The third day of field work and testing at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine was the most anticipated with the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers taking their turns, and it did not disappoint Saturday.
Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love, projected to be the first running back off the board, wasn’t totally satisfied with his 4.36-second 40-yard dash, but it was second-best among running backs and only further affirmed his elite upside.
USC star Makai Lemon, projected to be one of the first wide receivers off the board, delivered as well.
Ditto for Alabama’s Ty Simpson, who is hoping to be the second quarterback drafted after presumed No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
But the real fun of the combine are the surprises and players who dramatically swing their draft stock in Indianapolis.
Here are five takeaways from Saturday …
1. Razorbacks Represent
Arkansas did not have a good football season. The Razorbacks went 2-10 overall and winless in the SEC, getting coach Sam Pittman fired early in the season.
But that doesn’t mean the program lacked top-end talent.
Quarterback Taylen Green and running back Mike Washington Jr. were two of the most underrated players in college football last season, and it felt like that was going to extend to their draft stock.
But both have been surging through the pre-draft process, starting with standout performances at the Senior Bowl in February and continuing Saturday at the combine.
Green has the prototypical size NFL scouts desire in a quarterback at 6-foot-6, 227 pounds. He also has the experience, passing for 9,662 yards, 59 touchdowns and 35 interceptions and 2,403 rushing yards with 25 TDs over two seasons as a starter at Boise State and two at Arkansas.
And now he’s proven he has the raw athleticism to stand out in this draft class as well.
Green set testing records for a quarterback with a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, a 43.5-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 11 feet, 2 inches — all the best marks for the position since NFL Next Gen stats started archiving combine data in 2003.
Green may not be the best pure passer in the draft, but it’s not as if his elite athleticism was a secret before Saturday — or shouldn’t have been.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Green as the No. 8 quarterback prospect in this draft class before Saturday — the former Razorback may be moving up draft boards after this performance.
Ditto for his Arkansas teammate.
Washington, a former two-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite, spent three seasons at Buffalo and then one at New Mexico State before truly breaking out in 2025 with Arkansas.
Over those first four years, his best season rushing total was 725 yards. Last fall, Washington rumbled for 1,070 rushing yards and 8 TDs on a career-high 6.4 yards per carry in his lone SEC season. He added 226 yards and a TD receiving.
That production alone should have had NFL teams highly intrigued by the 6-foot-1, 223-pound running back.
Then he went and vaulted his draft stock further Saturday, posting the best 40 time among all running backs at 4.33 seconds. It’s an incredible time, period — but even more impressive given Washington’s size. The seven faster 40 times at the combine this year came by much smaller athletes, six of which weigh 205 pounds or less.
He also tested well in the in the vertical jump (39 inches) and broad jump (10’8”), which were the second-best marks by a running back this year behind Kentucky’s Seth McGowan.
“I’m so emotional, man,” Washington told NFL Network’s Stacey Dales afterward. “I’ve worked my whole life for this.”
Kiper ranked Washington the No. 7 RB prospect entering the week. That seems low given his performance in the fall and what he showed scouts Saturday.
2. Introducing Jeff Caldwell
Who is Jeff Caldwell?
That’s what the Cincinnati wide receiver had a lot of people saying Saturday with his phenomenal testing numbers.
Caldwell spent three seasons at FCS-level Lindenwood before transferring to Cincinnati for his final season and caught 32 passes for 478 yards and 6 touchdowns. Solid numbers, for sure, but there wasn’t much draft buzz about him.
Then the 6-foot-5, 216-pound wideout stepped into the spotlight Saturday.
Caldwell ran the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash among wide receivers at 4.31 seconds, tied for second among WRs in the vertical jump (42 inches) and was also second among WRs in the board jump (11’2”).
If Caldwell wasn’t on some NFL teams’ radars before Saturday now, he sure is now and fits the profile of a uber-athletic talent who would seem to have some major untapped potential still.
3. Top Testing Numbers And Times Saturday
Here were the top testing times and numbers overall from the quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs on Saturday.
Top 40-yard dash times:
1. Mississippi State WR Brenen Thompson – 4.26 seconds
2. LSU WR Zavion Thomas – 4.28
3. Oklahoma WR Deion Burks – 4.30
4. Cincinnati WR Jeff Caldwell – 4.31
5. Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr. – 4.33
Top vertical jumps:
1. Arkansas QB Taylen Green – 43.5 inches
T2. Oklahoma WR Deion Burks – 42.5
T2. Kentucky RB Seth McGowans – 42.5
T4. Cincinnati WR Jeff Caldwell – 42.0
T4. Kentucky WR Kendrick Law – 42.0
Top broad jumps:
1. Georgia State WR Ted Hurst – 11’3”
T2. Cincinnati WR Jeff Caldwell – 11’2”
T2. Arkansas QB Taylen Green – 11’2”
T4. Connecticut WR Skyler Bell – 11’1”
T4. North Dakota State WR Bryce Lance – 11’1”
Top bench press reps:
T1. Oklahoma WR Deion Burks – 26
T1. Clemson RB Adam Randall – 26
T1. Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson – 26
4. Oregon RB Noah Whittington – 24
5. Washington RB Jonah Coleman – 24
4. Concern For Carnell Tate?
Many draft gurus projected Ohio State star Carnell Tate to be the first wide receiver drafted this year, but his 4.53 40 time Saturday was a bit of a surprise — and not in a good way.
That ranked 27th among wide receivers who ran the 40 on Saturday with bigger and heavier receivers than the 6-foot-2, 192-pound Tate running faster.
That said, ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested that some NFL teams clocked faster times for the Buckeyes star on their own. So maybe it’s not going to be much of a factor come draft day.
Tate had 51 catches for 875 yards and 9 TDs this past season for Ohio State, which is even more impressive when considering he was sharing targets with Jeremiah Smith.
Entering the week, Kiper projected Tate as the top WR drafted at No. 6 to the Cleveland Browns.
5. Three More Players Who Helped Their Case Saturday
USC wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane has been a bit overshadowed in the pre-draft buildup, and perhaps it doesn’t help that his teammate Makai Lemon has generated so much buzz as a surefire high first-round pick.
But the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Lane has an incredible highlight reel from his college career and put up 1,270 receiving yards and 16 TDs over the last two seasons.
Lane helped his cause Saturday with a 4.47 40 time and some notable catches in the field work portion of the combine.
Connecticut WR Skyler Bell was one of the most productive pass-catchers in college football last season with 101 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 TDs, and overall through three seasons at Wisconsin and two with the Huskes he had 220 catches for 2,893 yards and 24 scores.
But playing at UConn isn’t the biggest spotlight — unless on the basketball court, that is.
The 6-foot, 192-pound Bell ran a 4.40 40, tied for third among WRs in the broad jump (11’1”) and was fifth in the vertical jump (41 inches).
One of the players with the most to prove this week was Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who had an underwhelming senior season, passing for 1,100 yards, 8 TDs and 3 INTs in six games before breaking his ankle.
But Allar had passed for 49 TDs and 10 INTs over the previous two seasons, and he reminded scouts Saturday that he still has an NFL-caliber arm.
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