Quick Links: Defensive Linemen (2/28) | Linebackers (3/1)
The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis is in the books.
As it does every year, the scouting combine has left both NFL fans and the fantasy football community 22 kinds of twitterpated. They are gushing about Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Staring slack-jawed at the workout posted by Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Lamenting the fact that Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate is a tortoise after he failed to crack 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Friendly tip. He's not. The list of wideouts who have become NFL stars despite sluggish combine 40s is not short.
It's no different on the defensive side of the ball. Tate may have had a forgettable combine, but former Buckeye teammates Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese blew up the track. A number of rookie defenders impressed in workouts and boosted their stock in the 2026 NFL Draft.
We have already discussed the happenings in Indianapolis on the defensive line and at linebacker and how it might impact IDP leagues in 2026. But there's one position group that we haven't yet hit—the defensive backs.
Get it? Defensive "back." Clever, ain't I?
OK, that may have been a little forced. Fun, but forced.
This analyst has already stated (multiple times) that results from the combine tend to be overblown—for better or worse. But as Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com said, there isn't a position in the game more reliant on speed than defensive backs, so 40 times at that spot in Indianapolis matter.
"The position where the 40 holds the most weight is cornerback," he said. If you're a receiver who runs a 4.6 like (Anquan) Boldin, but you have short-area quickness and strong hands, the 40 isn't a big deal. But if you're a cornerback who runs a 4.6 and you're facing a receiver who runs a 4.4, it doesn't matter how good your ball skills are."
Here's a look at the combine's biggest takeaways in the secondary—beginning with a safety who didn't work out at all.
Caleb Downs is That Guy
Over three seasons at Alabama and then Ohio State, there wasn't much that Caleb Downs didn't do—from topping 100 total tackles on the way to first-team SEC honors in 2023 to a national title in 2024 to winning the Thorpe Award in 2025, Downs was consistently one of college football's best defenders from the moment he stepped on the field. While talking to reporters at the combine, Downs didn't back away from the assertion that he's the best defensive player in his class.
"My confidence level is always at the highest when I'm on the field, and the belief in myself really never goes down, no matter the circumstance," said Downs. "I feel like my mind really puts me above a lot of people in terms of how I process the game and play with instincts, and I feel like that's what makes me special."
The 6-0, 206-pounder decided to let his tape speak for itself, electing to skip workouts at the combine. But that tape speaks volumes. There's nothing that Downs doesn't do at an elite level, whether it's getting dirty against the run or making big plays in coverage. He even wore the "green dot" helmet communicator for the Buckeyes a year ago.
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic (perish the thought), Downs' floor in the NFL is Kyle Hamilton of the Baltimore Ravens. He's that good. Can play all over the defensive formation. My disdain for drafting defensive backs early is well-documented, but it won't be a bit surprising if Downs posts IDP DB1 numbers as a rookie.
Dillon Thieneman Was a Fine Man
There is zero debate regarding who the No. 1 safety is in this class, but after Caleb Downs, the waters muddy somewhat. Oregon's Dillon Thieneman is one of the players vying to be the second safety selected and work his way into the back half of Round 1. Per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, there's a lot to like about the 6'0", 200-pounder.
Savvy three-year starter with NFL size, speed, and alignment versatility. Thieneman is an extension of his defensive coordinator, aligning and adjusting the secondary to motion and pre-snap shifts. He's an instinctive, rangy safety who can roll down into big nickel or robber positioning. Thieneman checks important boxes for teams looking to add versatile playmakers in the secondary.
Thienman averaged over 100 tackles a season and picked off three passes in his three years with the Ducks, and with Downs sitting out workouts, Thieneman took advantage of his opportunity to shine: a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and 41" vertical contributed to Thienman earning a Relative Athletic Score of 9.67.
Thienman has the sort of well-rounded defensive back that NFL teams covet nowadays—a movable chess piece capable of playing near the line of scrimmage, deep in coverage, or in the slot. Landing spot will matter (as it always does), but Thienman has the potential to be just the kind of late value play I love to target in the secondary.
