5 NFL defensive prospects who opened eyes at…
INDIANAPOLIS — The top defensive prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft showcased their skills over the first two days of the on-field work at the NFL scouting mix.
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, Wisconsin defensive end Mason Reiger, Missouri cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. and Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey had been among the largest standouts.
Wisconsin defensive lineman Mason Reiger (58) runs a drill at the NFL soccer scouting mix in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. AP
But they weren’t the only ones who helped themselves.
Here are 5 other gamers who opened eyes in Indianapolis, along with a breakdown on how they could match in the Rams, Chargers, Raiders or 49ers draft plans.
Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
The Aztecs’ second-team All-American could have solidified himself as a first-round choose with the blistering 4.4 40-yard sprint he posted, the third-best time among cornerbacks. He also had a 1.54 10-yard break up, which tied for third, and had a stable 38-inch vertical leap.
Chris Johnson of the San Diego State Aztecs participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Getty Images
Measuring in at 6-0 ⅜ and 193 kilos, he has the required measurement to play inside or outdoors, and as he confirmed last 12 months at San Diego State by registering 49 tackles and 4 interceptions — including two for touchdowns — to go along with 9 move breakups, he’s a strong match in a number of schemes. Johnson has a probability to be a Day 1 starter at a premium place, so don’t be shocked if he ends up getting chosen in the first spherical.
Best match: The Chargers maintain the twenty second choose in the first spherical, which may very well be a bit too high for Johnson. Plus, they’ve more urgent wants to deal with at that level in the draft. The 49ers (No. 27) and Rams (No. 29) are potential touchdown spots. The 49ers’ wants at huge receiver and defensive line may trump a cornerback at that spot in the draft, but with no ensures that a first-round-worthy edge rusher or wideout is out there when their flip in the first spherical arrives, keep an eye on Johnson.
Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
Heading into the mix, the extremely productive three-year starter — two seasons at Purdue and one at Oregon — was hanging around at the back end of the first spherical and a stable choose in the second.
But then Thieneman put on an athletic show Friday, operating a 4.35 40, registering a 41-inch vertical soar and wanting clean and nimble in his on-field drills.
Dillon Thieneman of the Oregon Ducks participates in the 40-yard sprint during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Getty Images
All of which backed up the manufacturing, which was off the charts during his three-season school profession, when he registered 306 tackles and eight interceptions and confirmed top-notch coverage expertise, a nostril for the soccer and soccer savvy.
The movie and the athletic profile ought to decisively vault him into the first spherical, with the only real query being how high his mix helium balloon in the end takes him.
Best match: Depending on what occurs in free company, the Rams may have a big need at security. Kamren Curl is a pending free agent, and if he costs himself out of the Rams’ plans, they’ll have a gap to fill. The 2026 draft is taken into account stable at this place, but it might be arduous to think about Les Snead and the Rams passing on such a polished, productive participant like Thieneman if he’s still on the board at No. 29.
Malachi Lawrence, Edge, Central Florida
Lawrence needed a big week to improve his draft standing, and that is precisely what he did by placing his athletic capability on show. Lawrence completed second among his friends with a 4.52 40, a 1.59 10-yard break up, a 40-inch vertical and a 10-10 broad soar.
The 6-foot-4, 253-pound Lawrence had 20 profession sacks during his school profession and persistently made performs behind the road of scrimmage with 28 tackles for loss. He has to repair some technical points, but he bought better every 12 months, capped off by an elite season in 2025, and it’s truthful to anticipate that trajectory to keep pointing up in the NFL.
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Best match: Lawrence was thought of a stable top-110 prospect getting into the week, with his title more possible to be called on Day 3. That could have all modified after wowing everybody with his athletic capability.
The Chargers and 49ers, who choose at No. 86 and 92, respectively, in the third spherical, both need edge rushers, and the ascending Lawrence would signify super worth at those spots in the draft. The Raiders, who have the second choose in the fourth spherical, would welcome him with open arms if he fell to them.
Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Despite his off-the-charts school manufacturing — back-to-back seasons of 127 or more tackles and double-digit tackles behind the road of scrimmage — there was some skepticism about how Rodriguez’s athletic capability projected to the next stage.
As a consequence, he was predicted to land wherever from the end of the second spherical to late in the third.
Well, you possibly can just about overlook about Rodriguez falling out of the second spherical after he shut up the naysayers by operating a 4.57 40, producing a 38.5 vertical soar and recording a 10-1 broad soar.
Among his linebacker friends, he posted a top-3 cone time at 6.90 and tied for the top mark in the short shuttle at 4.19.
The 6-1, 231-pound Rodriguez solidified himself as one of the best linebacker athletes in the category and can help an NFL protection immediately.
Best match: The Chargers, Rams and Raiders all have linebacker wants. The Raiders maintain the thirty sixth choose total in the second spherical, which may be a bit too high for Rodriguez. If they take a linebacker at that spot, Texas’ Anthony Hill or Cincinnati’s Jake Golday may offer more worth. The Chargers and Rams, who choose at No. 55 and No. 61 in the second spherical, may very well be touchdown spots for Rodriguez.
DeMonte Capehart, DT, Clemson
The draft isn’t always about the first two days, and the great organizations always determine a approach to discover worth past the third spherical.
Capehart may very well be somebody to keep an eye on at that vary in the draft. His numbers at Clemson aren’t going to bowl anybody over, ending with 78 tackles, including 13.5 behind the road of scrimmage during his six-year profession.
But he has preferrred measurement at 6-5 and 315 kilos, and the required play strength to line up in the inside in a number of schemes, including at nostril deal with in a 3-4 alignment, and the athletic capability he confirmed in Indianapolis proves he has the sort of agility and burst to succeed at the next stage.
According to RAS Football, the 9.97 relative athletic rating Capehart posted this week ranked eighth of 2,047 defensive tackles from 1987 to 2026. That was a big deal with a prospect attempting to make a case for himself.
Best suits: The Raiders are transferring to a 3-4 base protection and need to beef up their inside defensive line depth. With so many roster wants, they might have to wait until Day 3 to beef up that room, and Capehart would signify good worth in the fourth or fifth spherical.
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