We finally made it through a long, long Saturday, but the offensive skill position workouts in the 2026 NFL Draft are in the book.
The New York Giants need to continue to add talent around Jaxson Dart on the offensive side of the ball, and there has also been talk that they could be looking to add to their running back room. For a supposedly weak draft class we saw yet another day of historic workouts from every position group.
Everyone is looking forward to the 2027 class, but this might wind up (or
maybe already IS) the most athletic draft class in NFL history. For enjoyers of absurdly athletic humans doing absurdly athletic things, or just football in general, this week has been an absolute treat.
So, which players helped themselves the most in today’s workouts?
Winners
Running backs
Mike Washington (Arkansas) – There was talk among draft nerds that the Razorbacks’ running back could roll in the 40-yard dash. Despite weighing in at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds, Washington led the running back class with a 4.33-second 40-yard dash. He plays to his size on the field and is willing to hit the truck stick and run behind his pads, but his speed also makes him a big play threat. Washington bypassed the field drills, but threw down a potentially historic workout:
Adam Randall (Clemson) – Adam Randall continues to build his case that we shouldn’t ignore him. The former receiver has excellent size at 6-foot-3, 232 pounds, jumped out of the gym with a 37-inch vertical 10-foot-4 broad jump, and a good (for his size) 4.50-second 40-yard dash. His combination of size and speed gives him the third-best Speed Score (behind Mike Washington and Jeremiyah Love) among the backs who ran the 40. Randall also performed very well in the field drills showing great fluidity as well as the natural hands you’d expect from a former receiver.
Randall has already shown good vision, contact balance, and physicality on tape. He might be a Day 3 prospect, but he shouldn’t be under the radar.
Jam Miller (Alabama) – Jam Miller had himself a very nice Saturday. He surprised by weighing in at 209 pounds after playing at (roughly) 225 at Alabama, but showed that a lighter weight might suit him and his game. He ran the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash with a 4.42-second 40, and then had an excellent performance in the field drills. Miller managed to look both quick and twitchy as well as fluid in the drills and also caught the ball well.
Honorable mentions: Jadarian Price (Notre Dame), Robert Henry Jr. (UTSA), Rashul Faison (South Carolina)
Wide receivers
Ted Hurst (Georgia State) – Shout out to Georgia State! Hurst has been making a name for himself since the Senior Bowl and nothing has changed over the last month. He had a great workout with 4.42 speed at 6-foot-4, 204 pounds, and he absolutely looked like he belonged among the top prospects in the field drills — including a FANTASTIC catch on the QB’s deep pass drills. Boxes checked and don’t be surprised if you hear his name called on the second day of the draft.
Bryce Lance (North Dakota State) – This has been a good night for NDSU. Lance has good size at 6-foot-3, 204 pounds, and excellent speed with a 4.34-second 40-yard dash. Lance is a tenacious blocker in NDSU’s run-first offense on tape, but caught the ball exceptionally well in drills. He popped on tape when studying Grey Zabel a year ago, and I’m glad to see him showing out in Indy.
Skyler Bell (UConn) – Bell has been on my personal radar for a while, but he might be on the national radar after today. He came into the day with the reputation as a very good route runner, but showed off his explosiveness with a 41-inch vertical and 11-foot-1 broad jump. He also ran his routes well and caught the ball cleanly throughout the first group of wide receiver drills.
Chris Brazzell II (Tennessee) – There is a group of receivers after the Top 4, but how they sort out will really be in the eye of the beholder and individual team needs. Brazzell made his bid to separate himself with a blazing 4.37-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds. He’s coming from a limited passing offense, but he has better agility and fluidity than his frame would suggest and all the vertical playmaking ability that it does.
Jeff Caldwell (Cincinnati) – We have another potential historic RAS on our hands. Caldwell weighed in at 6-foot-5, 216 pounds, and turned in an excellent 4.32-second 40-yard dash, 42-inch vertical, and 11-foot-2 broad jump. Caldwell came into the Combine as a priority free agent, but he sent teams back to his tape with that workout.
Ja’Kobi Layne (USC) – Lane had the kind of 40-time you’d expect from him with 4.47 seconds. But he showed off what makes him special in the field drills with vacuum hands in that sucked in everything thrown near him. Makai Lemon got the accolades at USC, but Lane was the jump-ball and contested catch specialist. He has solid size at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, but it’s his 10 1/2 inch hands and ball skills that make him special.
Colbie Young (Georgia) – Young has had a tumultuous path to the NFL (that’s a whole other story) but he’s been on my radar since his 2023 season at Miami. Young has great size at 6-foot-5, 218 pounds, and not only ran a great 4.49 40-yard dash, he was the fastest among the second group in the gauntlet with a 19.72 mph. He’ll likely be a late-round draft pick, but he has a high ceiling.
Honorable mentions: Deion Burks (Oklahoma), Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana)
Quarterbacks
Ty Simpson (Alabama) – Simpson came into the day as QB 2 and he leaves Indianapolis as QB 2. However, he had an excellent day and the big question is how much he elevated his draft stock. Simpson only has one year as a starter, but looked very polished throwing the ball. Did he manage to elevate himself into the first round? I’m sure the Giants certainly hope he did — unless they’re hoping a team would trade up for him at the top of the second round.
Cole Payton (North Dakota State) – Payton certainly showed that he belonged among SEC prospects coming from the FCS level. He was not only one of the most athletic quarterbacks on the property (4.56-second 40, 10-foot-10 broad jump, 40-inch vert at 6-foot-3, 232 pounds), but he threw the ball really well. The ball jumped off his hand and he was a very accurate passer in drills. Payton also has a baseball background and is able to throw accurately from pretty much any platform and arm slot. He’ll be a mainstay in the back end of my mock drafts as a 3rd quarterback and eventual primary backup to Jaxson Dart. Handedness aside (Payton is a lefty), they’re the same guy.
Taylen Green (Arkansas) – Green is going to be a “developmental” prospect at quarterback and is much more of an athlete playing QB than anything else right now… But what an athlete. He’s a huge passer at 6-foot 5 7/8 inches, 227 pounds, with 34 3/4 inch arms and 9 7/8 inch hands and started his day by shattering Anthony Richardson’s record of 40.5 inches on the vertical leap with a 43.5-inch vert. After that he had an 11-foot-2 broad jump, which broke the record by 5 inches, and a 4.37-second 40.
Some team is going to take a flier on Green, and even if it doesn’t work out at QB he might have a future as a pass catcher.
Hayens King (Georgia Tech) – King is an interesting prospect coming out of Georgia Tech. They’re a run-first offense that relies heavily on the triple-option offense, and he had 2,277 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground. That’s in addition to 7,907 yards and 55 touchdowns through the air. King turned a fantastic 4.47-second 40-yard dash, which is good for the 6th-fastest time ever by a quarterback. He was overshadowed by Taylen Green, but he’ll have NFL decision makers taking a long look.
Honorable mentions: Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), Drew Allar (Penn State), Carson Beck (Miami)
Losers
Running backs
Nick Singleton (Penn State) – This isn’t Singleton’s fault, and it’s really beyond his control. However, he broke a bone in his foot during Senior Bowl week and was unable to work out. Singleton came into the year vying for mantle of Top RB with Jeremiyah Love, but had a disappointing year in a tumultuous season for Penn State. The Draft Process was Singleton’s chance to rehabilitate his draft stock, particularly considering he’s an excellent athlete. Unfortunately, he’ll have to wait until a pre-draft workout to try and boost his stock.
Wide receivers
Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) – Tyson might be the best all-around wide receiver in this draft class. He’s almost as long as Carnell Tate and as agile as Makai Lemon, with great explosiveness and speed. Tyson reminds me of former Giant Hakeem Nicks, and like Nicks the big question with Tyson is his health. He suffered a devastating knee injury in 2022 that also cost him 2023, lost time in 2024 to a broken collar bone and a hamstring injury in 2025. It’s that hamstring injury that’s keeping him out of the on-field workouts at the Combine.
This was his chance to answer those questions about his health and he could slide further than anticipated if they persist.
Malachi Fields (Notre Dame) – Fields was frustrating on tape. There were flashes of toughness, ball tracking, and separation on quick passes, however speed was a question on tape. He built a following during the Senior Bowl week and left Mobile just outside of the Top 4 — at least in the eyes of some. He’s still a big, powerful receiver who tracks the ball well, but his 4.61-second 40 is going to give a lot of decision makers pause.
Quarterbacks
Indiana fans – This isn’t a great QB class, and I don’t want to put anyone here unless they spray the ball all over the yard or actually hurt themselves. Instead, I want to call out the Indiana fans in attendance booing Carson Beck. I get being competitive, but it’s not like Miami and Indiana are historic rivals, Beck was a 4-year starter and Miami legend, or that Beck was a thorn in Indiana’s side for years.
And Indiana won.
Cheering home-town heroes like Omar Cooper Jr. is one thing, but booing a college prospect who only ever played against your team once (and lost) is some Philly-level nonsense.
