INDIANAPOLIS — The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books! For the 40th consecutive year, the event was held in Indianapolis, but the dynamics of the combine are shifting, as fewer players have opted to participate, a growing trend which the NFL is monitoring closely with two more years remaining on their contract with the city of Indy. Figuring out how to incentivize players to participate is something that Park Avenue will need to figure out, if they wish the combine to remain a 'made for TV event.
Before we get into specific player performances, one notable item that occurred earlier in the week was New England Patriots senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith being honored at the annual Inside The League Scouting Awards. Highsmith was named a 'Bart List' award winner for 'Top NFL Executive.' The award is named after former Rams scout Danton Barto, and it's the second time that Highsmith has brought home a prestigious scouting award, as he was presented with the C.O. Brocato Lifetime Service To NFL Scouting Memorial Award in 2021.
New England arrived in Indianapolis with needs at multiple positions on the offensive side of the ball, with question marks surrounding the depth at wide receiver, tight end and offensive line. While quarterback is not expected to be a position they draft, the Patriots have made several visits just 70 miles south to Storrs and are very familiar with UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano. Considered a late-round prospect, Fagnano looked the part and had a solid overall workout at the combine. Should he fail to hear his name called come April, he might be viewed as a potential backup quarterback that the Patriots look to develop.
While the Patriots do not expect to draft another running back, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf was asked what traits he desires when evaluating running backs. His response was telling and possibly a hint at his disappointment in streaky rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson.
"I’m a big fan of guys that run hard, guys that can really hit the hole with force and burst through," Wolf stated during his podium interview. "I know there’s a lot of different running styles, a lot of people that have different varying levels of success, but to me, the guys that can really attack the hole and put pressure on the defense are valuable."
While it might not be viewed as a direct hit to Henderson, one can't help but notice that it seemed to be the precise problem for last year's second-round pick. Could New England be considering an additional body to add to the backfield competition? It should not be ruled out.
With free agency on the horizon, much talk in downtown Indy revolved around the future status of several prominent wide receivers. New England will be forced to make a decision on Stefon Diggs, who will have $6 million of his salary guaranteed on March 13th. Despite registering the first 1,000-yard receiving season for the Patriots since Julian Edleman in 2019, Diggs performed a disappearing act in the playoffs, totaling just 110 yards in four postseason games. When you factor in his current ongoing legal issue and $26.5M cap hit for 2026, it's looking more like the Diggs experiment could be one and done in Foxorough. One name who has been linked to New England is Philadelphia Eagles disgruntled star AJ Brown, who played with Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. Vrabel was asked about his relationship with the three-time All-Pro.
“I think the relationship with players and specifically, you asked about AJ, It has meant a lot," Vrabel said at the combine. "I’ve watched him grow. I’ve watched him mature. I’m proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I’m proud of the husband. That has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played. Those are the things that are important. We reach out and text each other during the good things that happen to each other. Sometimes things don’t go so well for the people that you’re close with and you text for those as well. It’s a two-way street of support and reminders of what got us to where we are here today.”
The tight end spot is another position where the Patriots could look to add via the draft. While a premier prospect would require an early round selection and not necessarily in the team's blueprint, there is enough depth in this year's class to find an impact contributor in the mid-to-late rounds. One potential target could be Nate Boerkircher of Texas A&M, whom New England met with at the combine. A dependable inline backer who can also contribute in the passing attack, Boerkircher measured in at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds. With Austin Hooper headed for free agency and not expected back with the team, Boerkircher could serve as a viable replacement and provide depth behind starter Hunter Henry.
A big focus for the Patriots while in Indy was getting to know the offensive linemen, as additional pieces are expected to be added this offseason at both tackle and guard. There seems to be a heavy contingent of tackle prospects who could kick inside at the next level, which could make for some flexibility in terms of how they gauge this year's group. While we have highlighted several offensive line standouts below, a couple of local products made their mark in Indy this week, in Jude Bowry and Logan Thomas of Boston College. For Bowry, he tipped the scales at 6-foot-5 and 314 pounds, timing 5.08 in the forty-yard dash (1.75 ten-yard split), adding a 34.5" vertical jump and 9-foot-7 broad jump. Meanwhile, Thomas measured in at 6-foot-7 and 314 pounds, clocking in at 5.19 in the forty-yard dash (1.82 ten-yard split), with a 31" vertical jump and 9-foot broad jump. Both players figure to hear their names called late in the draft.
Our BSJ Combine Recap below offers up some of the top performers from the combine throughout the week at each position, along with latest buzz from Indy. Be sure to check back for the BSJ defense edition of our Combine Recap later this week. Here's a look at what we saw and heard from the offensive prospects in attendance at the NFL Combine, plus updated post-combine positional rankings.
QUARTERBACKS
When speaking to NFL scouts in attendance at the combine, it was clear that Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has established himself as the clear-cut No.2 signal-caller in this year’s draft behind Fernando Mendoza (who did not participate). Simpson backed it up with a smooth performance, demonstrating his ability to make all the throws, while showcasing excellent accuracy, an issue he struggled with down the stretch of the season.
Also turning in a top performance was LSU gunslinger Garrett Nussmeier, who now appears to finally be healthy, as he layered the ball with sharp zip and demonstrated accurate ball placement when leading his wideouts. In terms of deep ball prowess, Penn State commando Drew Allar, also back from the mend, displayed the best downfield accuracy, dropping several bombs right in the bucket of his intended targets.
One of the numerous vast changes at the combine in recent seasons has been the inclusion of fans to attend the NFL Scouting Combine. The past few years, the decision to let fans opt into the Lucas Oil Stadium experience was met with little hiccup. However, this week, Miami quarterback Carson Beck was booed every time he stepped up throw. This was due to the hometown Indiana Hoosiers faithful who enjoyed razzing Beck after defeating the Hurricanes in the national championship last month in the same stadium. To Beck’s credit he performed well despite the boo-birds.
Only six quarterbacks attempted the forty-yard dash but this group had some burners of their own, as Arkansas enigma Taylen Green set a new combine record for the position, clocking in with 4.36 mark at nearly 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds (he also added a 43.5” vertical jump and 11-2 broad jump), while Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King clocked a 4.46 time. There was some buzz that King could be asked to convert to wide receiver in the NFL due to his tremendous athleticism.
Top 10 Quarterbacks (Post-Combine Rankings)
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Ty Simpson, Alabama
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Carson Beck, Miami
Drew Allar, Penn State
Cole Payton, North Dakota State
Joe Fagnano, UConn
Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Behren Morton, Texas Tech
Taylen Green, Arkansas
RUNNING BACKS
It was disappointing to see just 10-of-the-28 running backs in attendance opt in to the 40-yard dash in Indy. However, the growing trend did not deter Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love from showcasing his elite speed to NFL scouts, blazing an impressive 4.36 time, at 6-feet, 212 pounds. His performance helped to state his case as a potential top-five overall selection.
Meanwhile, his Fighting Irish counterpart Jadarian Price also turned in a solid overall performance, registering a 4.49 mark in the forty, at 5-foot-11 and 203 pounds. Entering the combine, Price was already viewed as the potential second projected running back to come off the board following Love, and his workout surely went a long way towards solidifying his Day 2 status.
Another back who stated a strong case to be chosen early is Arkansas bruising runner Mike Washington who weighed in at 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds, clocking 4.33 in the forty, while adding a 39” vertical jump and 10-8 broad jump to complement an impressive resume, which includes a career-year campaign this past season for the Razorbacks. He is considered one of the few backs of playing a featured role in the pros.
Top 10 Running Backs (Post-Combine Rankings)
Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
Kaytron Allen, Penn State
Jonah Coleman, Washington
Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
Jamarion Miller, Alabama
Kaelin Black, Indiana
Eli Heidenreich, Navy
WIDE RECEIVERS
The wide receiver position was a bit more competitive than most, as 35-of-the-46 participants ran the 40-yard dash. It was one of the fastest groups ever, as 27 were timed at 4.50 or lower, while 21 wideouts clocked in under 4.45, and 11 of them ran sub-4.40. The fastest player in Indianapolis this year? That distinction goes to Mississippi State speed-burner Brenen Thompson, who at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, registered a top mark of 4.26.
Other top 40 times emerged from versatile LSU playmaker Zavion Thomas, who clocked in at 4.28, while Oklahoma speed demon Deion Burks blazed a 4.30. One player who came up short of expectations was Carnell Tate of Ohio State, who many have deemed as the premier wideout in this year’s draft class. While Tate clocked in with an ‘underwhelming’ time of 4.53, it shouldn’t move the needle too much in terms of his draft stock and he still remains in contention to be WR1.
A pleasant surprise was lengthy