Sports

Who to Look out for after the 2026 NFL Combine

Manny Fontanez and Michael Murphy • March 19, 2026

Introduction

The 2026 NFL Combine just finished and we saw a lot of players show off their athleticism. This year around, we witnessed the next generation of players and their intensity. There were plenty of true athletes with how fast and explosive they were at the Combine. While showing off your athleticism is important, it’s also very important to do good during interviews as that can improve your draft stock. Let’s get into some of the players that improved their draft stock during the 2026 NFL Combine.

Sonny Styles – Linebacker, Ohio State University

Sonny Styles is a projected middle first round pick, but after the NFL Combine he should be a high first round pick. At the Combine Sonny had a vertical jump of 43.5 inches which is really impressive for being 6’5” and 244 pounds. He also recorded a 4.46 second 40-yard dash which is faster than anyone his size. After having such a good 40 yard dash and vertical jump, people realized that he might be the most athletic linebacker prospect in NFL history. Once he showed off his athleticism, people looked at how well he did in interviews with teams. It turns out he did just as good in his interviews and this improved his draft stock heavily as he should be a top 10 – top 15 first round pick.

This is Sonny Styles running the 40 yard dash. The 40 yard dash and vertical jump had a heavy impact on his draft stock. (Columbus Dispatch)

Lorenzo Styles Jr. – Defensive Back, Ohio State University

Lorenzo Styles Jr, is brothers with Sonny Styles and played with him on the same team at Ohio State University. Lorenzo Styles Jr displayed how much of an athlete he is with the second fastest 40 yard dash with a 4.27. Lorenzo didn’t show much during the season while recording only 18 solo tackles and 2 pass deflections. Before the NFL Combine, he was projected to be a 7th round pick or even go undrafted, but after running such a fast 40 yard dash he improved his draft stock moving up to a potential 5th round pick and not going undrafted.

This is a side by side image comparing the 40 yard dash of the brothers, Lorenzo and Sonny Styles. Lorenzo is on the left and Sonny is on the right.

Kenyon Sadiq – Tight End, University Of Oregon

Kenyon played on the Oregon Football team and had 80 receptions, 860 yards and 11 touchdowns during his three years with the team. Kenyon went into the NFL Combine coming off of winning First-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Tight End of the Year in 2025. He had some interest from NFL coaches and then did something that shocked everyone. Kenyon ran the fastest 40-yard dash from a TE ever with a 4.39 second attempt. This cemented his spot as a first round draft pick, definitely turning some heads on his potential as a NFL TE.

This is Kenyon Sadiq running the record breaking 40 yard dash. Kenyon definitely secured a first round pick after this.

Eli Stowers – Tight End, Vanderbilt University

Eli Stowers declared for the draft this year and during the NFL Combine he greatly improved his draft stock after breaking the record for the highest vertical jump ever in NFL history with a 45.50” vertical. He finished his senior season with 62 receptions, 769 yards, and 4 touchdowns which is a decent season for a tight end but nothing too special to get him drafted super high in the draft. Before the NFL Combine Eli was projected to get drafted in the 3rd or 4th round but now he is expected to be drafted in the second round or early third round. Right now he is the second best tight end in the 2026 draft class after Kenyon Saddiq but it will be interesting to see what team decides to draft Eli Stowers and what round they draft him in.

This is Eli Stowers breaking the NFL record for the vertical jump. This really improved his draft stock.

Conclusion

All these players have shown great flashes of how good they could be in the NFL. They truly showed how hard working they are by improving their draft projections as well as they did. These players can all be great in the NFL and they really displayed that at the Combine which is why they are projected to be a higher draft pick.

Works Cited

https://www.nfl.com/combine/tracker/live-results/vertical-jump/te/all-colleges/

https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/5081807/sonny-styles

https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4432768/lorenzo-styles-jr

https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/5083315/kenyon-sadiq

https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4431574/eli-stowers

2025-2026 Issue #4

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About the Contributors

Manny Fontanez, Staff Reporter

Hi! I am Manny Fontanez. I am a sophomore at Elmwood Park High School and this is my first year writing for The Tiger. I am currently on the golf team and I play volleyball during the spring. I also participate in Operation Snowball and Student Council. I really enjoy hanging out with my friends, and I sometimes play video games in my free time. I want to go to a good college, hopefully somewhere close to home so I can visit often. I don’t know exactly what I want to do for a living, but I do know that I want to be successful and get accepted into a good college.

Michael Murphy, Staff Reporter

Hi! My name is Michael Murphy. I am a sophomore at Elwmood Park High School and am currently on the Golf Team and Baseball Team here at Elmwood Park. I also am involved in many clubs, including Snowball, Varsity Club, TLC, C/O 2028, and Student Council. I hope to go to college at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I currently do not know exactly what I would like to do in the future, but I know that I want to enjoy what I do. I will work hard to try to get into college by keeping my grades up and staying involved in extracurricular activities.