NFL Combine Winners and Losers: Who Increased Their 2026 Draft Stock?

There is a conventional wisdom that NFL teams set their draft boards in February. Only truly remarkable individual performances, positive or negative, inspire the adjustment between the start of the NFL Scouting Combine and the April draft.

This time last year, Titans GM Mike Borgonzi said his board was essentially set. After drafting Cam Ward No. 1 overall in April, he repeated the highest-ranked boards he never moved in Nashville.

It is likely that the same will happen this time too. Fernando Mendoza is comfortable with growing expectations and was selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.

We’ll skip ahead to a great week for Ohio State prospects (almost every Buckeye was a winner when they left Indianapolis). A bit of revenge for the loss to Mendoza the last time they visited Lucas Oil Stadium.

There is plenty of room behind the Mendoza for the riders. Here are the prospects who had their best and worst weeks at the combine:

These prospects have helped with draft stock.

OT Monroe Freeling, GA: Rumors that Freeling wasn’t ready and would have to commit to the UGA weightlifting program for another year were put to rest after competing at an elite level in Indy. He buzzed a sub-5 40 at 6-7,315.

QB Taylen Green, Arkansas: We knew this was coming, but we’re still coming to terms with what Green does in the shorts and how he performs on game day. At 6-foot-6, his 44-inch vertical and 40-inch batting average of 4.37 will generate plenty of interest. Whether he can prove he’s a quarterback is the next question.

RB Jeremiah Love, Notre Dame: Nothing he could have done at Lucas Oil Stadium would have knocked Love off draft boards. But he sealed his status as a potential top-12 pick with a workout that proved to scouts that everything they saw on film was accurate.

QB Ty Simpson, Alabama: His competition for the QB2 spot on draft boards comes down to system fit. Simpson may be less experienced, but he already acts like a pro. He threw with better zip and placement than expected.

RB Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas: Isn’t this perhaps the best combination of running backs ever? If you believe in Relative Athletic Score, Washington is the guy. He scored a 10 out of 10, the highest score recorded over 40 years of data starting in 1987. The 223-pounder’s 4.33 40-inch and 39-inch vertical highlights an unusual combination in his draft profile. In a weak draft class at running back, Washington is on the rise.

These prospects are detrimental to your draft stock.

WR Malachi Field, Notre Dame: Fields has big possessions and helped himself to the Senior Bowl. But poor athletic testing and speed numbers bring an anvil to his stock. He hit the field with a 4.61 on the 40-yard dash and a 1.63 on the 10-yard split, a double whammy that cast doubt on his line-off release and ability to beat NFL cornerbacks over the top.

QB Diego Fabia, Vanderbilt: Mike continues to be a dangerous adventure for Pavia. Pavia’s sessions with the media were nothing but salty braggadocio and no hint of humility. Pavia’s ability to get this far is a chip on her shoulder. But how can he assimilate into an NFL locker room if he’s not the alpha? There’s no way he’ll be drafted as a starter and have backups pay their dues on a daily basis or be forced into humble pie as a pro. It’s hard to imagine his path to an NFL roster at age 5-10.

DT Peter Woods, Clemson: The problem for Woods and Miami’s Ruben Bain, who did not participate in Indy, was the measuring tape. His arm length for a 6-foot-2 defensive tackle is just 31 inches, which will limit his scheme fit. Both interior defensive linemen are athletic and productive at the college level, but their draft day cap will be limited if they fall short of NFL minimums such as arm length.