains a factor in projection and evaluation.
• Measurements such as arm length or vertical still get debated, but on-field speed can shift rankings immediately.
• Next confirmatory signals will come from positional drills, interviews and official team visits.

The real question now is how teams weigh Lorenzo Jr. 's testing against his limited turnover production in three Ohio State seasons. It's easy to overlook, but both brothers' differing tracks — one a converted back with runway in testing, the other a high-ceiling linebacker with historic explosiveness — give decision-makers distinct profiles to shop. What's easy to miss is how a single elite timed drill can reframe a player's narrative overnight; evaluators will be triangulating testing, tape and background before draft boards freeze.

A quick aside: the juxtaposition of Lorenzo Jr. 's conversion from wide receiver and Sonny's linebacker breakout is a reminder that measurable traits and positional versatility often emerge as the Combine's most persuasive currency.