How Lorenzo Styles’ 4.27 40 Is Shifting Draft Momentum at the 2026 Combine

The market for defensive backs and edge/linebacker prospects tilted noticeably after Friday’s workouts — and lorenzo styles is a big reason why. His official 4. 27-second 40-yard dash and a 39-inch vertical pushed a safety into draft-speed conversations usually reserved for cornerbacks and position hybrids, creating immediate ripple effects for evaluators juggling speed, versatility and positional fit.

Lorenzo Styles’ performance as a market-moving data point

Here's the part that matters: a safety posting the fastest combine 40 since at least 2003 forces teams to reconsider the premium placed on speed in the secondary. Lorenzo Styles’ raw numbers make him a measurables outlier for his listed role, and that can translate into quicker re-rankings on boards that prize range and recovery speed over traditional interception metrics.

Event details: what Lorenzo Styles did in Indianapolis

Lorenzo Styles Jr. ran an official 4. 27-second 40-yard dash on Friday, the fastest time by a combine safety since at least 2003. He chose not to perform the broad jump but recorded a 39-inch vertical, placing him near the top of that leaderboard. It was one day after his brother, Sonny Styles, posted a standout workout on Thursday.

Brothers in focus: Sonny Styles and the family thread

The Styles family dominated early attention at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. Sonny Styles, Lorenzo’s Ohio State teammate for the past three seasons, was the combine headliner on Thursday with a showcase performance in jumping and running drills as well as positional work. Sonny’s Thursday showing has already been framed as historic for his position group, and through two days the brothers are running away with the spotlight.

Linebackers and off-ball prospects also changing boards in Indy

On-field workouts began for prospects on Thursday with defensive linemen and linebackers at Lucas Oil Stadium, and several linebackers/OLBs posted numbers that likely improved their draft stock:

• Sonny Styles: listed at 6'5" and 244 pounds, with a 43. 5-inch vertical, a 4. 46-second 40-yard dash, and a 135-inch broad jump. His vertical was the best at his position dating back to 2003.
• David Bailey: ran a 4. 50-second 40, had a 1. 62-second 10-yard split, a 35-inch vertical and a 10'9" broad jump; he posted the fastest 40 among defensive linemen.
• Arvell Reese: a two-way player for the Buckeyes, clocked a 4. 47-second 40; listed at 6'4", 241 pounds with fluid movement on two-way drills.
• Jacob Rodriguez: reached a top speed of 18. 43 mph during the backpedal and react drill — the fastest for a linebacker in the last four years — and led linebackers in the 20-yard shuttle and 3-cone drill; he also had an FBS-leading seven forced fumbles in 2025 and holds multiple collegiate awards.
• Kyle Louis: posted a 4. 53 40 (fifth among LBs), a 1. 58 10-yard split (third), a 39. 50" vertical (fourth) and a 10'9" broad jump (second), with a college stat line that includes 24 tackles for loss, six interceptions and 10 sacks across two seasons.
• Malachi Lawrence: ran a 4. 52 40, second to Bailey among his group, and is credited with generating 60 pressures over the prior two seasons.

• On-field workouts and measurements were conducted at Lucas Oil Stadium; early results are already affecting mock and board movement.

Other notable combine snippets and outstanding questions

Missouri cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. paced the CB group with a 4. 32-second 40. Kenyon Sadiq set a tight end benchmark by running the fastest 40 by that position since at least 2003. Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. had his arm length measured at 30 and 7/8 inches on Thursday. Some prospects drew scrutiny for choices or absences: one player skipped on-field drills, and evaluators raised immediate questions about quarterback readiness and fit for several signal-callers.

• Lorenzo Styles’ college path: he was a 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 recorded 46 tackles and seven passes defended, and he did not log an interception.
• Football lineage: the brothers’ father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., played six NFL seasons and was part of the Rams' Super Bowl XXXIV-winning team.

If you're wondering why this keeps coming up, the real question now is how teams balance elite testing with limited position-specific tape for convert prospects.

Key takeaways:

• Immediate market effect: Lorenzo Styles’ 4. 27 40 forces a re-evaluation of safeties when speed is a priority.
• Draft-list volatility: standout combine numbers for linebackers and defensive linemen are already reshaping mock boards.
• Affected groups: defensive backs, hybrid defenders and teams seeking rangy, fast personnel will feel the most impact.
• Next signals that will matter: team meetings and private workouts that confirm positional instincts and coverage tape will determine lasting stock changes.

It’s easy to overlook, but the broader pattern is that measurable outliers — whether a safety with rare straight-line speed or a tight end setting a new positional mark — can accelerate a prospect’s climb even before meetings and interviews begin.

Writer's aside: early combine extremes often generate headlines; evaluators typically wait for corroborating positional drills and film work before making lasting board changes, so numbers are the start of a conversation, not the final verdict.