The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
The most discussed day of NFL combine week is here. It’s time for quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers to take the field. Based on Saturday’s wide range of results, draft statuses will sharpen and hype will toggle. A wideout might have to answer questions about Legos before hitting the three-cone drill.
Here’s your guide to the QB-RB-WR group, headlined by the likes of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Ohio State’s Carnell Tate.
How to watch the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine
Time: 1-8 p.m. ET, Saturday
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis
TV: NFL Network
Streaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)
NFL Network is also available on NFL+. Encore presentations will air at 8 and 11 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday (all times ET).
Players to know in Saturday’s session
Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and the national championship game hero, is the likely No. 1 pick. He showed remarkable accuracy and unshakable poise throughout last season.
Mendoza has formally interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders, who are atop the draft order after going 3-14. He called new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak “savvy” during Friday’s media session. He also connected over the phone with Tom Brady, the franchise’s minority owner. Mendoza is not throwing Saturday, opting instead for Indiana’s April 1 pro day. The last three No. 1 draft picks, all QBs, also rested their arms at the combine.
Another QB to watch is Alabama’s Ty Simpson, who threw 28 touchdowns to five interceptions in his final season with the Tide. There’s some curiosity around Simpson’s medical report, as he finished the College Football Playoff push through a rib injury.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler identifies a possible sleeper in Saturday’s proceedings: North Dakota State slinger Cole Payton, who threw for 16 TDs and rushed for 13 more.
The running backs are led by Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame’s open-field dynamo. On Friday, the Missouri-born Love was teasing interest in the Kansas City Chiefs, while also telling Rich Eisen he didn’t have a formal interview with the Cleveland Browns. He said that he’s participating in full Saturday.
Elsewhere in the backfield, Brugler likes Arkansas’ Mike Washington after his Senior Bowl showing.
Receivers include Tate, a 6-foot-3 playmaker, and Makai Lemon, the shifty option from USC. Tate made his case for No. 2 overall on Friday, envisioning his “game changer” talent in New York Jets green. Lemon won’t run the 40-yard dash, as first reported by Brugler, but he’ll still go through the gauntlet and receiver routes.
More than 300 prospects were invited to the 2026 combine; the full list can be found here.
A few notable past performances
Two years ago, receiver Xavier Worthy boosted his profile with a record-setting 40-yard dash time. The Chiefs then drafted the speedster in the first round, and he led the team with nine total touchdowns as a rookie.
Back in 2008, Chris Johnson turned heads with his blistering 40 time. The East Carolina RB rose to first-round status and landed with the Tennessee Titans at No. 24. He joined the ultra-rare 2K-yard club in his second pro season.
Brady himself had a famously “mid” combine outing in 2000. His low vertical jump and underwhelming practice reps helped cause a draft dive to the sixth round. From there, Brady won seven Super Bowls and wrote all over the NFL record book.
NFL Draft coverage from The Athletic
Nick Baumgardner broke down the quarterbacks:
“Simpson has first-round gifts, athletically and mentally, but it’s hard to say that he’s ready to lead an NFL offense next season. Still, he is a top-40 player this cycle, and one who could easily slide into the first round — perhaps even well into Round 1 — if he impresses at the combine.”
Our NFL beat reporters did a first-round mock draft:
“After fielding some trade offers, nothing came close to moving me. The Raiders have to finally take a quarterback in the first round, something they haven’t done since JaMarcus Russell. Mendoza projects as a great fit in Klint Kubiak’s offense and, hopefully, signals a new era of stability for this franchise.” — Ted Nguyen
Our college football experts did a mock draft, too:
“With Tyler Shough solving its quarterback problem, New Orleans can get a plug-and-play replacement for Alvin Kamara in Love. Some would call taking a running back here a reach, but Love is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.” — Pete Sampson
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