2026 NFL Draft: Offseason Buzz, Mendoza Mania Headline Top 10 Combine Storylines

The NFL’s annual convention is upon us again. The NFL Scouting Combine starts this week in Indianapolis, which not only serves as a chance for prospects to improve their draft stock, but it also allows many key decision makers to gather intel ahead of the start of free agency on March 9.

Several NFL players, agents, coaches and front office executives will be in Indianapolis this week. Agents will get a better chance to gauge the market for their players around the league, while executives might discuss potential trades. 

Of course, there are also the on-field workouts. This year, the league invited over 300 draft prospects to convene in Indianapolis. The combine gives prospects a chance to improve their stock with on-field testing, medical checks and one-on-one meetings with teams looking to get a better understanding of who they are as individuals.

So, it’ll be a pretty busy week in Indianapolis, even if free agency hasn’t officially opened. With that, let’s look at the top 10 storylines we’ll be following this week. 

[2026 NFL Draft: Top 50 Prospects at the Scouting Combine]

10. Will anyone break Xavier Worthy’s 40-yard time?

A first-round selection by the Kansas City Chiefs two years ago, the University of Texas standout set a combine record in the 40-yard dash by posting a 4.21-second, 40-yard time in 2024. Cornerback Maxwell Hairston ran the fastest time last year at 4.28 seconds.

This year, contenders for the fastest man at the combine include Mississippi State receiver Brenen Thompson, Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds and LSU receiver Chris Hilton.

Thompson was clocked at 23.7 miles per hour last year and could run in the high 4.2s. Hilton reportedly posted a 4.31-second, 40-yard laser time during training. A two-time All-American for the Hoosiers, Ponds ran a 10.47-second, 100-meter time in high school.

9. These three players could improve their draft stock with a good combine performance.

Washington’s Jonah Coleman was a productive, bruising running back who averaged 5.5 yards per carry during his college career. But scouts want to see if he has top-tier speed to break away from defenders at the next level. 

If he chooses to run at the combine, breaking 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash could serve as a boost to Coleman’s draft prospects. Rangy South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse is another athlete expected to test well in on-field workouts. At 6-feet, 190 pounds and only 20 years old, Cisse could help his draft stock with an outstanding performance this week.

One more to watch is Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq. With young players like Trey McBride, Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren developing into playmakers down the middle of the field, Sadiq is an explosive athlete who could turn heads with his athleticism. However, Sadiq finished with six drops in his final year for the Ducks and must show he can hold onto the football. 

8. Who’s the next Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori?

With the success of Seattle’s dominant defense in leading them to a Super Bowl victory by finding and developing the South Carolina product in the second round of last year’s draft, more teams will be looking for rangy athletes who can cover and blitz like Emmanwori. 

Versatile safeties in the mold of Kyle Hamilton and Derwin James Jr. that fit that profile in this year’s draft include Ohio State’s Caleb Downs (the winner of the Jim Thorpe award as the nation’s best defensive back), Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil Warren and Oregon’s Dillon Thienemann. All of them could develop into flexible chess pieces for NFL defenses. 

7. Will Super Bowl MVP and pending free agent Kenneth Walker III stay with the Seahawks?

The Seahawks reportedly will not franchise Walker, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to bring the Michigan State product back. Seattle general manager John Schneider has used the franchise tag just twice during his 16 years serving as the top personnel man for the Seahawks.

More likely, Seattle will let Walker’s agents shop around to establish his value and then decide on extending the deal. Seattle has enough cap space to bring Walker back. The Seahawks have a history of extending foundational players in their primes that they value in the locker room, and Seattle already lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to the Raiders. 

Keeping some continuity in the offense by re-signing Walker would make sense for the Seahawks.

One team that could use the franchise tag is Dallas on Pickens, who produced at a high level in the final season of his rookie contract in 2025. 

However, the Cowboys are already paying CeeDee Lamb at the top of the receiver market, so will owner Jerry Jones want to commit to another high-dollar deal at that position? And will the Cowboys draw the negotiations out as they have done with Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott? 

As always, the rest of the league will be watching how Jones handles another prickly contract situation. 

5. Are NFLPA grades still a thing?

Since 2023, the NFLPA has released anonymous player grade reports on every NFL team during the combine. But an arbitrator ruling prohibits the public release of those reports for the first time this year.

However, that doesn’t mean those reports, which have been critical of some NFL owners in the past, can’t be leaked privately. It will be interesting to see if and how that information is disseminated this week. 

4. How do the new head coaches perform at the podium?

Ten new head coaches were hired this offseason, the most turnover at that position since 2022. Those new faces include NFL stalwarts in Mike Tomlin being replaced by Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh and defensive guru Jesse Minter taking over for the departed John Harbaugh in Baltimore.

Harbaugh, of course, was the top candidate in this hiring cycle, landing the head coaching job with the New York Giants. Former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski also landed on his feet, taking over for Raheem Morris as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. 

In a league that has become impatient with head coaches, it will be interesting to see how the new hires perform in their first season with their new teams. 

3. Let the Fernando Mendoza Mania begin

It’s a foregone conclusion that the Las Vegas Raiders will select Indiana’s Mendoza with the No. 1 pick, right? The Raiders are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback and Mendoza checked all the boxes in leading the Hoosiers to a 16-0 record and a national title.

Mendoza said he will not throw at the combine, waiting for more familiar surroundings at his pro day in April. Still, the Raiders must go through their evaluation process to make sure Mendoza is the choice instead of trading out of that spot for a bounty of draft compensation. The combine provides another opportunity to see how Mendoza handles adversity. 

2. Who’s the No. 2 quarterback behind Mendoza? 

With Mendoza the clear No. 1 prospect, there is a battle for which player will emerge as the No. 2 quarterback behind the Indiana product. Alabama signal-caller Ty Simpson holds that honor, for now. Simpson said he will throw this week.

However, Penn State’s Drew Allar, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Miami’s Carson Beck are all still jockeying for position behind Mendoza. How they perform at the combine could change how scouts rank them moving forward in the process, although it’s unknown what Allar will be able to do this week after he broke his ankle in October.

1. Where will Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa land?

Both the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins appear inclined to move on from their franchise quarterbacks. But what will the two franchises be willing to accept in a trade for Murray and Tagovailoa? 

Will other teams be willing to give up draft compensation to retain the rights to the player, or will they wait for their release? Murray and Tagovailoa have a chance to follow in the footsteps of Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, finding redemption with a fresh start on a new team. And that process starts with conversations at the combine.