Lorenzo Styles — lorenzo styles runs fastest 40 by a safety since at least 2003
INDIANAPOLIS — lorenzo styles made a clear statement at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, running a scalding official 40-yard dash time of 4. 27 seconds on Friday and posting a 39-inch vertical. One day after his brother Sonny Styles turned in a tremendous all-around workout, Lorenzo Styles Jr. added an exclamation point to a two-day family run in Indianapolis.
Lorenzo Styles' Friday workout
Ohio State safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. opted not to perform the broad jump but registered a strong 39-inch vertical on Friday. His official 4. 27-second time in the 40-yard dash was the fastest by a combine safety since at least 2003, a rare showing for a safety to lead the defensive backs in that drill. Lorenzo Styles Jr. is an Ohio State defensive back who converted from wide receiver after two seasons at Notre Dame in 2021 and 2022.
40-yard dash leaders
Styles' 4. 27 put him ahead of the defensive back group; Missouri cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. paced the cornerbacks with a 4. 32-second 40. The combine's Friday results also included Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq making history by running the fastest 40-yard dash by a tight end since at least 2003.
Sonny Styles' Thursday numbers
Sonny Styles, Lorenzo's Ohio State teammate the past three seasons, was the Thursday headliner. The Ohio State linebacker measured 6'5" and 244 pounds and posted a 43. 5-inch vertical, a 4. 46-second 40-yard dash and a 135-inch broad jump. Sonny's 4. 46 matches Bijan Robinson's 40, and the 135" broad jump is the same mark posted by Julio Jones. Sonny's 43. 5" vertical was the best for a player at his position dating back to 2003. Sonny Styles was described as a locked top-15 pick who raised his stock further on Thursday and could make his way into the top five.
Linebackers and edge showings
On-field workouts began for prospects on Thursday at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis with defensive linemen and linebackers at Lucas Oil Stadium. David Bailey ran a 4. 50-second 40-yard dash with a 1. 62-second 10-yard split, added a 35-inch vertical and a 10'9" broad jump; he had the fastest 40 of any defensive lineman and put on a forceful showing in the bag drills. Bailey is viewed as matching pre-combine hype and could move as high as a number-two pick.
Arvell Reese, who played both as an edge rusher and off-ball linebacker for the Buckeyes, clocked a 4. 47-second 40; he is listed as a 6-foot-4, 241-pound athlete whose fluid movement and quickness were on display. Malachi Lawrence ran a 4. 52-second 40, second only to David Bailey among defenders mentioned, and generated 60 pressures over the previous two seasons.
Other notable drill results
Jacob Rodriguez reached a top speed of 18. 43 miles per hour during the backpedal and react drill, the fastest by any linebacker over the last four years and surpassing Jack Kiser, Jihaad Campbell, Trevin Wallace and Carson Bruener. Rodriguez led linebackers in the 20-yard shuttle and the 3-cone drill, nabbed the Chuck Bednarik Award, Butkus Award and Lombardi Award during his collegiate career, and had an FBS-leading seven forced fumbles in 2025; his age and size have contributed to middle-round projections.
Kyle Louis, who impressed at the Senior Bowl, ranked fifth among linebackers in the 40 at 4. 53, third in the 10-yard split at 1. 58, fourth in the vertical at 39. 50 and second in the broad jump at 10'9"; he posted 24 tackles for loss, six interceptions and 10 sacks over the past two seasons. Malachi Lawrence's combine debut created buzz and could be enough to see him picked in the second round.
Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. had his arms measured at 30 and 7/8 inches on Thursday, and Bain said NFL clubs did not appear overly focused on that measurement. Questions also arose about prospects beyond measurables: Which wide receivers fit certain teams, whether Ty Simpson is ready to be a franchise quarterback, and why Jermod McCoy was skipping on-field drills in Indianapolis. Observers also noted questions about which position OSU's Arvell Reese views himself playing at the next level.
Styles family context and stock report
Lorenzo Styles Jr. spent 2021 and 2022 as a wide receiver at Notre Dame, catching 54 passes across those two seasons for the Irish before transferring to Ohio State and converting to defensive back. In three seasons with the Buckeyes, Lorenzo Styles Jr. 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. Through two days of the combine, the Styles brothers were described as running away with the spotlight and doing it in high fashion.
Chad Reuter provides a stock report from Indianapolis assessing who boosted their draft stock and who took steps backward through the first two days of workouts.
Closing the second day of on-field testing, the combine produced standout speed and explosive-measurement showings across positions — with Lorenzo Styles Jr. 's 4. 27 40 and 39-inch vertical standing among the most notable marks for defensive backs in Indianapolis.
