It has been three years since the Cincinnati Bearcats had a prospect being picked in Day 1 of the draft. However, wide receiver Jeff Caldwell might be in line to break that drought. At the Combine, he scripted a number so perfect that it is helping him make a mark for himself in the draft, despite being shadowed by the likes of Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson and other top WRs.

Jeff Caldwell nailed a perfect 10.0 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) at the 2026 NFL Combine. This makes him the first WR to make the score since 1987. 3,926 wideouts have competed from then to now, which proves that Caldwell is a rare player. Before his wondrously athletic showing at the Combine, the Bearcat WR was predicted to go undrafted. That will no longer be the case.

At 6’5⅜” and 216 pounds, Caldwell dominated Combine testing. He clocked 4.31-4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash and 1.48 seconds in the 10-yard split. Caldwell jumped a monstrous 42″ in the vertical, and was measured at 11’2″-11’9″ in the broad jump. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman had already had an inkling of what the WR was capable of, featuring him in his ‘Freak List.’

Caldwell’s 10.0 is tied with that of Georgia Tech and Detroit Lions legend Calvin Johnson. He achieved the same perfect scores during the 2007 NFL Combine. He ran 4.35 at 6’5″ and around 237 pounds. This earned him a reputation as a once‑in‑a‑generation physical specimen. Johnson was selected as the second overall pick in the 2008 draft. This may not be possible for Caldwell, as Tyson and Tate are blocking the WR big board as the top two receivers.

The former Bearcat transferred from FCS Lindenwood to Cincinnati for the 2025 season. In 2024, he made 53 receptions for 1,032 yards and 11 TDs. He came to Cincinnati with Second-Team All-American honors and a Walter Payton Award finalist nod. He couldn’t get much time on the field here, as he wrapped up his final season with 32 receptions for 478 yards and 6 TDs. But Caldwell’s Combine showcase has definitely caught the eye of NFL teams.

Jeff Caldwell has been invited for a pre-draft visit by the Steelers. Wide receiver is a priority for the team in the draft, because they need a third impactful WR in their offense. Caldwell’s athleticism and stature will check some of their criteria right away. There is a chance of the local team Cleveland Browns, picking him up, potentially on Day 3. There’s so much of Jeff Caldwell the football world is yet to see, especially because Calvin Johnson isn’t the only NFL legend he chased with his Combine numbers.

Jeff Caldwell joined DK Metcalf in the NFL Combine record books

During the 2019 NFL Combine, now-Steelers WR DK Metcalf was the man to beat. He ran 40 yards in 4.33 seconds, jumped 40.5″ vertically. Those numbers put him just ahead of Caldwell, who joins the iconic WR as one of only three wide receivers measuring 6’3″ and taller to record those numbers. North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance is the other wideout, who was timed at 4.34 at the 40 and jumped 41.5″ in the vertical.

Caldwell will sit at the top in this exclusive club, having the best numbers among the three.

The Cincinnati WR will now perform at Cincinnati’s Pro Day under a lot of scrutiny. Scheduled for March 24, he will be the top name on the list of all the NFL scouts who will survey the participants. Caldwell has already impressed them at the Combine; he just needs to go the remaining distance at this make-or-break event.