2026 NFL Combine: Biggest Risers and Fallers for Dynasty

4.35. At safety, that number makes you a weapon. Thieneman ran a 4.35 forty at 185 pounds and then added a 41-inch vertical and 125-inch broad jump that screamed elite range and explosiveness. He was already our sixth-ranked prospect entering the combine, and this performance cements him as a potential top-five pick. For dynasty, safeties rarely move the needle — but Thieneman is the exception: a ballhawk with deep-coverage juice who will see early NFL starts and target volume in coverage schemes. His combine adjustment locked him in as a premium IDP asset and potential early-capital dynasty add.

4.46 with a 43.5-inch vertical. Sonny Styles didn't just test well — he tested as a freak. The Ohio State linebacker posted the kind of athleticism profile that turns linebackers into first-round locks, and his 43.5-inch vertical was one of the most jaw-dropping numbers of the entire combine weekend. He was already fifth on our board; now the question is whether he cracks the top three. For dynasty IDP, Styles is the clear LB1 of this class — a rangy, sideline-to-sideline thumper who can cover backs in space. If your league counts tackles, start bidding.

4.33. That's the number that turned Mike Washington Jr. from a dart throw into a legitimate late-round dynasty target. The Arkansas back came in flying under the radar at pick 93 on our board, then torched the forty track and backed it up with a 39-inch vertical and 128-inch broad jump. Speed like this at the running back position makes NFL teams reconsider their evaluations — and reconsideration means draft capital. Washington could leap into day-two conversation, which would make him one of the best value adds of the entire combine. Buy the breakout before the rest of your league sees it.

4.30. Deion Burks is fast — like, actually fast. The Oklahoma receiver posted a 4.30 forty and paired it with a 42.5-inch vertical that screams above-the-rim playmaker. At 47th on our big board, Burks has been a polarizing prospect: translatable speed but questions about route polish. The combine erased half those doubts. A sub-4.31 receiver with elite vertical jump is the profile that wins deep-ball roles and generates splash plays from day one. His dynasty ADP will firm up significantly — expect him to go off the board earlier than anticipated in best-ball and startup drafts.

4.35 out of Georgia Tech, and Eric Rivers just made himself relevant. Rivers put up a clean 4.35 forty with a 37-inch vertical and 127-inch broad jump — nothing gaudy, but consistent across the board, the kind of profile that scouts trust. He's 67th on our rankings, and while he won't jump into day-one consideration, he's now a legitimate day-three sleeper with established speed credentials. In dynasty, that's the profile that becomes a WR4 who sticks — and WR4s who stick are worth a late rookie pick. Rivers is worth a flier if you're looking for depth upside.

4.28. LSU churns out receivers, and Zavion Thomas earned his spot in that lineage. A 4.28 forty at #90 on our board is the kind of combine that pushes a fringe prospect into genuine consideration — especially at wide receiver, where speed is the one non-negotiable. Thomas profiles as the gadget/speed threat who can win on the perimeter from the jump, and NFL teams will compete for that. His dynasty value is currently a late fifth-round rookie pick; the combine justifies moving him up a round. Don't wait for consensus — the 4.28 is enough.

4.35 at receiver from the 19th spot on our board. Zachariah Branch already had the pedigree — elite recruiting, Georgia production, premium draft positioning. The combine confirmed what the tape suggested: this is a legitimate playmaker with the speed to threaten vertically and the athleticism to win in multiple alignments. A 38-inch vertical and 125-inch broad jump from a boundary receiver is a clean profile that teams covet. Branch should be in the late first-round conversation for dynasty rookie drafts, and this combine locked that in. He's a buy at any price below pick 1.04.

4.68. For an edge rusher trying to crack the top 50, a 4.68 forty is a problem. T.J. Parker came in with solid tape from Clemson but needed the combine to elevate his profile — instead, he ran a pedestrian time that does nothing to separate him from the pack. The 34-inch vertical and 120-inch broad jump tell the same story: average explosiveness for a position that demands elite get-off. At #59 on our board, Parker was already fringe day-two; now he's competing for day-three dollars. Dynasty managers should fade him until he lands a landing spot where his ceiling becomes clearer.

5.18. That's not a typo. Lee Hunter, a defensive lineman from Texas Tech, posted a 5.18 forty — one of the slowest times of the entire combine — paired with a 21.5-inch vertical that raised immediate concerns about his athleticism baseline. He falls to 95th on our board, and the combine did him no favors at a position where quickness off the ball is everything. Dynasty managers should avoid Hunter in rookie drafts entirely unless you're in deep IDP leagues with extreme positional scarcity. The tape now has to work overtime to overcome these numbers.

4.90 for a tight end is survivable — barely. Miles Kitselman came in as a depth-TE prospect at 124th on our board and left with those concerns amplified. A 4.90 forty and a 34.5-inch vertical don't profile as a receiving tight end at the NFL level, and his 116-inch broad jump suggests limited burst and separation ability. The Tennessee product will need to win teams over as an inline blocker-first option, which limits his dynasty upside significantly. At his current ranking, he's a name to know and a name to pass on in rookie drafts.

4.61. Notre Dame receivers historically struggle to translate, and Malachi Fields didn't help his case. A 4.61 forty for a wide receiver trying to crack the top 100 is a ceiling-limiting number — it removes him from outside receiver consideration and narrows his role to slot-only, where he'll face competition from faster options. His three-cone time of 6.98 showed some functional quickness, but that's a floor, not a ceiling. Fields is 105th on our board and trending toward undrafted free agent territory after this performance. Dynasty managers should move on.