October 7, 2026

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2026 NFL Scouting Combine: Day Two Recap

by Brian Bosarge0554

The defensive backs and tight ends were on the turf for day two of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. 

They split the prospects into three groups today. The cornerbacks and safeties were split into two groups. The tight ends went later.

Let’s look at how the players performed in each group.

2026 NFL Scouting Combine: Day One Recap

DEFENSIVE BACK GROUP 1 (CORNERS)

D’Angelo Ponds (Indiana) is short (5085). We knew this. But he plays much bigger than that. I then he vertical leaped higher than anyone thus far at the 2026 NFL Combine. Ponds didn’t run a 40 but looked smooth in the field drills. He is likely to be drafted much higher than a 5’8″ corner would normally be. 

Brandon Cisse (South Carolina) has up-and-down tape in my opinion. But he is explosive. And you see that on tape as well. Some think Cisse is a first-round talent. I am not there yet.

Colton Hood (Tennessee) was hyped up prior to the Senior Bowl. I didn’t think his performance there was all that great. Hood’s showing in Indianapolis may get the train back up and running. He ran a 4.44 in the forty (1.58 10-split), with a 40.5″ vertical and 10’5″ broad jump.

Toriano Pride (Missouri) set the field on fire with a 4.32 forty (1.51 10-split). The fastest dash thus far. Pride looked good on the field and with his vert (37″).

Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis (Washington) are tall, long corners. Both are well over 6’3″ with over 33-inch arms. Prysock and Davis both went sub 1.6 in their ten-yard splits. And both ran in the 4.4 range. Prysock can get a bit handsy at times. Both have a shot at being day two picks.

Some were enamored with his Senior Bowl week, but I was left wanting more with Charles Demmings (Stephen F Austin). Demmings did not leave me wanting more after the Combine. 

The following players did not run a forty-yard dash:

Mansoor Delane, LSU; Avieon Terrell, Clemson; Brandon Cisse, South Carolina; Keith Abney II, Arizona State; D’angelo Ponds, Indiana; Keionte Scott, Miami; Jadon Canady, Oregon; and Thaddeus Dixon, North Carolina.

Jermod McCoy (Tennessee) hasn’t taken a snap since the end of the 2024 season. He tore his ACL in January. Allegedly, he was healthy enough to finish the 2025 season, but didn’t. He was invited to the Senior Bowl but did not attend. Now, he has elected not to do any drills at the Combine. What is he hiding?

DEFENSIVE BACK GROUP 2 (SAFETIES)

This was the fastest safety group that I can remember since they split the corners and safeties up in 2018. 

None was faster than Lorenzo Styles, Jr. (Ohio State). His older brother Sonny Styles stole the show last night at the Combine. Lorenzo came in tonight, showing that he is one to be reckoned with as well. Lorenzo blazed a 4.27 in the 40 with a ridiculous 1.49 10-yard split. The elder Styles is likely a day three selection that will be a day one return man in the NFL.

Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina) has been a favorite of mine for the last three years. I have regarded Kilgore as the top nickelback in this class. I no longer believe that is the case, but Kilgore will be a day-one starter at either nickel or free safety.

Dillon Thieneman (Oregon) is solidifying himself into the round one conversation. The versatile DB ran an official 4.35 (1.52 split), with a 41-inch vertical, and a 10’5″ broad jump.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo) didn’t run as fast or jump as high as his peers. But he did enough to solidify himself in the day one conversation.

Treydan Stukes (Arizona) and Robert Spears-Jennings (Oklahoma) both ran “send you back to the tape” times with 4.33 and 4.32, respectively.

The top safety in the class (and my top overall player), Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, did not work out at the Combine. I would have loved to see him compete with McNeil-Warren and Thieneman.

TIGHT ENDS

The day of ridiculousness continued with the tight end group.

Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon) came into the Combine as TE1. Sadiq leaves as the top tight end and a potential top-15 selection. He blazed a 4.39 in the forty with a 1.54 10-yard split. That followed Sadiq having a 43.5″ vertical and an 11’1″ broad jump.

Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt) didn’t run as fast as Sadiq (4.51/1.59), but he outleaped him. Stowers set a combine record for TEs with a 45.5″ vertical, and then had an 11’3″ broad jump. Stowers may have cemented himself as TE2. This is pending Michael Trigg‘s Pro Day testing at Baylor.

It was good to see SMU TE R.J. Maryland have a nice showing on the track. The son of former #1 pick Russell Maryland has battled injuries the last couple of seasons.

Sam Roush (Stanford) emerged at the Senior Bowl. Especially since the passing game was non-existent at Stanford. But after a good week in Mobile, Roush kept the momentum going in Indy.

In addition to Trigg not working out, Max Klare (Ohio State), Joe Royer (Cincinnati), and Justin Joly (NC State) all chose to sit out the testing.

Check back tomorrow for my recap of day three.

You can also see a sortable table with all of the testing results here at Draft Countdown!

P.S: Happy Anniversary to my beautiful and loving wife, Rebecca! She has tolerated me disappearing for hours on end to write up various draft-related content for the last 16 years, and I love her more and more every day.

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