INDIANAPOLIS — Music played, drills progressed and a general sense of mundane overtook the air Thursday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Until Sonny Styles bent his knees, dropped his hips and leapt toward the rafters—and 43 ½ inches later, sent his onlooking peers into an eruption so loud, so unmistakable, it turned heads from the field to the sideline.
Styles delivered the best vertical jump of any player 6' 4" or taller and 240 pounds or heavier since 2003, his finest achievement on a day full of them. The Ohio State linebacker won the weigh-in, measuring 6' 5" at 244 pounds, and notched an 11’ 2” broad jump to pair with a 4.46 40-yard dash, tied with teammate Arvell Reese for the fastest of the day.
Thursday belonged to Styles, who’s in position to be a mid-first round pick in April. But several additional linebackers and defensive linemen impressed alongside him, while a few others did little to help their stock in Indianapolis.
Styles aside, here’s who’s rising and falling from the front seven after the NFL scouting combine’s opening night.
Risers
Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Few players were more decorated this past college football season than Rodriguez, an All-American who won the Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player, along with the Butkus Award for the country’s top linebacker. But questions about Rodriguez’s athleticism followed him through the season. He answered them Thursday, running a 4.57 40-yard dash and recording jumps of 38 ½ inches in the vertical and 10’ 1” in the broad. Rodriguez should have a spot secured on the draft’s second day.
Zane Durant, DT, Penn State
After an up-and-down final season for both himself and the Nittany Lions, Durant reminded evaluators why he entered the year as one of the class’s most intriguing defensive tackles. Size concerns will follow the 6' 1", 290-pound Durant, but he left no questions about his athleticism. He ran a group-best 4.75 40-yard dash while notching a 9’ 4” broad jump and 33 ½-inch vertical jump. In drills, Durant had more ankle bend and explosion than anyone in his group. An impressive all-around day.
George Gumbs Jr., edge, Florida
Largely unheralded in a deep class of edge defenders, Gumbs jumped his way into the record books and onto the national radar. The 6’ 4”, 245-pound Gumbs logged a 41-inch vertical jump, the second-best since at least 2013. He also ran a 4.66 40-yard dash and notched a 10’ 1” broad jump. During on-field drills, Gumbs impressed with his burst and power—he forcefully moved tackling dummies harder than most, and he gracefully handled hoops and cones. He may have boosted his stock more than anyone else Thursday.
DeMonte Capehart, DT, Clemson
Clemson has a quality track record of producing defensive tackles, but Capehart entered the combine with little fanfare. He’s proving worthy of receiving more buzz. At 6' 5" and 313 pounds, Capehart clocked a head-turning 4.85 40-yard dash. He’s long-legged, explosive and showed impressive bend and flexibility. Capehart’s production won’t stand out—he tallied 13.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 57 games at Clemson—but his blend of size, experience and athleticism warrants a longer look.
Romello Height, edge, Texas Tech
Height’s frame—6' 3" and 239 pounds—will be an immediate detractor, if not eliminator, for some teams and schemes. But the first-team All-Big 12 selection showed his trademark athleticism, fluidity and natural ease of movement in a standout on-field performance. He finished in the top 10 in the FBS in both quarterback pressures and hurries, according to Pro Football Focus, and he appeared to cement his spot as a Day 2 pick Thursday.
Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
In a group full of athletic linebackers—the fastest in NFL combine history—Louis’s raw twitch stood out. Though he didn’t run the 40-yard dash, he moved at a high rate of speed and with quality suddenness and change of direction in drills. Undersized at 6' 0" and 220 pounds, Louis made plays all over the field at Pitt and should be a third-round pick in April.
Fallers
Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
The extent to which McDonald’s stock truly falls after Thursday is miniscule, and he had a few impressive moments in footwork drills. But he slipped multiple times in drills and didn’t have the degree of athleticism or fluidity often associated with potential first-round draft picks. The 6' 2", 326-pound McDonald won Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and is a tremendous run stopper. He’s more of a power player and short-area mover, and when asked to expand his movement skills Thursday, he struggled.
Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama
Lawson didn’t run a 40-yard dash, but unlike Louis, he failed to make up for it in team drills. The veteran Alabama standout lacked high-level juice and didn’t move as well as those around him. Lawson, projected as a Day 3 pick, did little to help himself.
Other News and Notes
- Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey, in contention to be a top-10 pick, went through complete athletic testing and on-field drills. He clocked a 4.50 40-yard dash, the fastest among the first two groups of testers, and moved in a clean, fluid manner on the field. In an era where so many elite prospects opt out of the combine, Bailey’s presence—and performance—impressed. The same applies to Styles and Reese.
- Southeastern Louisiana defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor carried the small-school flag in the first group, and he hardly looked out of place. Proctor, the Southland Conference Player of the Year in 2025, showed next-level burst and fluidity. At 6' 2" and 291 pounds, Proctor will face questions about his size and level of competition, but he’s an NFL athlete with quality film.
- Oklahoma’s Gracen Halton looked fluid and athletic in drills, and he posted a 36 ½-inch vertical jump, which ESPN reported is the third-highest of any defensive tackle in the past two decades.
- TCU linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and operated in a quick, sudden manner.
- Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller, one of the draft’s best at his position, didn’t participate in athletic testing or drills. Florida’s Caleb Banks did athletic testing and briefly went through drills before opting out due to cleat discomfort, according to NFL Network.
- Other standouts who were minimal or non-participants include Georgia linebacker CJ Allen, Miami edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor and Illinois edge Gabe Jacas.
- Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell gingerly walked to the sideline favoring his left leg after falling on a coverage drill late in the session.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Combine Risers and Fallers: Sonny Styles Steals the Show.
