What and Who to Watch at the 2026 NFL Combine

Gotta hand it to the league for giving this event the most appropriate name possible. In addition to being the most impactful pre-Draft gathering for prospects to showcase their on-field abilities, the NFL Combine also allows fantasy managers to combine film-based takeaways with concrete, measured athletic testing numbers for the first time. Which pro hopefuls are actually as fast as they look on tape? Whose arm can actually rip darts downfield?

Spanning Feb. 23-March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, we’ll learn a lot over the course of this week-long event. It’s truly “make or break” season for many of these college standouts. Those who step up, deliver quality performances, and impress front-office execs in the Combine’s interview portions have an opportunity to leave the home of the Colts with higher NFL Draft stock and, thus, greater appeal for both season-long and dynasty purposes.

So, which players do we need to focus on at the 2026 NFL Combine? We’ve got you covered. Let’s go over the offensive skill position invitees list(s) and highlight some key names:

2026 NFL Combine Preview

Quarterback

Invitees

• Ty Simpson, Alabama
• Taylen Green, Arkansas
• Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
• Cade Klubnik, Clemson
• Haynes King, Georgia Tech
• Luke Altmyer, Illinois
• Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
• Jalon Daniels, Kansas
• Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
• Carson Beck, Miami
• Cole Payton, North Dakota State
• Drew Allar, Penn State
• Joe Fagnano, UConn
• Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
• Behren Morton, Texas Tech
• Joey Aguilar, Tennessee

Players to Watch

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

You’ve likely heard the name: reigning Heisman Trophy holder, QB1 of last year’s College Football Playoff National Championship winner, the likely 1.01 pick to the Las Vegas Raiders? That guy. Mendoza did not attend any prospect showcases and will be in front of NFL brass for the first time in Indy. Frankly, he doesn’t have to participate in anything and likely won’t.

Mendoza has previously stated that throwing at the Combine isn’t a “priority” and will instead be saving those exercises for Indiana’s pro day April 1. Kind of a bummer, but it’s not uncommon for the high-end quarterbacks to skip drills and focus on the one-on-one time with execs. The biggest thing he needs to do is simply show up and charm decision-makers.

For more on his player profile, be sure to check out this effort from FTN’s resident prospector, Jeremy Popielarz and this handy landing page that links to all of our 2026 NFL Draft content.

Ty Simpson, Alabama

Simpson had to wait his turn after joining the Crimson Tide as a highly touted five-star recruit in 2022. Slated behind the likes of Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, playing time in Tuscaloosa didn’t come immediately, and this past season was the first time that the 6-foot-2 youngster got any meaningful snaps. Indeed, inexperience is a big knock against Simpson (15 career starts), although he certainly got in throwing reps by leading the SEC in attempts (473) in 2025.

What we have here is more of a long-term “project” than a plug-and-play starter. Despite a reasonably strong start to the 2025 campaign, the latter half of the college season witnessed a stark dip in production from Simpson. He looked like a guy who needs a little more seasoning.

That said, NFL teams that can be patient with Simpson are undoubtedly going to be intrigued. A good showing in passing drills, particularly highlighting his touch on deeper throws and (hopefully) improved ball placement, could help solidify his status as a development piece in Round 1 (think Los Angeles Rams/eventual heir to Matthew Stafford). The ceiling is absolutely there if Simpson continues to work on consistent mechanics and better delivery.

Drew Allar, Penn State

This one’s a bit of a difficult case. Allar suffered a season-ending ankle injury in October, and not being granted an extra year of NCAA eligibility has accelerated a timeline that needed more runway. Another year in college could’ve made Allar one of the top names in the 2027 class had he been allowed to return. Sadly, rules are rules, and that ain’t the world we live in.

The good news, at least, is that Allar has considerably more experience under center than someone like Ty Simpson. 35 career starts in the Big 10, including a debut campaign with a conference-leading 25 passing touchdowns in 2023 and a National Championship appearance in 2024, provide us with a solid body of work. Allar’s idyllic 6-foot-5 frame and superb arm are extremely apparent on film. What isn’t, however, is a more nuanced understanding of reading the field and passable footwork; that’s where this ankle injury debacle hurts him the most. Again, I cannot stress enough how “raw” Allar still is.

Will the Combine be the jumpstart to an exciting developmental journey? Who knows. If anything, the Combine is going to be the equivalent of what the Panini Senior Bowl was for LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier — a chance to show a healthy body and a desire to compete. Getting any positives from Indy will be monumentally important. What happens from there is in Allar’s hands, but whatever NFL team selects the 21-year-old will have plenty of molding to do. High risk, potentially high reward, but a disappointingly low floor are all on the table.

Running Back

Invitees

• Jam Miller, Alabama
• Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
• Adam Randall, Clemson
• Roman Hemby, Indiana
• Seth McGowan, Kentucky
• Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
• Eli Heidenreich, Navy
• Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
• Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
• CJ Donaldson, Ohio State
• Noah Whittington, Oregon
• Kaytron Allen, Penn State
• Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
• Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh
• Rahsul Faison, South Carolina
• Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M
• Robert Henry Jr., UTSA
• J’Mari Taylor, Virginia
• Jonah Coleman, Washington
• Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
• Max Bredeson, Michigan

Players to Watch

Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

Love is easily RB1 in the class. If you haven’t seen any tape of him already, get ready for a fun watch. A former four-star high school recruit, he ended his collegiate career with back-to-back seasons of 1,300-plus scrimmage yards and became the first player in Notre Dame history to win the Doak Walker Award (the nation’s top running back) in 2025. This is a program that’s given us names like Jerome Bettis and Kyren Williams, folks — pretty big deal!

But don’t think of Price as just Love’s backup; he’s quite talented in his own right. The 22-year-old offers similar size to his counterpart and possesses a level of burst that translates to multiple areas of the game. Price averaged 37.5 yards per kick return and scored a pair of return touchdowns, leading the NCAA in 2025. Though he isn’t the discussion as a first-round pick like Love, Price also earned first-team All-American honors last year. That ain’t no accident.

Jonah Coleman, Washington

Coleman’s inability to make it down to Mobile for the Senior Bowl was disappointing. He was one of the names previously highlighted as a “main attraction” of mine for the event, so the folks in Indianapolis should count themselves lucky to get to see the 5-foot-9 cannonball up close.

There are few doubts as to whether Coleman’s game will translate to the NFL. The dude barrels downhill with authority and makes bringing him to the ground a tall task. He’s got it as a runner, but how much speed Coleman possesses is something that’s still up in the air. How he measures in this area will be a crucial piece of the evaluation puzzle.

That said, remember that there’s such a thing as Speed Score. A raw 40-yard dash time doesn’t tell the entire story. Those seeking more insight on what this stat means should glance at this article by fellow FTN contributor Bryan Knowles from last year, but just know that when I’m talking about how “fast” Coleman is, this is the area that’s being focused on.

Emmett Johnson, Nebraska

Look, Johnson’s electric, man. This 22-year-old finished 2025 with both first-team All-Big 10 and All-American honors on the strength of a 1,451-rushing-yard campaign (fourth in the NCAA) with some decent pass-catching chops to boot. Vibes-wise, watching Johnson feels kind of like Alvin Kamara, but without the same level of physicality that’s made the latter a five-time Pro Bowler.

Part of the issue stems from a listed frame of 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds; figuring out how big a guy we’re really talkin’ about here is vital. That’s what makes Popielarz’s comparison to James Cook a solid one. Beyond the physical measurements, it’ll be very interesting to see Johnson’s performance in drills that showcase quick cuts and agility. Balling out in those areas is huge for a player generally considered on the smaller side. If he can really pop, size won’t matter.

Wide Receiver

Invitees

• Germie Bernard, Alabama
• Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
• Josh Cameron, Baylor
• Chase Roberts, BYU
• Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
• Antonio Williams, Clemson
• Michael Sturdivant, Florida
• Dillon Bell, Georgia
• Zachariah Branch, Georgia
• Colbie Young, Georgia
• Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech
• Ted Hurst, Georgia State
• Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas
• Kendrick Law, Kentucky
• Aaron Anderson, LSU
• Barion Brown, LSU
• Chris Hilton Jr., LSU
• Zavion Thomas, LSU
• Chris Bell, Louisville
• Caullin Lacy, Louisville
• CJ Daniels, Miami
• Donaven McCulley, Michigan
• De’Zhaun Stribling, Mississippi
• Harrison Wallace III, Mississippi
• Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State
• Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri
• Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
• Bryce Lance, North Dakota State
• Jalen Walthall, Incarnate Word
• Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
• Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
• Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
• Jordan Hudson, SMU
• Eric McAlister, TCU
• KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
• Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech
• Reggie Virgil, Texas Tech
• Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
• Deion Burks, Oklahoma
• Carnell Tate, Ohio State
• Malik Benson, Oregon
• Skyler Bell, UConn
• Ja’Kobi Lane, USC
• Makai Lemon, USC
• Denzel Boston, Washington
• Vinny Anthony II, Wisconsin

Players to Watch

The Four Probable Round 1 “Elites”

Consensus has landed on Jordyn Tyson from Arizona State, Makai Lemon from USC, Carnell Tate from Ohio State and Denzel Boston from Washington as the dudes likeliest to receive high rookie draft capital. Each will likely hear their name called by Roger Goodell in the first round, so being aware of them and tracking their progress throughout the Combine will be key.

Getting into the nitty-gritty with each would be pretty difficult here, so we’ll do a TL;DR speed run instead. From a broad perspective, both Tate and Boston are your larger X receiver types. Tyson, also a perimeter threat, is slightly smaller and relies more on speed than his frame to win. As for Lemon, he’s more of a slot-based YAC machine that’ll break the intermediate levels of the field wide open. Definitely read Popielarz’s profiles on all four for greater insight.

KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Another dynamo who didn’t make it down to the Senior Bowl, the Combine will be the first time Concepcion does any proper workouts for NFL teams. The former NC State transfer is a creative playmaker with the ability to beat multiple coverages from the slot or on the outside. Versatility is going to be a huge plus for Concepcion, but admittedly, size won’t.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, we’re not talking about another Tank Dell situation by any means, but determining how actual measurements compare to what’s listed will better illustrate some of the physicality concerns he carries. Is he “small” or actually small? Luckily, getting out there and murkin’ dudes ain’t Concepcion’s bag to begin with, especially given his speed.

Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

Easily my top receiver from the Senior Bowl, Fields has garnered some genuine intrigue since the January showcase. In the most recent mock draft from NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, he had the Notre Dame wideout landing in the first round — that’s a massive stock-up W right there.

Count me as one of the folks who went into Mobile expecting Fields to be just another big-bodied X receiver. He certainly looks and plays that part well, although the week of practice gave onlookers a chance to see Fields put together strong delivery on a wide-ranging route tree and superb separation skills. Others, including Jeremiah, clearly agree.

I think there’s still some “untapped” upside here, and with guys like Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate around at the Combine, we’ll get a chance to see how Fields looks relative to the higher-end of the WR talent spectrum in the 2026 class. All respect to the Senior Bowl invitees, but the collection of wideouts in Indianapolis is a different caliber. Can Fields still look that good against those guys by comparison? Getting that answer will be pivotal.

Tight End

Invitees

• Josh Cuevas, Alabama
• Michael Trigg, Baylor
• Joe Royer, Cincinnati
• Oscar Delp, Georgia
• Tanner Koziol, Houston
• Riley Nowakowski, Indiana
• Bauer Sharp, LSU
• Marlin Klein, Michigan
• Dae’Quan Wright, Mississippi
• Eli Raridon, Notre Dame
• Will Kacmarek, Ohio State
• Max Klare, Ohio State
• Jaren Kanak, Oklahoma
• Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
• Khalil Dinkins, Penn State
• Matthew Hibner, SMU
• RJ Maryland, SMU
• Sam Roush, Stanford
• DJ Rogers, TCU
• Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M
• Miles Kitselman, Tennessee
• Lake McRee, USC
• Dallen Bentley, Utah
• Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
• John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming
• Justin Joly, N.C. State

Players to Watch

Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

Sadiq brings incredible athleticism to the table and will turn only 21 in a couple of weeks. The upside for a stellar catch-first tight end is absolutely in play for the Oregon product. He does everything you want out of a receiving tight end in the NFL, but where things get tricky for Sadiq, however, is size relative to what the league typically looks for at the tight end position.

Standing at a listed 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, Sadiq isn’t a small human, but that’s on the lower end for guys at his position. Tight ends often face off against large defenders in blocking situations, and that’s quite literally half the job. Whether Sadiq can demonstrate enough trench acumen to avoid being taken out of the rotation regularly will be intriguing. We won’t get all of that info in Indy, but blocking drills should get extra attention during his turn(s).

Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

A huge part of what made Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia the runner-up for the Heisman this past season was Stowers being the best tight end in the country. No, that’s not an opinion either; he won the John Mackey Award in 2025 with a 62-769-4 receiving line backing it up. What’s even more wild is that he’s a former four-star quarterback recruit who began his career at Texas A&M and didn’t even transition to tight end full-time until 2024.

Of course, that’s a bit of a double-edged sword. Fantasy managers love über-athletes at tight end, as does the NFL, but that’s how we end up with the Dalton Kincaids of the world. There is at least some possibility that the same rings true for Stowers, so honestly, just seeing him hold his own against his counterparts across all areas would be reassuring. Are we getting excited for a “true” tight end, or just an athlete who plays tight end as a catch-first slot specialist?