We’re creeping closer to the 2026 NFL draft with the NFL Combine wrapping up this past weekend. With that, let’s take a look at a few prospects who stood out in Indianapolis and fit the Las Vegas Raiders’
needs.LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Rodriguez’s size and, more specifically, his lack of length are a concern, measuring in at an even 6-foot-1 and with sub-31-inch arms. However, he crushed the workout portion of the combine by running a 4.57-second 40-yard dash (1.60 10-yard split), 38.5-inch vertical, 10-foot-1 broad jump,
4.19-second short shuttle and 6.90-second 3-cone to earn a 9.52 Relative Athletic Score.
That highlighted the Butkus Award-winner’s lateral movement skills, which were evident on tape, but the 40 time is what really caught my eye. Long speed was one of my concerns about Rodriguez entering the combine, but he answered the call.
OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
The Raiders could use an upgrade at right tackle, and Iheanachor’s performance over the last couple of months should put him firmly on the organization’s radar. The former Sun Devil was one of the best offensive tackles at the Senior Bowl and crushed it at the combine to earn a 9.91 RAS. He measured in just under 6-foot-6 and at 321 pounds, while running a 4.91-second 40 (1.73 10-yard split) and jumped 30.5 inches in the vertical and 9.78 in the broad.
The Nigerian native grew up playing basketball and soccer and didn’t pick up football until junior college, making him a raw prospect. But, as this past weekend showed, Iheanachor has plenty of tools and athleticism to work with.
G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
Grip strength stands out on Pregnon’s tape, so measuring in with 11-inch hands checks out. He’s the type of blocker who can control defensive linemen when he lands his punch. On top of that, the former Duck weighed in at nearly 315 pounds and posted some really impressive jumps at that size: 35 inches in the vertical (tied for second among OL) and a 9-foot-3 broad. That was good enough to post a 9.42 RAS.
S Lorenzo Styles Jr., Ohio State
The Styles family made plenty of headlines at Lucas Oil Stadium, as linebacker prospect Sonny Styles was one of the premier performers on Thursday evening. Lorenzo had a great workout as well, recording the second-fastest 40-yard dash of all prospects at 4.27 seconds, and posting the fourth-best vertical jump (39 inches) among safeties. The defensive back didn’t have much draft buzz heading into the combine, but his testing numbers could help him sneak into the later rounds of the draft.
DB Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina
The Raiders need help at safety and nickelback, which should put Kilgore on their radar since he has experience playing both positions. The former Gamecock also did himself some favors at the combine, running a 4.40-second 40-yard dash, 37-inch vertical and 10-foot-10 broad jump, all while measuring in at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds. That resulted in a 9.66 RAS.
CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Johnson was another prospect whose long speed was a bit of a question mark heading into the combine, but he eased those concerns with a 4.4-flat 40. The former Aztec also had good vertical (38 inches) and broad (10-foot-6) jumps to post a 9.71 RAS.
At 6-foot even and with sub-31-inch arms, he does lack length and might get moved inside in the NFL. However, that should deter the slot-corner-needy Raiders, and Johnson showed off the strength to contribute as a run defender by putting up 17 reps on the bench press. The film backs up the latter, too, as he has no problem being physical and mixing it up in the ground game.
CB Daylen Everette, Georgia
Looking at outside cornerbacks, Everette turned some heads by running the second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.38 seconds) at the position. He also posted good numbers with a 37.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-4 broad jumps to earn a 9.82 RAS. Additionally, the Georgia product drew praise from Bleacher Report’s Daniel Harms for his performance in the untimed drills.
“The former Bulldog was excellent during on-field drills, with smooth transitions and explosive movements,” Harms wrote. “In fact, he ran one of the day’s best gauntlet drills by plucking the football out of the air and staying down the line with balance. He bounced back from a poor showing at the Senior Bowl and made a great impression.”
EDGE Malachi Lawrence, UCF
Lawrence tore it up at the East-West Shrine Bowl and continued to build up some draft stock during the combine. He finished second or third among edge defenders in just about every athletic test, running a 4.52-second 40, 1.59-second 10-yard split, 40-inch vertical and 10-foot-10 broad jump. That was good enough for a 9.90 RAS, and the film backs all of it up as the UCF product offers plenty of pass-rush potential as a Day 2 pick.
DL Zane Durant, Penn State
With Las Vegas shifting toward a 3-4 base defense, Durant could be an option to line up at the 4i- to 5-techique spot. At 6-foot-1, 290 pounds and with sub-32-inch arms, the Penn State product is a tweener size-wise, but he had an excellent workout on Thursday to build up his draft stock. Durant earned a 9.20 RAS by leading all defensive tackles in the 40 (4.75 seconds) and 10-yard split (1.68 seconds) and ranking tied for third in the vertical jump (33.5 inches) and tied for fifth in the broad (9-foot-4).
DT DeMonte Capehart, Clemson
Capehart doesn’t have much draft buzz right now, but he had an excellent performance at the combine, making some noise with a 9.97 RAS. His measureables are impressive, standing at 6-foot-5, 313 pounds with nearly 34-inch arms while running a 4.85-second 40-yard dash (1.72 10-yard split) and recording a 33.5-inch vertical. The former Tiger took some snaps at nose tackle for Clemson and is solid against double teams to at least land on Las Vegas’ radar.
