2026 NFL Combine standouts: Defensive linemen, EDGE rushers, & linebackers

The ramp up to the 2026 NFL Draft begins with the NFL Combine. After a few days of meetings, the on-field work in Indianapolis began on Thursday. Things kicked off with the strength of this draft - the front seven.

All three spots - defensive linemen, EDGE rushers, and linebackers, are needs for the Patriots to varying degrees. EDGE rusher might be the team's biggest need, but executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf noted this week that the team would like to add a linebacker in the draft as well. The need for a defensive tackle will hinge on a couple of things, including whether or not the team can re-sign pending free agent Khyiris Tonga and what happens with Christian Barmore's legal situation.

Which players from the workout stood out, with a lens on likely Patriots fits? Here's a look at the top performers (you can find the full Combine results here)...

Wolf and Mike Vrabel both talked about valuing explosiveness up front, and no player was more explosive in testing than Durant. He led all defensive tackles (keep in mind EDGE rushers are listed as defensive linemen) with a 4.75-second 40 (the fourth-fastest among DTs since 2003) at 6-foot-1, 290 pounds. With that he had a 1.66-second 10-yard split, also leading the position. That number is more relevant for defensive linemen than the overall 40, as it helps show how quickly a player can get out of his stance and up to full power.

Durant was also among the leaders in vertical (33.5") and broad (9'4") jumps, and cruised through the on-field work. He came into the day as a projected mid-Day 3 pick but certainly helped himself in front of NFL scouts.

Like Durant, Proctor was one of the best athletic testers on the day at the position. He ran a 4.79-second 49 with a 1.69-second split, ranking first and third respectively at the position, while checking in second with a 4.76-second short shuttle. After that he was one of the best performance in the on-field drills.

Coming from a smaller school, Proctor has more to prove in the pre-draft process. After a strong performance at the Shrine Bowl, he continued to up his stock and could be putting himself in the top-100 conversation.

Onyedim didn't run a 40, but looked incredibly fluid during the on field workout. The measurements also likely helped him out, checking in at 6-foot-3, 292 pounds with 34 1/8-inch arms. He entered the day viewed as a fringe Day 3 prospect, but should have teams taking a longer now.

Coming into the Combine Capehart was expected to test well - and he did. He ran a 4.85-second 40 with a 1.71-second split, with a 33.5-inch vertical. He's a bit bigger than some of the other elite testers, but is still smooth on his feet. He's another player in that crowded mid-Day 3 group, but did a good job of separating himself at what can be a 'tiebreaker' event.

On measurables alone, Banks is a Combine winner. At 6-foot-6, 327 pounds with 35-inch arms and 10 7/8-inch hands with an 85 3/4-inch wingspan, he's in the 89th percentile for height and 94th or better in every other category. He ran a 5.05-second 40 before shutting things down and will do the rest of the work at his pro day, but on those measurements alone he's keeping himself in the first-round conversation and is expected to go right around the Patriots' No. 31 pick.

Jackson is another elite measurables player. He checked in at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds with 34 3/4-inch arms and an 86-inch wingspan. In the on-field drills he carried that size well, and was more nimble than some of the other taller linemen. A projected Day 2 pick, he's technically raw but reinforced that he has size a lot of natural athletic talent for teams to work with.

Overall, it was a relatively disappointing performance for what's been hyped as an excellent edge class (although a number of the top players did limited to no testing or workouts). Still, a few players elevated themselves - mainly projected Day 2 picks.

Leading that group was Lawrence. At 6-foot-4, 253 pounds he ranked second across the board in 40 time (4.52 seconds), 10-yard split (1.59), vertical (40"), and broad jump (10'10") with all four categories having different players across the top. In addition to showcasing explosiveness Lawrence showed natural movement through the drills, in particular the hoop drill. This should help his case as a top 100 pick.

Height was another standout in the on-field work. One of the smaller edge rushers in the class, he measured in slightly bigger than some may have expected at 6-foot-3, 239 pounds with 32 1/4-inch arms. At his size smooth movement is all the more important, and he glided through the hoop, run and club, and body control periods. That was after running a 4.64-second 40 with a 1.63-second split. Coming into the Combine Height is viewed as a fringe second round pick - did he put himself in the top 50?

Dennis-Sutton is one of the more interesting evaluations in this draft. Based on his 2024 season he looked like a fringe first round pick, but after a rough 2025 is now projected to go late on Day 2. The question is was 2024 an anomaly, or did the Penn State program faltering as a whole impact his ability to produce.

Throughout this process, it'll be up to DDS to show teams he's closer to the player he was in 2024. His workout should help with that - he ran a 4.63-second 40 with a 1.63-second split and positional-best 10'11" broad jump and 6.9-second 33-cone at 6-foot-6, 256 pounds then looked natural in the on-field drills.

Howell had one of the most polarizing days of any player at the Combine. That was highlighted by his 30 1/4-inch arm measurement, which is the shortest of any edge rusher at the Combine since 1999. He also didn't test as well as expected in the vertical or broad jumps.

However, at 6-foot-2, 253 pounds he ran a 4.59-second 40 with a 1.58-second split, and was one of the standouts during positional drills. Arm length aside Howell checks a lot of the boxes the Patriots seem to be looking for at edge rusher, and should be on the team's radar. If the measurements outweigh the testing in the eyes of teams, the odds of him being on the board at No. 31 likely increased on Thursday, although there was still plenty in his performance for the Patriots to like.

Rodriguez may be viewed by some to win more with this technique and instincts than athleticism, but his testing showed he has that club in his bag too. He ran a 4.57-second 40, with a 38.5-inch vertical. During his on-field work, everything he did was smooth at 6-foot-1, 231 pounds. Projected to go in the late second or early third round, he seemingly helped his case.

There's been some questions about whether Louis is a linebacker or a safety at the next level, and with his 6-foot, 220 pound measurement those questions will likely continue. Wherever he ends up playing though, his makeup comes down to his athleticism, projected coverage ability, and range to make plays from sideline to sideline.

Between his testing numbers and on-field work, he looked like a player that can do that. His numbers were top five at the position across the board including 40-yard dash (4.53, 5th), 10-yard split (1.58, 3rd), vertical jump (39.5", 4th) and broad jump (10'9", 2nd).

Elarms-Orr was one of the best outright testers among the linebackers. That includes a 4.47-second 40, and a 40-inch vertical at 6-foot-2, 234 pounds. He's another player that is a projected late-Day 3 pick, but may have some teams giving him a second look coming away from Indy. At the very least, that kind of athleticism and size should get him special teams looks.

York didn't do any testing, but look really natural for all the on-field work. He's another player that will have size questions at 5-foot-11, 226 pounds. Those players need to show they can move at an elite level to help make up for their lack of size, and this was a good showing for him. He's currently a projected Day 3 pick.

Because we're mainly focusing on Patriots targets we've mostly skipped over players expected to go well beyond their range. However, it wouldn't be right to not make note of how well Ohio State linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles both tested.

Styles early on is in contention for the best overall performance at the Combine, with a 4.46-second 40, 43.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-2-inch broad jump - all best or tied for best at the position at 6-foot-5, 244 pounds. Reese only ran the 40, but tied Styles with a positional-best 4.46. Both were excellent in on-field drills as well. It wouldn't be surprising if both end up being top-five picks, and based on conversations on the broadcast both could be in consideration to go No. 2 overall to the Jets.