INDIANAPOLIS — His face bore a blank expression. His eyes didn’t wander toward the running track he’d just set ablaze. He had no extra energy, no semblance of knowledge that he ran himself into the NFL scouting combine’s history books.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. clocked a 4.27 40-yard dash Friday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, the fastest time by a safety since at least 2003 and tied for the ninth-fastest time in combine history. It’s also the fastest time ever by an Ohio State player.
Styles, who added a 39-inch vertical jump and moved well during field drills, cemented himself as one of Friday’s biggest risers—and as the other half of perhaps the most athletic duo of brothers to ever participate in the same combine. On Thursday night, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, Lorenzo’s younger brother, ran a 4.46 40-yard dash and stole the show athletically.
Whether Lorenzo out-did his brother is up for debate. Whether he helped his stock isn’t.
Lorenzo Styles aside, here’s who helped, and hurt, their stock Friday night, when defensive backs and tight ends hit the field in Indianapolis.
Risers
Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
Thieneman already put himself in the winners circle with his athletic testing, as he clocked a 4.35 40-yard dash and notched a 41-inch vertical at 6' 0" and 201 pounds. But he was clearly the best safety during drills, showing quick hips, impressive change of direction and an uncommon degree of body control. Thieneman’s hands were strong, too, and he separated himself with conviction and confidence in his movements.
Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia
Everette’s physical and athletic profile passes with flying colors—at 6' 1" and 190 pounds, he timed a 4.38 40-yard dash—and he stood out during position drills, too. A three-year starter at corner for the Bulldogs, Everette showed a smooth backpedal, loose hips, long speed and an assertiveness when asked to catch the ball. Everette cemented himself as a Day 2 pick Friday.
Jalon Kilgore, DB, South Carolina
Kilgore’s fluidity, change of direction and ball skills were on full display Friday night. The 6' 1", 200-pounder tested well, too, with a 4.40 40-yard dash, a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10-feet, 10-inch broad jump. Kilgore, an All-SEC selection each of the past two years, can play both nickel and safety, and he helped his odds of being a Day 2 pick.
Collin Wright, CB, Stanford
One of the nationally lesser-known cornerbacks at the combine, Wright had a tremendous day. At 6' 0" and 188 pounds, the Stanford product notched a 39-inch vertical jump, tied for the eighth-best among cornerbacks, and starred during field drills. Though he didn’t run the 40-yard dash, Wright showed smooth hips, quality burst and confidence with the ball in the air. He helped his odds of being a Day 3 pick.
Jaren Kanak, TE, Oklahoma
Kanak played linebacker from 2022 to ‘24 at Oklahoma before transitioning to tight end for his final college season, and he developed into an immediate weapon for the Sooners. He showed why Friday, as his athleticism and movement skills mirrored the profile of a “move” tight end, and his hands were strong and reliable. He clocked a 4.52 40-yard dash and added a 36-inch vertical jump at 6' 2" and 234 pounds. Kanak is marginally undersized but athletic, versatile and headed toward being a mid-Day 3 pick.
Fallers
TJ Hall, CB, Iowa
Hall moved in an efficient, technically sound manner during field drills, but he lacked high-end explosiveness, and his testing numbers won’t do him many favors. The 6' 1", 189-pound Hall ran a 4.59 40-yard dash, the slowest among all cornerbacks, to go along with a 36-inch vertical jump, the fifth-worst among corners. Hall will be a Day 3 pick, which his blend of solid film and smooth drill work warrants, but he didn’t raise his stock Friday.
Miles Kitselman, TE, Tennessee
Kitselman ran a 4.90 40-yard dash, the worst in the tight end class by 0.16 seconds, and he tied for the worst in the class with a 9' 8" broad jump. He added a 34 1/2-inch vertical jump, the fifth-worst mark among tight ends. The 6' 5", 251-pound Kitselman struggled in field drills, too, and made his standing on Day 3 much shakier.
Other News and Notes
- Many of the premier defensive backs didn’t test or participate in drills, including Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and cornerbacks Mansoor Delane and Jermod McCoy.
- Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds has a fascinating profile. He’s a tremendous football player—second-team All-American in 2025—and had a group-best 43 1/2-inch vertical jump, but at 5' 8 5/8" and 182 pounds, he won’t be for everyone. Ponds may be forced to play nickel at the next level, but he’s pound-for-pound one of the best pure corners in the class.
- Avieon Terrell, an All-American cornerback this past season at Clemson, had a strong day, too. Terrell is a smooth mover with fluid hips, and he showed quality hands and ball skills.
- Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a physical specimen at 6' 3 5/8" and 201 pounds, and his size and length stood out amongst the safeties. He was a bit clunky and stiff in movement drills, but his twitch and general athleticism relative to his size was impressive.
- The draft’s two best tight ends validated their hype Friday. Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq blazed a 4.39 40-yard dash and Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers jumped 45 1/2 inches in the vertical. Both shined during field drills, too, with their ball-tracking and ease of movement.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Combine Risers and Fallers: Lorenzo Styles Jr. Follows in Brother’s Footsteps.
