The 2026 NFL combine is off and running in Indianapolis this week, with 319 invited prospects set to meet with and test in front of executives, coaches and scouts from all 32 teams in an effort to show why they’re worthy of being selected in April’s draft.
No pressure.
While some of the class’s top prospects tend to use the combine as a precursor to their pro day—choosing to only sit down with select clubs while opting out of physicals, workouts and measurements—others don’t have that luxury.
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For them, this week is critical. A fast 40-yard dash, an elite showing in a position drill, or a longer-than-anticipated wing span (yes, it’s that serious) can significantly increase a player’s draft stock overnight.
Here are five prospects that have something to prove this week.
DE Rueben Bain, Miami
Bain is a consensus first-round talent, having tallied 54 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks—all career highs—in 2025 while helping the Hurricanes to a national championship appearance. However, where he’s ultimately selected may come down to one metric: arm length.
While the 21-year-old was listed at 6' 3", 275 pounds in college, evaluators have zeroed in on the length of his arms throughout the pre-draft process. Historically, the benchmark for arm length at edge rusher is 33-inch arms or longer. If Bain were to come in at 32 inches or below, there's a possibility he falls to the middle—or even the end of—the first round.
If he measures at 33 inches, however, his top-10 status is all but locked in.
RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Love was the driving force behind Notre Dame’s offense in 2025, rushing for a career-high 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns while adding 280 yards and three scores as a pass catcher. He’s the unquestioned No. 1 running back in this class.
Having said that, selecting running backs in the first round has become a lost art in the NFL. Since 2013, only three drafts have seen multiple backs come off the board in Round 1—while two of the past five (2022, ’24) saw none selected on Day 1.
Love plans to do a full workout at the combine this week. Should he nail it, he’d likely cement himself as the lone running back to be selected in the first round.
QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Nussmeier was widely considered to be the top quarterback prospect heading into the 2025 college season. However, after a less-than-ideal campaign that saw him make only nine starts—going 5–4 amid the firing of coach Brian Kelly—the 24-year-old was essentially soft-benched with an abdominal injury. He now has some work to do to improve his draft stock.
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Nussmeier plans to throw on Saturday, and it will be the most important part of his pre-draft process to date. With a solid performance, he could remind evaluators of why he was once viewed as a Day 1 pick.
QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
Speaking of quarterbacks who will show off their arm talent at Lucas Oil Stadium, Simpson plans to sling it as well on Saturday—and in the process, he could eliminate any lingering doubt about whether he’s a first-round pick.
In his lone season as the starting signal-caller for the Crimson Tide, Simpson completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns, guided Alabama to an 11–4 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff, and by season’s end, turned himself into a Day 1 prospect.
Aside from consensus No. 1 selection Fernando Mendoza, however, it’s a relatively weak quarterback class at the top. If Simpson can put on an elite performance at the combine, he could solidify his status as a first-rounder. If he flops, however, a slip into the second round isn’t out of the question.
WR Brenen Thompson, Missisippi State
The former high school sprinter stands 5' 9" and weighs only 170 pounds. Still, Thompson’s game-breaking speed allowed him to tally 57 receptions, 1,054 yards and six touchdowns for the Bulldogs this season, earning him a second-team All-SEC selection.
The 22-year-old is expected to clock a 40-yard dash time in the 4.2-second range, which would put him in the conversation for fastest ever. For context, the prior record holders, John Ross and current leader Xavier Worthy, each parlayed their blazing times into becoming first-round picks.
It’s a long shot, but perhaps Thompson could do the same.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Players Who Can Improve Their Draft Stock at the 2026 NFL Combine.
