Five measurements to look forward to at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine
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Five measurements to look forward to at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There is no greater speed dating exercise than the NFL Scouting Combine.
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Held in Indianapolis, teams, prospects, and media members congregate for a week's worth of testing, measuring, and interviewing. The rumors run wild, stocks fluctuate, and the links between prospects and potential suitors fuel the mock-draft mill.
In this exercise, though, teams are looking for every reason not to invest. Too short. Too big. Too slow. The NFL Draft is often a process of elimination, and as teams stack their boards, a few prospects are facing significant tests -- even before they hit the turf.
Five key Scouting Combine measurements
Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami: Weight
The biggest talking point in Bain's profile is his arm length, and it will certainly be one of the headliners coming out of Indianapolis. However, we already know his arms are a negative outlier. It's an important piece of the puzzle, but one we have had in our hands for months.
Bain's weight, though, could give us new information about how he views himself, or how teams expect him to play at the next level.
He entered the year at around 270 pounds and lined up outside the tackle spot at the highest rate of his career. If he comes in lighter than anticipated, it would be a sign that he intends to stay outside, dealing with length concerns by winning with athleticism and technique. Showing up closer to 280 pounds -- perhaps clearing it -- would suggest that his future will at least partly be at defensive tackle.
D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana: Height
Ponds flashed during the toughest games of Indiana's season and has made a name for himself by playing bigger than his 5'9" frame would suggest. That's an admirable trait and an archetype I like to bet on, but size and actualized speed are still king.
If Ponds is a true 5'9" (or shorter!), he simply won't hit the threshold several teams have for height at cornerback. That is magnified by his improving draft stock, creating a bit of a quandary. Ponds might be a top-50 talent, but it's a lot easier to ask teams to roll the dice on an outlier when the opportunity cost is small.
Checking the height box could make Ponds a lot of money. At the same time, he only needs one team to fall in love, and Indianapolis is an audition.
Harold Perkins Jr., LB, Louisiana State: Weight
No player in the 2026 class runs the risk of being positionless more than LSU's Harold Perkins Jr. It's the opposite side of the versatility coin, and one that Perkins' turbulent college career has brought to the forefront of his profile.
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Perkins wouldn't be unprecedentedly small at 220 pounds, but for an off-ball linebacker, he'd be behind the eight ball. The success stories here are both short-lived and preceded by elite coverage skills in college. Perkins remains a projection in that regard.
Whether it be learning a new position or being relegated to an ancillary role, Perkins being too small for early-down work could cripple his profile and limit his draft capital, forcing any team drafting him to be above consensus on his ability to make an impact on passing downs.
Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami: Arm Length
Like Bain, talks about Mauigoa's measurables have dominated the discourse of this draft cycle. Unlike his Hurricanes teammate, we don't have official measurements just yet.
Indianapolis offers evaluators a chance to get a better look at Mauigoa's frame, rehashing another round of guard-or-tackle debates and what that means for his draft stock. If nothing other than confirmation bias, Mauigoa's measurements will add certainty to a significant variable in his projection.
There's a world in which Mauigoa's arms are well below average and he still becomes a quality tackle. But checking the arm length box would give him extra breathing room for rookie-year inconsistencies and avoid the kind of talks surrounding Will Campbell after a troubling playoff run.
Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama: Weight
It's rather easy to write off prospects for being too small. But what happens when a player is too big for his own good?
Proctor entered the year at over 360 pounds, the kind of frame that helped Mekhi Becton earn top-15 draft capital. However, Becton (and, arguably, his injury history) can also be a warning for teams looking to invest in the biggest linemen on the board.
Proctor has flashed enough athleticism to earn serious draft capital. At his size, though, he'll be toeing that line for his entire career. Proctor plays with excellent power and moves well for his size, but giving back any of that short-area quickness could have grave consequences. Proctor will always lead with his physicality, but it would make sense for a few teams to hope he weighs in lighter than anticipated.