The NFL Scouting Combine didn’t see any record-breaking 40-yard dash times, and didn’t feature any quarterbacks of real interest for fantasy football, but it did feature plenty of players who will dominate talking points over the next few months.
While this class isn’t a classic one, it does feature plenty of useful players and some who have helped their stock this weekend, while others who might have not. These are the 10 biggest winners and losers of the combine.
- Fantasy Football Research & Advice
- Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- 2026 NFL Mock Drafts
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Combine Winners & Losers (Fantasy Football)
Combine Winners
Mike Washington Jr. (RB – Arkansas)
Perhaps the biggest winner of the combine is Mike Washington Jr., who has pushed himself firmly into the conversation as the RB3 or possibly RB2 in this class. Washington ran a lightning-quick 4.33-second 40-yard dash, following it up with a 10-foot-8-inch broad jump and 39-inch vertical jump, showing his agility isn’t just limited to speed.
Washington is 6-foot-1 and weighs 223 pounds. It’s very rare to see a back that big post those athletic numbers. Washington spent five years in college, but is still only 22 and is coming off 167 rushes for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns, while catching 28 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown. He’s unlikely to go too high in the draft, but this combine performance could be the difference between round three and round four draft capital, which is meaningful.
Best RB Speed Scores (weight-adjusted 40) / Draft Round since 2014
1. Keith Marshall (126.9) / 7th
2. MIKE WASHINGTON JR. (126.9) / TBD
3. Isaac Guerendo (125.7) / 4th
4. Saquon Barkley (124.3) / 1st
5. Antonio Gibson (122.8) / 3rd
6. Kene Nwangwu (121.7) / 4th
7. Jonathan…— Ryan Heath (@RyanJ_Heath) February 28, 2026
Jeremiyah Love (RB – Notre Dame)
Even if Jeremiyah Love had turned up in Indianapolis and bombed his combine performance massively, it would have been unlikely to move him off the top spot among running backs, but the performance he did give made it even more likely he could sneak into the top five picks, rather than being just a top-12 pick.
Love showed his elite speed with a 4.36 40-yard dash, with only Mike Washington Jr. outpacing him among running backs, and that time was good enough to best Jonathan Taylor (4.39), Saquon Barkley (4.40) and Bijan Robinson (4.46).
It feels unlikely Love will be a top-two pick, but Arizona (third overall) and Tennessee (fourth overall) both have needs at running back. Washington, who at pick 1.07, seems like his floor.
Ty Simpson (QB – Alabama)
With Fernando Mendoza, the only expected starter of this year’s draft class, the rest of the quarterback prospects haven’t had much pop. With NFL veterans like Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins and Geno Smith all expected to be available, teams likely don’t need to stretch for a solution in the way they have in the past.
Daniel Jeremiah noted during the broadcast that Ty Simpson does everything well, and Simpson showed out in every phase of the quarterback drills. Simpson is somewhat of an unknown quantity with only one year of starting experience, having sat as a backup for his first three years.
In that one year of starting, however, Simpson completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions. If Simpson can continue to interview well, there’s a chance he can at least make a training camp battle interesting and start enough games to have an impact.
Zachariah Branch (WR – Georgia)
The wide receivers didn’t shine this weekend in a spectacular way, which is fairly in line with what expectations are for the group as a whole, but there were some nice moments. Zachariah Branch delivered a very impressive 4.35 40-yard dash, reinforcing just how quick the former track sprinter is.
Branch also put in good work in the other drills he competed in, hoping to assuage doubts about his size at (180 pounds, 5-foot-10). Those measurements aren’t alarming. Zay Flowers is built similarly. If Branch can find a team ready to utilize his speed and elusiveness similarly, he’ll be a fun player to roster in fantasy football.
Ja’Kobi Lane (WR – USC)
Another receiver who should be feeling good about their combine performance is Ja’Kobi Lane, who ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds. Also posting a 40-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-9-inch broad jump.
Lane also shone in the gauntlet drill with one of the smoothest attempts of the weekend, before making a wildly impressive catch on the sideline in the passing drills. Lane is currently ranked 91st on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him move up over the next couple of weeks. Lane’s WR15 ranking could be significantly too low if he interviews well.
Bryce Lance (WR – North Dakota State)
This is unlikely to matter much for redraft, but it might be worth keeping an eye on Bryce Lance in dynasty leagues. He is currently projected as a fourth-round pick. Lance ran an awesome 4.34 40-yard dash, as well as posting impressive numbers with an 11-foot-1-inch broad jump and a vertical leap of 41.5 inches.
I guess I’m just a booster for NDSU atm
Bryce Lance has some damn good film momentspic.twitter.com/8SbDmcTAgF
— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) March 2, 2026
Lance is a 6-foot-3, 204-pound receiver out of North Dakota State. His brother is quarterback Trey Lance. Lance reportedly had interest from bigger schools offering more money, but wanted to stay at North Dakota before heading to the NFL.
Lance hopes to follow in Christian Watson‘s footsteps, but with the right landing spot, he’ll be a name to keep an eye on this offseason.
Eli Heidenreich (RB – Navy)
We rarely talk about a player coming out of Navy as someone to consider for fantasy football, but Eli Heidenreich is certainly interesting as a very deep sleeper.
Heidenreich worked out with the running backs at the combine, but played for Navy also as a slot receiver. He can be utilized out of the backfield and as a player getting designed touches, such as jet sweeps. Heidenreich scored a 9.12 Relative Athletic Score (RAS score) and ran a 4.44 40-yard dash.
The Navy product is a long way from being projected to have a meaningful impact, but if a team falls in love with him, he could be a deep sleeper.
Combine Losers
Malachi Fields (WR – Notre Dame)
After the Senior Bowl, Malachi Fields was a hot name, surging up mock drafts. Even experienced draft analysts thought he could be a fringe-first-round selection. Coming off the combine, however, that might be about to change.
Fields ran a slow 4.61 40-yard dash along with a 38-inch vertical jump, which is somewhat disappointing, given he’s 6-foot-4. During the on-field drills, Fields faired better, but he also dropped two passes during the gauntlet. Notre Dame’s Pro Day will be very important for Fields’ outlook the rest of the way.
Denzel Boston (WR – Washington)
Recently, Denzel Boston was considered the WR4 of this draft class and was just outside the top tier. He could add some value to a team wanting a big-bodied ball winner, with him measuring in at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds. However, Boston elected not to run the 40-yard dash, nor participate in the 3-cone or broad jump drills.
Boston’s performance in the vertical jump (35 inches) is very disappointing for a player of his size, ranking outside the top 20 receivers in that drill, and his gauntlet drill wasn’t particularly smooth. Boston is unlikely to fall out of fantasy relevance, but he needs to do something in the coming months to stay close to the top-tier of wide receivers ahead of him.
Makai Lemon (WR – USC)
Every year, there seems to be at least one prospect who doesn’t nail the interview process for whatever reason, and this year it’s Makai Lemon. According to former NFL defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko on Twitter, Lemon “bombed” the process.
I talked to a scout just now who said he didn’t know what Makai Lemon’s motive was behind his combine interviews but whoever advised the kid needs to be fired. “Absolutely bombed it” word for word.
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) March 1, 2026
Fehoko isn’t typically reserved on social media and has been wrong plenty of times in the past, but this story, combined with strange interviews during Lemon’s media availability, has plenty of people bringing his name up in a way he likely wouldn’t find ideal.
Lemon would hardly be the first NFL wide receiver to have some unusual characteristics, though. His 2025 stats (1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns) and Fred Biletnikoff Award will most likely keep him inside the top 15 of the draft. However, it’s worth keeping an eye on this situation over the coming weeks.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
