NFL Combine 2026: Sonny Styles Historic, Lorenzo Styles Fastest Safety Ever, David Bailey Electrifies Indianapolis
The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis has produced one of the most jaw-dropping weeks of athletic performances in combine history. The Styles family — sons of former NFL linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr. — has completely taken over the spotlight, while Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey confirmed his status as a potential top-two pick. Saturday's session with quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs is happening right now.
Sonny Styles: Historic Combine Performance Pushes Him Into Top-5 Conversation
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles put on a show at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday, posting breathtaking numbers in the jumping events and 40-yard dash. At 43½ inches, the 6-5, 244-pound linebacker had the highest vertical jump by any player 6-4 or taller and any player weighing 240 or more pounds at the combine since at least 2003. Styles' broad jump of 11-foot-2 wasn't too shabby, either — it led all combine participants on Thursday.
The son of former NFL linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr. came into the combine as a probable top-12 pick. His on-field workout might have solidified his spot in the top 10 — and maybe even the top five. Styles is the only player to run a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash with a vertical leap of 40-plus inches and a broad jump of 11-plus feet at 230-plus pounds since 2003, per NFL Research. The former safety showed ball skills and fluid movement for his size in positional drills — doing everything he needed to do to cement his status as a generational athletic prospect.
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: Fastest Safety 40 Time Since 2003 — 4.27 Seconds
One day after Sonny stole the show, older brother Lorenzo Styles Jr. stepped onto the Lucas Oil Stadium turf and broke the internet all over again. Ohio State safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. made his mark by running a scalding official time of 4.27 seconds in the 40-yard dash — the fastest time by a combine safety since at least 2003. It's rare for a safety to lead the pack among the defensive backs in the 40, but Styles was up to the challenge. He also registered a strong vertical-jump number of 39 inches, putting him near the top of the leaderboard in that drill too.
A wide receiver at Notre Dame in 2021 and 2022, Styles caught 54 passes in two seasons for the Irish before transferring to Ohio State and converting to defensive back. In three seasons with the Buckeyes, he logged 46 tackles and seven passes defended. Football is in the Styles brothers' blood — their father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., played six NFL seasons and was part of the Rams' Super Bowl XXXIV-winning team. The NFL Network broadcast interviewed the boys' mother, Laverna Styles, who watched both sons shine from the stands in Indianapolis.
David Bailey: 4.51 Speed Confirms Top Pass Rusher Status
Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey backed up his Unanimous All-American campaign with an eye-opening combine performance. David Bailey's 4.51-second 40-yard dash was clearly the superior mark among edge rushers, compared favorably to a 4.67 run from another highly touted prospect at a heavier weight.
Texas Tech's David Bailey is expected to be one of the first, if not the first, edge rusher drafted in April. Could Bailey go second overall? It's possible, especially with the pass-rusher-needy Jets sitting in that spot. Bailey's combination of 15 sacks in 2025, a 93.8 PFF pass-rush grade, and a 4.51 combine speed puts him in the conversation for one of the highest drafted edge rushers in years.
Saturday Combine Action: QBs, WRs, and RBs On the Field Right Now
Today's session is the main event of the entire 2026 NFL Combine, with quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs all working out simultaneously. Fernando Mendoza is not throwing, but Alabama's Ty Simpson, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Miami's Carson Beck, and Penn State's Drew Allar are all expected to throw. Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia — the Heisman runner-up — is also working out.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is expected to be the first running back selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. He showed a big reason why with his 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine, running a 4.37 in his first attempt on Saturday, then running even better on his second attempt clocking a 4.36. Lorenzo Styles Jr. topped the overall combine 40-yard dash list at 4.27 — the fifth-fastest 40 time among all positions across the entire week so far.
2026 NFL Combine: Top 40-Yard Dash Times So Far
| Rank | Player | Position | School | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lorenzo Styles Jr. | Safety | Ohio State | 4.27 |
| 2 | Toriano Pride Jr. | CB | Missouri | 4.32 |
| 3 | Jeremiyah Love | RB | Notre Dame | 4.36 |
| 4 | Mike Washington Jr. | RB | Arkansas | 4.36 |
| 5 | Sonny Styles | LB | Ohio State | 4.46 |
| 6 | David Bailey | EDGE | Texas Tech | 4.51 |
| 7 | Arvell Reese | EDGE | Ohio State | 4.46 |
What Comes Next: Sunday Offensive Linemen, Then Pro Days in March
Sunday's final combine session features offensive linemen working out at 1:00 PM ET, with NFL Network and NFL+ providing live coverage. After Indianapolis wraps, prospects who underperformed or skipped certain drills — including cornerback Jermod McCoy, who skipped on-field drills due to his ACL recovery — will get a second opportunity at their university pro days throughout March and early April. The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off April 23 in Pittsburgh with what is shaping up to be one of the most athletically loaded classes in recent combine history.
