Who Won and Who Lost on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Combine

The combine is where tape meets timers — and on Day 2 in Indianapolis that collision produced winners and losers in equal measure. Friday’s focus on defensive backs and tight ends turned the spotlight on speed, burst and catch radius, and a handful of prospects answered with headline-making numbers while others left more questions than answers. Here’s a readable take on Chad Reuter’s Day 2 stock report and what it means for the draft board.

Why Day 2 mattered

• Day 2 showcased cornerbacks, safeties and tight ends — positions where physical testing can dramatically reshape projections.
• Athletic testing (40-yard dash, 10-yard splits, vertical/broad jumps) matters, but so do on-field drills and how a player’s testing complements his tape.
• With the draft less than two months away (April 23–25, 2026 in Pittsburgh), a strong combine can vault a mid-round candidate into Day 2 consideration — and a subpar one can push a potential Day 2 pick toward Day 3 or beyond.

Quick hits from the report

• Daylen Everette (Georgia, CB) ran like a man bringing a clipboard: a 4.38 40 with a 1.54 10-yard split, 37.5" vertical, clean ball skills in drills — an eye-opener that could bump him toward Round 2 if teams buy the athletic testing over middling 2025 tape. (NFL.com)
• Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon, TE) posted absurd testing for a tight end: 4.39 40 at 241 pounds and explosive jumps — the sort of numbers that turn a positional projection into a fringe first-round conversation. (NFL.com)
• Conversely, Davison Igbinosun (Ohio State, CB) disappointed in quickness measures and change-of-direction, with a 10-yard split and vertical that left evaluators uneasy about his twitch and hip fluidity. (NFL.com)
• Max Klare (Ohio State, TE) elected not to run or jump, a decision that puts more burden on his pro day to show athletic upside after a season of lower volume. (NFL.com)
• The safety room was deep; Emmanuel McNeil-Warren’s testing was fine but buried by multiple elite showings — a reminder that a solid workout alone sometimes isn’t enough in a stacked group. (NFL.com)

Players who boosted their stock

• Daylen Everette (Georgia, CB)
  • Why it matters: Size + speed + ball skills. Even if 2025 tape wasn’t elite, the combine provided measurable upside that teams can project into coverage roles and special teams. A true jump in perceived upside.
• Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon, TE)
  • Why it matters: Rare athletic profile for a true Y/T tight end. At 241 pounds with sub-4.4 speed and elite jumping traits, he checks boxes teams love for mismatches and vertical threats.
• John Michael Gyllenborg (Wyoming, TE)
  • Why it matters: Measured well and displayed athleticism after a 2025 season hampered by injury — good combine + prior tape = a clearer path into Day 2/Day 1 considerations.

(Notes: Other outlets echoed these risers and flagged more CBs and TEs who stood out; strong performances from guys such as Treydan Stukes and Tacario Davis were also highlighted around the web.) (nfl.com)

Players who took a step back

• Davison Igbinosun (Ohio State, CB)
  • The problem: Stiff hips, a 10-yard split and vertical that didn’t sell starter-level quickness. That combination can flatten an inside/outside projection for Day 2 teams. (nfl.com)
• Max Klare (Ohio State, TE)
  • The problem: Not testing at the combine hands the narrative control back to teams — and in a deep TE class, missing measurable chances to separate is costly. (nfl.com)
• Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo, S)
  • The problem: Solid testing but overshadowed by elite numbers from several safeties; the result is a plateau rather than a springboard. (nfl.com)

How teams will likely react

• For bigger boards (top-64), measurable athleticism still rules the margins. A player like Sadiq suddenly has first-round buzz because he offers mismatch traits that modern offenses covet.
• For corners and safeties, scheme fit matters. Teams will weigh hip fluidity and short-area quickness more heavily than dash times alone — but poor short-area testing can still knock a player down boards.
• Players who skipped events (like Klare) will be triaged: teams will either bet on tape and medicals or wait for pro-day verification. That uncertainty often pushes a player's value down in the pre-draft market.

What to watch next

• Pro days: Players who didn’t test fully or underwhelmed will get a last chance at their schools. How many will hit new heights on turf they know?
• Positional comparables: As scouts stack TEs and DBs side-by-side, look at route versatility, contested-catch ability and film on third-down reps — combine numbers are context, not destiny.
• Team-specific needs: A borderline prospect can leap into Day 2 if a team with scheme alignment believes the testing matches their plan.

My take

The combine remains a noisy but useful market signal. Day 2’s winners were the players whose testing reinforced a believable NFL role: size, burst and clean hands for TEs; size, speed and explosiveness for DBs. But film still matters. If a prospect runs fast but can’t flip his hips in coverage, teams will downgrade him; if a player posts eye-popping numbers but lacks tape, expect conservative, upside-themed drafting.

In short: Day 2 created compelling narratives — some will hold, some will be revised at pro days and in private visits. For draft-watchers, the best strategy is to let the combine refine — not overwrite — what the tape already told you.

Final thoughts

The combine is where certainty is smoothed into probability. A single 40 time or vertical jump won’t determine a career, but it can change the odds. For prospects like Everette and Sadiq, Friday gave them momentum to carry to team meetings and interviews. For others, it set a clearer, humbler path forward. The next month of pro days and interviews will tell us how many of these movements were seismic and how many were just noise.

Sources

• 2026 NFL combine stock up/stock down, Day 2: 10 prospects on the move — NFL.com
  https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-combine-stock-up-stock-down-day-2-10-prospects-on-the-move/

• 2026 NFL Combine Day 2 Risers and Fallers: Kenyon Sadiq, Avieon Terrell Confirm Status As First-Round Picks — Pro Football Network
  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2026-nfl-combine-day-2-risers-fallers/

• 2026 NFL combine: Top draft prospects, best workouts, risers — ESPN
  https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2026/story/_/id/47978529/2026-nfl-combine-top-draft-prospects-workouts-risers-40-every-position