With a perspective gained after attending the majority of the NFL’s Scouting Combines held this century, I can share a secret: Despite all the buzz generated by the TV-friendly athletic testing held in Indianapolis each year, few prospects actually impact their stock with NFL teams there.
The vast majority of the athletic testing held at the Combine (and in subsequent Pro Day workouts) only reinforce the beliefs scouts had about prospects in the first place. Normally, the most significant movement on draft boards is a result of medical testing and team interviews — results that are understandably rarely shared.
But occasionally, prospects do, in fact, surprise us with their athletic testing. The terms “risers” and “fallers” just might be the most overused expressions in the buildup to the NFL Draft. But in the case of the prospects below, the descriptions apply.
Players are listed alphabetically.
Risers
Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati
While four players (including three receivers) technically ran faster than Caldwell’s 4.31, they measured in at an average of 6-foot, 182 pounds. Caldwell checked in at an imposing 6-foot-5, 216 pounds. And unlike most long-limbed speedsters, Caldwell also showed immediate explosiveness, leading all participants in the 2026 Scouting Combine with a 1.48-second split in the 10-yard dash. His 42-inch vertical jump and 11-foot-2 broad jump were also exceptional.
Jeff Caldwell of the Cincinnati Bearcats participates in the 40-yard dash during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Caldwell is very much a developmental prospect who only spent one season at the FBS level (beginning at Lindenwood), but no receiver offers more intriguing tools. Caldwell still likely won’t be drafted until Day 3, but his selection likely “jumped” at least 100-plus spots based on his scintillating workout.
Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin
Scouts were already quite familiar with Demmings, an FCS All-American who stood out among top competition last month at the Senior Bowl. But with exceptional times in the 40-yard dash (4.41 seconds), vertical jump (42″) and broad jump (11′), Demmings can no longer be accurately described as a sleeper. His stellar showing in Mobile, Ala., and Indianapolis could push Demmings into the top 100, a feat no Lumberjack has earned since 1998.
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Edge, Penn State
With a combined 23.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles registered over his four-year Penn State career, Dennis-Sutton didn’t need to work out at all in Indianapolis to assure being drafted. He was already viewed as one of the more powerful and technically refined edge defenders of this class. Few anticipated, however, that he’d also prove one of the most explosive — leading all edge rushers with a 10’11 broad jump and ranking among the best of his positional group in the vertical (39.5″) and 40-yard dash (4.63), as well.
Perhaps even more surprising, the 6-foot-6, 256-pound Dennis-Sutton showed impressive change-of-direction with a 6.90-second time in the 3-cone drill — a mark that not only led all defensive linemen but was swifter than 10 of the 12 receivers and cornerbacks who participated in this drill.
Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
Alabama’s Ty Simpson was the most polished of the 14 quarterbacks throwing at this year’s Combine (consensus No. 1 QB Fernando Mendoza did not participate) and Arkansas’ Taylen Green was easily the most athletic. But scouts expected these results, and so their efforts — while impressive — won’t actually change much on NFL draft boards. Klubnik’s showing, on the other hand, was both impressive and notable. He showed precision and timing with his throws to all levels and enough arm strength to make every NFL throw.
Cade Klubnik #QB10 of Clemson participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
I also liked the gamble Klubnik made in choosing not to do the other athletic testing, forcing evaluators to focus solely on Klubnik as a passer in this setting. He is already well known in the scouting community as one of the best athletes of this quarterback class — as demonstrated by his 17 rushing touchdowns at Clemson. Had he struggled in the passing session, the gamble might have backfired, but in showing confidence and precision with his passing, Klubnik reminded scouts that he’s a passer first.
Kaleb Proctor, DT, Southeastern Louisiana
Like the aforementioned Demmings, Proctor was already firmly on NFL teams’ radar before the Combine, but as one of just eight FCS players invited to Indianapolis this year, he still needed an impressive showing there to prove he belonged on the same field as this year’s top prospects. The first-step quickness which helped Proctor lead the Southland Conference with nine sacks last season was verified in precisely 4.79 seconds during his 40-yard dash, the second-fastest time recorded of any defensive tackle this year. Proctor finished among the top five DTs in all four of the events in which he participated. He has a real chance at a top-100 selection.
Jacob Rodriguez, ILB, Texas Tech
Similar to Dennis-Sutton, Rodriguez’s dominant 2025 tape had already guaranteed he’d be a top-100 selection. But his instincts and quick hands to force an FBS-leading seven forced fumbles earned the mustachioed linebacker as more of a heady player, rather than an elite athlete. Rodriguez destroyed that stereotype with a brilliant all-around performance at the Combine, however.
The 6-foot-1, 231-pounder performed well in the premier events, such as the 40-yard dash (4.57 seconds) and vertical jump (38.5″). But many evaluators see the shuttle drills as more important for linebackers — as these test the agility and balance critical to adjusting to ballcarriers in space — and Rodriguez excelled there with a position-best 6.90 seconds in the 3-cone and 4.19 seconds in the short shuttle. I also thought that Rodriguez’s untimed linebacker workout was one of the best of this year’s prospects, regardless of position. Rodriguez leaped into my personal top 50 Big Board with his performance at the Combine.
Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
There were a few tight ends who registered flashier results in Indianapolis, but at 6-foot-6, 267 pounds, Roush is bigger than most with a history of moving defenders more as a blocker than frightening them as a pass-catcher, scoring just four touchdowns over his college career.
A 38.5-inch vertical jump, position-best 7.08-second 3-cone drill and 4.7 flat 40-yard dash time (with a 1.61-second 10-yard split) suggest that Roush could offer much more in the NFL. A Computer Science major with a family history full of professional athletes, Roush’s interviews also stood out among his peers.
Sam Roush #TE21 of Stanford participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
It is only because of his last name that Washington is the final player listed among the Combine’s biggest winners. In reality, few players boosted their stock faster than Washington, who led all running backs with a 4.33 second 40-yard dash time. Washington, in fact, was faster than any player weighing over 220 pounds at this year’s Combine. His explosiveness was also evident in the vertical jump (39″) and broad jump (10’8).
Though it won’t generate nearly as much attention as quarterback, the race to be the second running back selected this spring (after Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love) is one of the real storylines of the 2026 draft. Washington has the size, power and now proven speed to challenge for that role, potentially earning himself a second-round selection with his Combine performance.
Mike Washington Jr. #RB20 of Arkansas runs the 40-yard dash during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Fallers
Lee Hunter, NG, Texas Tech
The Combine isn’t a space where wide-bodied run-stuffers like Hunter are often going to fare well, but even among the big guys, his relative lack of explosiveness and athleticism stood out. The 6-foot-3, 318-pound Hunter finished last (or close to it) among 15 defensive tackles in the three measured tests that he performed in Indianapolis.
Most striking was the vertical jump, where Hunter’s 21.5″ hop was a full six inches shorter than any of the other 15 defensive tackles tested this year and ranks historically low, even among similarly built run-stuffers. Hunter projects as a future starting NFL nose guard, but one who almost surely now won’t be drafted in the first round.
LT Overton, DL, Alabama
The vast majority of Overton’s time at Alabama was spent as an outside rusher, but his relatively sluggish 4.87 mark in the 40-yard dash and 1.7 second 10-yard split suggests that his better fit in the NFL will come inside at defensive tackle. The 6-foot-3, 274-pound Overton has the length (including 33 1/4-inch arms) and physicality to handle this transition, but it will be a significant adjustment. Projected by some as a possible top-50 selection, Overton is now likelier to come off the board in the middle rounds.
