The NFL Combine is the best chance for future NFL stars to show off their talents. Coaches and general managers from all 32 NFL teams gather in Indianapolis each year for a week-long event, which includes medical checks, interviews and workouts with 300+ of the top players in the country.

Guys like Jeremiyah Love, Carnell Tate, Rueben Bain and other top draft prospects will be under extreme scrutiny later this month, but there are also a lot of other players flying under the radar that could make a name for themselves at the combine. Here are 10 sleepers to keep an eye on this year.

QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State

North Dakota State is famous for producing NFL talent despite being an FCS school. They pump out the most NFL players of any FCS program, and this year, their starting quarterback, Cole Payton, will join the NDSU alumni in the NFL.

In 2025, Payton completed 72 percent of his throws for 2,719 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions, while adding 777 yards and 13 scores on the ground. He’s the most talented quarterback to come out of NDSU since Trey Lance, but right now, he’s being mentioned as a day three pick. That could change at the combine.

The 2025 quarterback class is underwhelming, and with Fernando Mendoza not throwing, it gives the rest of the group a chance to standout. Payton is easily one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the class, so his 40 time should wow some coaches and GMs, but he also has a cannon for an arm and is extremely accurate. If he can post a good 40 time and show off his arm talent, he could leave Indianapolis with a day two projection.

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QB Taylen Green, Arkansas

The NFL Combine is made for guys like Taylen Green. He is not a pure passer that is going to wow you with his accuracy, but he is a freak athlete at the quarterback position, so he’s going to draw a lot of eyes at the combine.

Green is 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds and is absolutely massive. He’s going to look the part just standing on the sideline, but his workouts are going to be very important. After totaling 777 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns last season, teams are going to be curious what his 40 time is going to look like, so he needs to make sure he’s towards the top of the QB leaderboard at the end of the day.

His throwing workouts are going to be very important too. He never completed over 62 percent of his throws in four seasons as a starter, and his best TD to INT ratio was 14 to 6 back in 2022. He needs to show teams that he’s not just some freak athlete, but he’s also capable of dropping back and being accurate.

With a good showing in the 40 and in passing drills, Green could jump up a round or two.

WR Barion Brown, LSU

Barion Brown was considered one of the top receivers in the transfer portal last offseason, but after transferring to LSU, he didn’t really get to show off his skills. Garrett Nussmeier was hurt all year, which limited how often he could take shots downfield, which is where Brown really excels.

Brown’s 40 time is going to raise some eyebrows. I covered LSU during the spring of last year, so I got to see him run in person, and this guy can fly. There’s a reason he holds the SEC record for most kick return touchdowns in a career with six. The 40-yard dash is going to be super important for his draft stock, but he’s also going to have to show teams that he became a much more well-rounded player throughout the year.

When the receivers run the 40, make sure you’re paying attention to Brown, because he could end up near the top the sheets.

WR Chris Hilton, LSU

Another LSU receiver to watch at the combine for many of the same reasons as Brown is Chris Hilton. He’s battled through injuries his entire career, but when he was on the field, he was one of the best deep threats in the country. All you have to do is watch his tape from the end of 2024 to see what he’s truly capable of.

Unfortunately, Hilton’s biggest strength is his ability to get behind defenders and make plays downfield, and we already discussed that wasn’t much of an option for LSU last year. I think he might actually be faster than Brown, and if I had to put money on any receiver leading the class in 40-yard dash time, it would be Hilton. Right now, he’s viewed as a late-day three pick or a priority UDFA, but if he can run in the low 4.3s, that could change in an instant.

WR Zachariah Branch, USC

Zachariah Branch is one of the most explosive athletes in the country, and while he was productive in college, it felt like there was always more on the table. In three seasons, the 5-foot-10 receiver recorded more than 505 yards just one time, and he only scored nine touchdowns in his career. Still, he declared for the NFL draft because he knew someone would take a chance on his speed and athleticism.

As you can imagine, Branch’s 40-yard dash time will be a major factor in where he’s selected. Right now, he’s viewed as a second-round pick, but all it takes is a low 4.3 or high 4.2 to launch him into the first round. We’ve seen it with guys like John Ross before.

RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

Nicholas Singelton’s time at Penn State came to an awkward end. After rushing for 1,000 yards in two of his first three seasons, Singleton was the RB2 for the Nittany Lions in 2025, totaling 549 rushing yards on just 123 carries. He did set a career-high in rushing touchdowns with 13, but it was certainly an underwhelming senior season.

Still, Singleton is a player to watch at the combine. He’s a big bruiser, coming in at around 224 pounds, but he’s incredibly fast and is a great receiver for his size. Teams will be very interested to see what he runs in the 40 and how he performs out of the backfield in receiving drills. This could be a big week for him, especially because the RB2 spot behind Jeremiyah Love is completely up for grabs. 

DE Akheem Mesidor, Miami

Rueben Bain is getting all the shine, but his teammate, Akheem Mesidor, could end up becoming just as good, if not better, at the NFL level. There are big concerns about Bain and his arm length, and while he was the more productive of the two, Mesidor is more of the prototypical NFL defensive end.

Mesidor is 6-foot-3, 280 pounds and finished the year with 67 pressures and 12.5 sacks. He’s a really good athlete, but he’s very strong and plays with great technique, so he doesn’t have to solely rely on his athleticism. But at the combine, where most of the drills and workouts are centered around athleticism, he’s going to stand out.

Mesidor is currently viewed as a day two pick, but if he performs well and Bain’s arm length is a real concern, maybe he could work his way into the first round.

LB Harold Perkins, LSU

Another LSU player that’s flying under the radar a bit is Harold Perkins. As a true freshman, he broke onto the scene with 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, but since then, his production has dropped off. LSU used him in a bunch of different roles, but never really found one that suited his skillset.

Perkins is an elite athlete, and the combine rewards guys like him. He’s going to run fast, jump high and perform really well during his workout. There will be some questions to be answered about where he sees himself playing at the next level and why his production fell off, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he came out of the combine feeling really good about how he performed.

CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State

There are a lot of elite corners in this class that are going to come off the board early, but Chris Johnson isn’t being mentioned as one of them. He seems to be in the tier below Mansoor Delane, Avieon Terrell, Jermod McCoy and others in that group, but should he be?

Johnson is no doubt being punished because he played at San Diego State, but the combine is the perfect place for him to show teams he can hang with the big dogs. I mean, you don’t allow a 41 percent completion rate with four picks and five PBUs if you’re not a great cornerback.

Johnson is one of my favorite corners in the draft, and if he tests well, we could see his name start being mentioned alongside some of the other first-round corners.

CB Andre Fuller, Toledo

Toldeo has a couple of defensive backs coming out this year, including Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, but I’m more interested in Andre Fuller. He was clocked as the fastest cornerback during the Shrine Bowl a couple of weeks back, and his numbers are up there with the best in this class (42.3 completion rate, one pick, nine pass breakups).

If Fuller can post one of the top 40 times in the CB group, he could see his draft stock skyrocket. Right now, he’s looking at probably being a day three pick, but if he tests well, he could end up being a late day two selection.