The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is here. These position-by-position testing benchmarks could determine who rises — and who falls — on draft boards.
Vertical: 34-36” is strongModern tight ends with WR-level agility test numbers climb draft boards rapidly.Interior OL: 6’2”-6’5”; 300-315 pounds10-yard split: Sub-1.80 shows needed quickness10-yard split correlates more strongly with pass-protection success than full 40 time.
40-yard dash: 4.60-4.75 is strong for Edge defendersBroad: 9’10”-10’4” is powerfulElite pass rushers often post top-tier 10-yard splits and vertical jumps.40-yard dash: 4.55-4.65 is average; Sub-4.50 equals sideline rangeBroad: Over 10’0” is explosiveDEFENSIVE BACKSCornerbacks Testing BenchmarksVertical: 35-38” is a ball skills indicator40-yard dash: 4.50-4.60 range acceptableRecovery speed plus transition efficiency often outweigh pure straight-line speed.Speed-to-explosiveness pairing: a fast 40 plus big jumps equals real athletic ceiling, and matter more than single drills.A prospect’s 10-yard split is increasingly prioritized league-wide. Mass-adjusted movement: “How rare is this time at this weight/length?” Outlier size-speed combinations create first-round momentum. These aren’t always shown as a single Combine graphic, but they’re how personnel departments talk. If a prospect is only elite in one bucket, teams start looking for the missing trait on film. If they’re strong in two or three, the league starts talking about “traits” and “upside” in the same sentence. As the Combine unfolds, these data benchmarks will shape draft boards, and likely produce at least one metrics-driven first-round surge.
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