The NFL Combine has already began, but players won’t start taking the field for on-field drills until Thursday afternoon. There are 319 players set to attend the combine, but only 260 or so will be selected come April.

Everyone’s going to be tuning in to see college football’s biggest stars take the field. Guys like Jeremiyah Love, Carnell Tate, Rueben Bain, Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs and so many more will take part in combine workouts this week, but there are also some undervalued players that you need to keep an eye on.

Here’s one player from every position who is flying under the radar heading into the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.

Before we begin, make sure you’re tuning into the DraftCast with Tony Pauline every week to keep up to date with the latest NFL Combine and draft news.

Cole Payton, QB, South Dakota State

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Starting with the quarterback position, Cole Payton is one to keep your eye on. The South Dakota State product spent five years with the Bison, but only started one, where he threw for 2,719 yards and 16 touchdowns behind a 72 percent completion rate. He’s more than just a passer, though. He’s very mobile, rushing for 777 yards and 13 scores in 2025.

Payton has been rising up team’s draft boards since his impressive senior bowl showing, and the combine gives him yet another opportunity to show off his skill set, especially because Fernando Mendoza will not be working out in Indianapolis.

Bryce Lance, WR, South Dakota State

Let’s go with another South Dakota State prospect for wide receiver. Bryce Lance was Payton’s favorite target, catching 51 passes for 1,079 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging over 21 yards per catch. Lance has above average speed for a receiver his size (6-foot-3, 209 pounds), which makes him an elite downfield threat. If he tests well and shows off his downfield abilities in workouts, he could hear his name called earlier than expected in April.

Michael Trigg, TE, Baylor

Michael Trigg flew under the radar to most causal college football fans because Baylor wasn’t a great team, but he’s a super talented tight end. He’s 6-foot-4, 240 pounds and an incredible athlete who caught 50 passes for 694 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. He is going to test extremely well at the combine, so I expect him to raise a few eyebrows this week.

Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State

Max Iheanachor is an absolute unit. Coming in at 6-foot-6, 330 pounds, he is absolutely massive, and he comes into the combine with some great film. During his final season at Arizona State, Iheanachor gave up 14 pressures and zero sacks while posting a career-high 78.3 pass blocking grade. It will be very interesting to see how he performs athletically, because if he can put up some good numbers in the 40-yard dash and the shuttle drill, he could jump up a lot of team’s draft boards.

Jake Slaughter, IOL, Florida

Jake Slaughter was an all-star a Florida for the past three seasons. He’s given up fewer than two sacks every year while also posting an 80+ run blocking grade in 2024 and 2025 and earning First-Team All-SEC honors in each of his last two seasons. He’s one of the more experienced centers in the draft, and if he puts on a good showing in Indy, he could come off the board as early as the second round.

Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State

After two 1,000-yard seasons in his first three years at Penn State, Nicholas Singleton took a bit of a backseat to his teammate Kaytron Allen in 2025. He rushed for 549 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior, but the combine is a perfect chance for him to show teams he’s still got it. He’s big, coming in around 225 pounds, but he’s incredibly fast for his size. If he can post a good 40 time and show off his athleticism, he should hear his name called before Allen.

Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

Jacob Rodriguez was arguably the most impactful defensive player in college football. He racked up 128 tackles, seven forced fumbles, six pass break ups and four interceptions for the Red Raiders, but he’s projected to be a mid-round pick because of his size (6-foot-1). If he can put on a show at the combine and show teams he can be successful despite being a bit undersized, he could find himself going a bit earlier than expected.

Nadame Tucker, DE, Western Michigan

After going his entire career without recording a sack at Houston, Nadame Tucker transferred to Western Michigan, and he went off. Tucker played 280 pass rush snaps, but finished the year with 51 pressures and 14.5 sacks. He’s 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, so he’s a bit undersized, but he’s very athletic. If he can test well and show teams that his production was not just a product of the talent level he faced, he could be a late-round gem.

Zane Durant, DT, Penn State

Zane Durant isn’t your prototypical defensive tackle. He weighs in at 6-foot-1, 294 pounds, but he is one of the best athletes at the position in this entire draft. The combine is built for someone like him. He’s going to look like a freak compared to the other defensive tackles he works out with, so even though he’s undersized, he’s going to get a lot of attention this week. And rightfully so, because if he doesn’t test well, his draft stock is going to tank. There will be a lot of pressure on him, but he’s ready for the challenge.

Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

Chris Johnson is one of my favorite players in the draft. This is a stacked cornerback class with guys like Mansoor Delane, Jermod McCoy, Colton Hood and Aveion Terrell all likely going in the first round. That means someone like Johnson will slip to the second and be a great value pick for whoever selects him.

In 2025, Johnson allowed 41.9 percent of his targets to be caught for 185 yards and no touchdowns while picking off four passes and breaking up five more. He’s 6-foot, 195 pounds, so he’s got the size teams look for in a corner, so if he can test well, he could be a dark horse to sneak into the end of the first round.

Bud Clark, S, TCU

Bud Clark is a ballhawk. He played four seasons for TCU with over 200 coverage snaps, and in those four seasons, he totaled 14 interceptions and 16 pass breakups. He’s 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, so he’s a bit taller than most safeties, but he’s also a lot thinner and faster. He’ll have a chance to showcase his speed and ball skills at the NFL Combine later this week, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he comes out of it feeling a lot better about his draft stock.