INDIANAPOLIS -- The first night of workouts at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, with the defensive linemen and linebackers taking center stage on Thursday.
Many of those who partook in the events at Lucas Oil Stadium wowed scouts with their speed in the 40-yard dash, their agility in drills and their explosiveness in the broad and vertical jumps. Some exceeded expectations, causing their draft stock to rise; others displayed flaws in their speed and/or athleticism (or chose not to perform), hurting their chances of being selected on Day 1 or Day 2 when the draft begins in Pittsburgh (April 23-25).
Below I've listed five players who undoubtedly impressed the league’s personnel decision-makers with their on-field performance. I also list three players who could use a strong effort at their school's pro day to leave the most favorable impression possible before the draft.
Programming note: Tune in to NFL Network and NFL+ for live coverage of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine beginning at 3 p.m. ET on Friday and 1 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
Stock up
Capehart has the measurables of a top DT prospect, standing 6-foot-5, 313 pounds with 10 1/4-inch hands and 33 7/8-inch arms. He impressed with a 4.85-second 40-yard dash and 33 1/2-inch vertical. His movement skills were the best among the taller tackles in the workouts. He operated smoothly around obstacles, using his length to knock away dummies in drills. He was not overly productive in college (4.5 tackles for loss over his last 23 games), so he needed Thursday’s performance to show teams he can grow into a difference-making penetrator at 3-technique.
Elarms-Orr's strong workout might have put him at the top of a talented group of potential Day 3 picks at linebacker. His 4.47-second 40 at 6-2, 234 pounds turned heads, as did his 40-inch vertical jump. The first-team All-Big 12 Conference ‘backer is built like a brick house, but he showed quickness during field drills. His film shows he can play the run, and the speed he displayed on Thursday could convince some teams that he can cover at the Sam position, as well.
Halton is a 3-technique who proved his quickness and agility on Thursday. His length is less than ideal (31 1/8-inch arm) but at 293 pounds he chugged his way to a 4.82-second 40-yard dash and led all defensive tackles with a 36 1/2-inch vertical jump. Halton's quick feet were evident in field drills, but he also put his full strength into tackling dummies to show his competitive nature. In a draft full of sub-300 pound middle-round interior D-line prospects, Halton has the best combination of tape and workout results.
Lawrence stood out in a big way with a 4.52-second 40, 10-foot-10 broad jump and 40-inch vertical at 253 pounds. He used his speed, explosiveness and his 33 5/8-inch arms to accumulate 20 sacks during his four seasons at UCF. Lawrence's straight-line speed showed up in drills, too, even if he was a bit linear in his movements. Still, the combination of plus athleticism and very good production should put him squarely in the Day 2 conversation.
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. The 6-foot-5, 244-pound 'backer (with 32 7/8-inch arms) had a historic performance, becoming the first player to run a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash with a vertical leap of 40+ inches and a broad jump of 11+ feet at 230+ pounds since 2003, per NFL Research. The former safety showed nice ball skills and looked fluid for his size in drills, too, which means he did everything he could to elevate his already substantial stock.
Stock down
A year ago, I included former Ohio State DT Tyleik Williams in my "stock up" report, even though Williams did not run a 40-yard dash at the 2025 combine. McDonald didn't run on Thursday, either, but his on-field work was not nearly as impressive as his former teammate's was last year in Indianapolis. Unable to show his strength holding the line of scrimmage in combine drills, McDonald struggled to quickly change directions during his workout. Williams ended up going 28th overall to Detroit last year. Thursday’s showing did not appear to help McDonald's case for being selected that high.
Overton needed to excel in his workout to help solidify a Day 2 grade, but his 4.87-second 40 at 274 pounds (with a 1.7-second 10-yard split) did not hit the mark. He didn’t participate in jumps, missing an opportunity to answer questions about his athleticism. Overton's drills went as expected. His movements were stilted and I saw marginal change-of-direction skills. He did pop pads to show scouts his power and intensity, though.
Thomas weighed in at just 241 pounds at the combine, which created an expectation, at least for me, that he would explode from his stance in the 40-yard dash. However, his 4.67-second run (including a 1.63-second 10-yard split) was ordinary, especially in comparison to Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey's 4.51 and Lawrence's 4.52. Both Bailey and Lawrence are 10+ pounds heavier than Thomas. His arm length (31 5/8-inches), coupled with his decision to pass on participating in jumps, did not help his cause, either.