Lorenzo Styles posts fastest 40 by a combine safety as Styles brothers dominate Indianapolis
lorenzo styles made a splash on Friday at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, running an official 4. 27-second 40-yard dash in Indianapolis and recording a 39-inch vertical, numbers that pushed him into the spotlight alongside his brother after two days of workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Lorenzo Styles' Friday: a 4. 27 40 and a 39-inch vertical
On Friday in Indianapolis, Lorenzo Styles Jr. ran an official 4. 27-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time posted by a combine safety since at least 2003, and chose not to perform the broad jump. He registered a 39-inch vertical that put him near the top of the leaderboard in that drill.
Styles converted from wide receiver to defensive back after catching 54 passes over two seasons at Notre Dame in 2021 and 2022, then transferring to Ohio State. Across three seasons with the Buckeyes, he logged 46 tackles and seven passes defended and did not record an interception. Their father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., played six NFL seasons and was part of the Rams' Super Bowl XXXIV-winning team.
Lorenzo Styles family sweep: Sonny's Thursday explosion
The Styles family drew attention across two days at the combine. Sonny Styles, Ohio State's linebacker who has been viewed as a locked top-15 pick, turned heads on Thursday with a showcase in jumping, running and positional work. Sonny measured 6'5" and 244 pounds, posted a 43. 5-inch vertical (the best at his position dating back to 2003), recorded a 4. 46-second 40-yard dash and produced a 135-inch broad jump—the same broad jump distance noted for Julio Jones and matching a 4. 46 40 time shared with Bijan Robinson in the results noted.
Linebackers and edge rushers raising stock in Indy
On-field workouts began Thursday with defensive linemen and linebackers at Lucas Oil Stadium, and several defenders used the sessions to improve draft profiles. David Bailey ran a 4. 50-second 40-yard dash, posted a 1. 62-second 10-yard split, a 35-inch vertical and a 10'9" broad jump, registering the fastest 40 of any defensive lineman and showing force in bag drills. Arvell Reese, who played both as an edge rusher and off-ball linebacker for Ohio State, ran a 4. 47-second 40 and displayed movement and open-field tackling skills; he measured 6'4" and 241 pounds.
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, surpassing names like Jack Kiser, Jihaad Campbell, Trevin Wallace and Carson Bruener. Rodriguez led linebackers in the 20-yard shuttle and the 3-cone drill, earned collegiate honors including the Chuck Bednarik, Butkus and Lombardi awards, had an FBS-leading seven forced fumbles in 2025, and faces middle-round projections tied to age and size.
Kyle Louis ranked fifth among linebackers in the 40 (4. 53), third in the 10-yard split (1. 58), fourth in the vertical (39. 50) and second in the broad jump (10'9"). Though undersized by NFL linebacker standards, Louis posted 24 tackles for loss, six interceptions and 10 sacks over the past two seasons and offers flexibility as a box safety or big nickel. Malachi Lawrence ran a 4. 52 40—second only to Bailey among the defensive linemen referenced—generated 60 pressures over the previous two seasons and showed the ability to win inside or outside, creating buzz that could push him into the second round.
Corners, tight ends and running backs also left marks
Missouri cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. paced the cornerback group with a 4. 32-second 40-yard dash. Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq ran the fastest 40-yard dash by a tight end since at least 2003. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love ran the second-best 40 time among running backs on Saturday. Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. had arm measurements of 30 and 7/8 inches on Thursday.
The combine produced other storylines and questions: how Mike Washington Jr. reacted to his blazing 40, what off-field skill Olaivavega Ioane might showcase, and whether Ty Simpson is ready to be a franchise quarterback. Observers in Indianapolis have received deeper takes—Chad Reuter provided a stock report from Indianapolis, and Dan Parr offered five takeaways from a press conference by Daniel Jeremiah.
What comes next in Indianapolis
Through two days of the combine, the Styles brothers have dominated attention in Indianapolis and across the early workouts. On-field sessions began Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium and continued into Friday and Saturday with position-specific drills and timing events. The combine remains in progress; the precise next scheduled activities are unclear in the provided context.
