Biggest Losers From Day 1 of NFL Scouting Combine

These former college football stars would've liked better showings at the 2026 NFL scouting combine.

Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) against the Indiana Hoosiers during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

This week's NFL Scouting Combine will serve as the most crucial job interview for some of college football's biggest stars.

With 319 players invited ahead of April's 2026 NFL Draft, everyone has looking to prove that they belong at the next level. Whether that be showing off their speed, mobility or intangibles during the interview process, everything they participate in will be heavily analyzed for the next couple of months.

While there were certainly some players like Ohio State's Sonny Styles or Texas Tech's David Bailey who had strong performances during Thursday's linebacker/defensive line outing, there were some other notable names who may need to have a strong pro day or hope that their film can erase their rough day.

Here are the three biggest losers from the first day of the NFL Scouting combine

Rueben Bain Jr. and Cashius Howell: Short Arms

Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) against the Indiana Hoosiers during the College Football Playoff National Championship. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There is no point in beating around the bush, Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. has historically short arms, and so does Texas A&M's Cashius Howell.

"At 30 7/8" and 30 1/4" arm length, Rueben Bain and Cashius Howell would have the shortest arms for an EDGE rusher drafted in the first round since at least 1999," wrote ESPN's Matt Miller.

With this being the big narrative around New England Patriots rookie left tackle, Will Campbell, who was exposed in the Super Bowl, teams may shy away from both despite their combined 47.5 5 career sacks.

Now, what they have on tape will most likely prevent them from falling out of the first round, but it doesn't mean that teams won't get scared.

Lee Hunter: Brutal Testing

Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter (DL15) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Oftentimes, when it comes to the combine, the biggest fellas don't fare well in what many call the underwear Olympics. At 318 pounds, Hunter posted the second-worst 40 time at 5.18. He also posted the worst vertical jump of the day by six inches.

Lee Hunter is a DT prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored an unofficial 3.72 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1285 out of 2046 DT from 1987 to 2026.

Splits projected, all times unofficial, agilities left to run.https://t.co/sGWkDm89Mu pic.twitter.com/1HtiR9uKjD

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) February 26, 2026

He was garnering some first-round buzz, but the lack of athleticism he showcased during the testing phase may have hurt his chances. With that being said, Hunter was still as disruptive as they come during his college career, and will make some team extremely happy.

Now, just because these players didn't test well doesn't mean they won't be drafted highly, but they will be looked at differently. At the end of the day, all it takes is for one team to fall in love with you, but it'll certainly be interesting to see how the draft plays out.