In just about a week, 319 potential draftees are set to take center stage at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. All 32 teams will be in attendance, watching every player to see who they should prioritize in April.

Every year, there are a handful of players who go into the combine without a lot of hype, but burst onto the scene with a standout performance. We’ve seen players go from a mid round projection all the way up to the first round just because of how they performed in Indianapolis, so here are some of the most impressive combine performances in NFL history.

TE Vernon Davis, 2006

When I think of great combine performances, Vernon Davis is one of the first players that comes to mind. The Maryland standout put his athleticism on full display, running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, jumping 42 inches in the vertical and 10 feet, 8 inches in the broad jump and benched 225 pounds 33 times. And he did all of that at 6-foot-3, 254 pounds.

Davis earned a 99 athleticism score (1st among TEs in 2006) to go along with his 91 production score. He was already a highly touted prospect, but he ended up going 6th overall. Talk about putting on a show on arguably the most important day of your life.

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40-Yard Dash: 4.38 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.52 seconds

Vertical Jump: 42 inches

Broad Jump: 10 feet, 8 inches

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.17 seconds

Bench Press: 33 reps

RB Chris Johnson, 2008

Just a couple years after Davis lit the combine on fire, Chris Johnson put on a show in Indianapolis. His combine performance was highlighted by a 4.24-second 40-yard dash, which tied the NFL record at the time and wouldn’t be broken for over a decade. But on top of that, he put up impressive numbers in the vertical (35 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 10 inches). He ended up going 24th overall in the draft, and I think it’s safe to say his combine performance was a big reason why.

40-Yard Dash: 4.24 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.40 seconds

Vertical Jump: 35 inches

Broad Jump: 10-feet, 10 inches

RB Jerrick McKinnon, 2014

Jerrick McKinnon may not have had the most successful career, but man, did he put on a show at the combine. In 2014, McKinnon ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash with a 1.55-second 10-yard split, recorded a 40.5 inch vertical and 32 bench press reps. He received a 98 athleticism score (1st among RBs in 2014), which helped him go in the third round despite being just 5-foot-9.

40-Yard Dash: 4.41 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.55 seconds

Vertical Jump: 40.5 inches

Broad Jump: 11 feet

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.12 seconds

Bench Press: 32 reps

RB Saquon Barkley, 2018

Saquon Barkley was built for the combine. He is a freak athlete, and after he was done in Indianapolis, he was talked about as one of the best running back prospects we’ve ever seen. Barkley posted a 4.40-second 40-yard dash with a 41-inch vertical, 4.24-second 20-yard shuttle and 29 bench press reps. That made him faster than Devin Hester, quicker than DeSean Jackson, stronger than Joe Thomas and a higher jumper than Julio Jones. Barkley was already considered a top-10 pick, but his performance helped him go second overall to the New York Giants, making him one of the highest-drafted RBs of all time.

40-Yard Dash: 4.40 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.54 seconds

Vertical Jump: 41 inches

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.24 seconds

Bench Press: 29 reps

WR Julio Jones, 2011

We all know Julio Jones is a freak of nature, and it all started the 2011 combine. Jones put on an absolute show, running a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and jumping 38.5 inches in the vertical and 11 feet, 3 inches in the broad jump at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. His 40-yard dash time and broad jump ranked in the 94th and 97th percentile respectively at his position. His combine performance helped him come off the board sixth overall, and I’d say the Atlanta Falcons got a good return on their investment.

40-Yard Dash: 4.42 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.53 seconds

Vertical Jump: 38.5 inches

Broad Jump: 11 feet, 3 inches

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.25 seconds

Bench Press: 17 reps

WR Calvin Johnson, 2007

Coming out of Georgia Tech, everyone had their eyes on the 6-foot-5, 239 pound receiver, Calvin Johnson. Everyone wanted to see how he’d test at the combine, and he put on an absolute show, running a 4.35-second 40 with a 42-inch vertical and a ridiculous 11-foot, 7-inch broad jump. After his performance, he ended up going second overall in the draft.

40-Yard Dash: 4.35 seconds

Vertical Jump: 42 inches

Broad Jump: 11 feet, 7 inches

WR Xavier Worthy, 2024

Xavier Worthy is obviously famous for setting the NFL Combine record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, but the rest of his performance cannot be overlooked. Worthy also posted a broad jump of 10 feet, 11 inches and a vertical leap of 41 inches. He was viewed as a high upside, day two pick, but his 4.21-second 40 time pushed him over the edge, and he went 28th overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.

40-Yard Dash: 4.21 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.49 seconds

Vertical Jump: 41 inches

Broad Jump: 10 feet, 11 inches

S Taylor Mays

Taylor Mays put on an absolute clinic at the 2010 NFL combine. He came in at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds (which ranked in the 95th and 98th percentiles among safeties) and ran a 4.43-seconds 40-yard dash with a 41-inch vertical and a 10-foot, 5-inch broad jump. His 40-yard dash ranked in the 99th percentile and his vertical ranked in the 95th percentile among safeties. It’s pretty incredible that someone can test this well and not pan out.

40-Yard Dash: 4.43 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.56 seconds

Vertical Jump: 41 inches

Broad Jump: 10 feet, 5 inches

Bench Press: 24 reps

CB Byron Jones

Unlike most of the people on this list, who lit up the combine with blazing speed, Byron Jones did it in another way. He posted an incredible 44.5-inch vertical leap, which is one of the highest ever recorded at the combine, but his best performance came in the broad jump. He leapt 12 feet, 3 inches, which was not just a combine record (by eight inches), but a world record. And to top it all off, he posted a sub-four-second 20-yard shuttle. Just a ridiculous performance that shot him into the first round.

Vertical Jump: 44.5 inches

Broad Jump: 12 feet, 3 inches

20-Yard Shuttle: 3.94 seconds

DB Patrick Peterson, 2011

Patrick Peterson was very highly touted coming out of LSU in 2011, but his incredible combine performance help vault him into the top five of the NFL Draft. Peterson ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash with a 38-inch vertical and 10-foot, 6-inch broad jump. He earned a 94 athleticism score, which was first among defensive backs in the 2011 combine. He was already going to be a high draft pick, but he cemented his spot in the top five at the combine.

40-Yard Dash: 4.38 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.57 seconds

Vertical Jump: 38 inches

Broad Jump: 10 feet, 6 inches

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.07 seconds

Bench Press: 15 reps

DE Vernon Gholston, 2008

At 6-foot-3, 266 pounds, nobody expected Vernon Gholston to put up the numbers he did at the combine. Gholston ran a 4.67-second 40-yard dash, which is up there with some of the fastest by a defensive end ever. But that’s not all. He also leapt 35.5 inches in the vertaicl and 10 feet, 5 inches in the broad jump. He earned a 9.65 out of 10 on the Relative Athleticism Score, which for reference, is equal to Vernon Davis’ score. Gholston ended up going sixth overall to the New York Jets, but he would be out of the league in three years.

40-Yard Dash: 4.67 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.58 seconds

Vertical Jump: 35.5 inches

Broad Jump: 10 feet, 5 inches

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.4 seconds

Bench Press: 37 reps