In what feels like one of the true beginnings of the NFL offseason, the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis is officially underway. For a handful of days, the area around Lucas Oil Stadium becomes the center of the NFL universe, giving fans the opportunity to become acquainted with this year’s prospects coming out of college.
We’ve already heard from top decision-makers like Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell, and we’ve also had the chance to hear prospects interact with
the media. However, all of the extra stuff happening off the field comes secondary to what takes place on it.
When you hear from general managers and other scouts around the game, they will tell you quickly how the tape is the biggest component. When you deviate too far from that core principle, you can get yourself into some hot water as an evaluator. With that said, the combine is still critical to the process. It’s a chance for teams to either confirm what they think they already know about a player, or a time for them to perhaps reevaluate what they originally thought.
With day one already in the books—featuring interior defensive linemen, edge rushers, and linebackers—who do you believe will be the biggest riser up draft boards once the combine concludes?
My answer: Maybe I am being a prisoner of the moment here, but I am going with Ohio State’s Sonny Styles. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, you see everything you want from an off-ball linebacker when you turn on his tape from his time in Columbus. Then he went out and posted a 4.46 40-yard dash, an 11-foot-2 inch broad jump, and a 43.5” vertical.
Those are absurd measurables and will probably ensure that Styles is a top-10 selection in this year’s draft. What about you? Who do you think will be the biggest riser up draft boards once the combine wraps up this Sunday? Let us know in the comments below.
