Biggest Winners From Day 1 of 2026 NFL Scouting Combine

Thursday in Indianapolis marked the first day of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.

Some of the best players in college football gathered to showcase their speed, strength, agility and overall athleticism in what can only be considered the most important job interviews of their young lives. With Thursday marking the testing day for the defensive linemen and linebackers, there were plenty of big bodies moving around at Lucas Oil Stadium.

While getting an invite to the combine already indicates that you are on the radar of NFL teams in some capacity, having a standout showing can boost one's stock from a day two pick to a day one pick. For the elite of the elite, it can also be the difference between going in the top 10 or top five.

With this in mind, here are the three biggest winners from the first day of the NFL Scouting Combine.

Caleb Banks, DL, Florida

A guy who was limited to just three games this past season due to a foot injury that required surgery, Florida's Caleb Banks handled business in every aspect of the combine. He measured in the 94th percentile in height, hand size and arm length, while also posting the second-best broad jump for defensive tackles at. At 327 pounds, Banks also ranked within the top 10 at his position for his 40-yard dash (5.04) and his vertical jump (32 inches).

The cherry on top amid all of the discussions about how short some of the wingspans have been, Banks' wingspan was the largest since 1999 for defensive tackles. He is a player who may have fallen out of the first round before the combine, but worked his way back into it.

Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles (LB25). — Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles (LB25) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is the type of player who didn't necessarily do the drills, but only helped solidify himself as a top pick. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash out of all of the linebackers at 4.46, had the highest vertical overall from day one at 43.5 inches and also posted the best broad jump at 11'2".

To put into perspective how dominant of a combine he had, RAS revealed that he scored a 10.00/10.00, which is the best linebacker performance dating back to 1987.

Sonny Styles is a LB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored an unofficial 10.00 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1 out of 3215 LB from 1987 to 2026.

Splits projected, all times unofficial, agilities left, bench tmrw, but 10.00 RAS watch is officially on!… pic.twitter.com/f2JFhymsXH
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) February 27, 2026

Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF

With names like David Bailey (Texas Tech) and Arvell Reese (Ohio State) being the bigger attractions at the EDGE spot, UCF's Malachi Lawrence surely gave scouts something to write home about. His 4.52 40-yard dash was the third-best time among the defensive ends, his 40-inch vertical was the second-best and his 10'10" broad jump was the second-best as well.

Coming off a season that saw him record seven sacks, Lawrence could very well end up being a hidden gem in this class.

With there still being a few more days left of the combine and the big fellas performing this well, it's hard to imagine we won't see some fireworks when the skill guys roll into town.