Oregon\u2019s Kenyon Sadiq just did something comparable.\u00a0My colleague Bruce Feldman had the hyper-athletic tight end as his\u00a0No. 1 athletic freak<\/a>\u00a0to watch at the combine, hype that Sadiq\u00a0matched. He set a tight ends record with a 4.39 40-yard dash, surpassing Davis\u2019 long-standing mark.<\/p>\n Sadiq\u2019s weight-adjusted speed score\u00a0ranks<\/a>\u00a0behind only Davis and Kyle Pitts among tight ends in recent history, and both were rare top-10 picks at the position.<\/p>\n Like Davis in 2006 and Pitts in 2021, Sadiq is expected to be the first tight end off the board. Prior to the combine, our\u00a0college football writers\u2019 mock draft<\/a>\u00a0had the Eagles landing the \u201cbig-time blocker and good route runner\u201d at No. 23. His time in Indy made it unlikely he\u2019ll be available that late. \ud83d\udcc8<\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t the only tight end to show out.\u00a0Vanderbilt\u2019s 6-4 Eli Stowers set a record for the position\u00a0with an 11-foot-3 broad jump \u2014 and had the second-best vertical by any player since 2003 (a staggering 45.5 inches). That could shrink the gap between Sadiq (No. 20) and Stowers (No. 48) in Dane Brugler\u2019s\u00a0top 100<\/a>.<\/p>\n Remember, raw athleticism is\u00a0more impactful at the tight end position<\/a>\u00a0than any other, as it\u2019s apparently a position where\u00a0everything else can be taught<\/a>.\u00a0As for their draft classmates \u2026<\/p>\n Inside: Post-Indy risers and fallers, plus a flurry of trade and quarterback updates. Dianna will be along in a minute.<\/p>\n This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic\u2019s NFL newsletter. Sign up here<\/a> to receive it directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n Post-combine risers and fallers<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc9\u00a0Carnell Tate\u2019s speed, maybe.\u00a0TateGate began after the Ohio State receiver\u2019s official 40 time was 4.53 seconds, which would\u2019ve ranked 27th among the 34 participating receivers. It was below team-recorded times of 4.45 seconds, so the 6-2 Tate\u2019s\u00a0agent made some calls<\/a>, certainly.<\/p>\n Tate\u2019s combine times are considered \u201cofficial\u201d because they come from the league, but Dane isn\u2019t convinced:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcac \u201cThe \u2018official\u2019 label for the 40-yard dash is a misnomer. It is great for TV, but in reality, teams use their own hand times more often than not, and their stopwatch is all that matters for them. Teams do that primarily for better consistency when they get times from pro days and other workouts.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc8\u00a0Everyone else\u2019s speed.\u00a0Tate\u2019s time seemed an outlier, as nearly every other position group \u2014 defensive backs, defensive linemen, linebackers, tight ends and running backs \u2014 logged\u00a0their fastest average times since 2003. Targeted training? Better shoes? Morning sunlight thanks to Andrew Huberman?<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc8 Quality footage.\u00a0A 6-9, 346-pound offensive lineman\u00a0ran his 40 in 5.36 seconds<\/a>. Rich Eisen\u00a0was much slower<\/a>. But the most important video of the combine was Iowa lineman Gennings Dunker\u2019s flowing 40:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc8\u00a0Running backs.\u00a0Arkansas\u2019 Mike Washington Jr.\u00a0burst into tears<\/a>\u00a0after posting the week\u2019s fastest time at his position (4.33). Impressive, considering the group record. Dane\u2019s top-ranked running back and No. 3 player,\u00a0Notre Dame\u2019s Jeremiyah Love, ran 4.36\u00a0\u2014 the same time as Jahmyr Gibbs, despite being 13 pounds heavier.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc8\u00a0The Styles brothers.\u00a0Ohio State\u2019s Lorenzo Styles Jr. set a record 40 time for a safety at 4.28 seconds, but his younger brother, Sonny, was among the\u00a0combine\u2019s biggest winners<\/a>. The Buckeye linebacker measured in at 6-5 and 244 pounds, then ran an eye-catching 4.46-second 40 and had a\u00a043.5 inch vertical jump<\/a>, the second-best mark at his position since at least 1999.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc9\u00a0One short-armed edge rusher.\u00a0Could historically short limbs sink standout Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.?\u00a0His arms measured 30 7\/8 inches<\/a>,\u00a0the third-lowest at his position since 1999. Oof. My wife measured mine this morning \u2014 I\u2019ve also got 30-ish-inch arms, as does Bryce Young. Not good company.<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t find\u00a0any\u00a0pass rushers who recorded a sack in the past five years with arms under 31 inches, though Micah Parsons\u2019 aren\u2019t much longer.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc8\u00a0Two other edges.\u00a0Ohio State\u2019s Arvell Reese (No. 1 overall on Dane\u2019s board) and Texas Tech\u2019s David Bailey (No. 6) proved ridiculously athletic, solidifying their positions as potential top-five picks. Since we\u2019re talking arms, Bailey\u2019s are 33 6\/8 inches, and Reese\u2019s are 32 1\/2. No concerns.<\/p>\n And in news from Indy that isn\u2019t about the combine itself:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc9\u00a0Tyler Linderbaum in Baltimore.\u00a0The three-time Pro Bowl center received a \u201cmarket-setting\u201d offer from the Ravens, per GM Eric DeCosta. As our beat reporter Jeff Zrebiec noted, the typically tight-lipped DeCosta providing that detail suggests Baltimore and Linderbaum\u00a0aren\u2019t close to a deal<\/a>. The Raiders and Chargers are expected to bid heavily for the 25-year-old.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcc9\u00a0The \u201cfree Breece Hall\u201d movement.\u00a0As Zack Rosenblatt writes in our\u00a0combine takeaways for each team<\/a>:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcac \u201cIf the Jets can\u2019t come to an agreement on a contract \u2014 there is genuine interest in getting that done \u2014 then they are more likely to apply the cheaper transition tag (worth $11.7 million) rather than the franchise tag ($14.5 million) to keep Hall from hitting free agency.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel Jones could also be hit with the transition tag, a situation\u00a0our reporters explained here<\/a>. Before we look at the quarterbacks, over to Dianna for three trade updates.<\/p>\n What Dianna\u2019s Hearing: Trading begins<\/p>\n Earlier today, the\u00a0Texans agreed to trade for Lions running back David Montgomery, with Detroit securing fourth- and seventh-round picks and center Juice Scruggs in exchange for the 28-year-old.<\/p>\n Lions general manager Brad Holmes had acknowledged that Montgomery was unhappy with a diminished role in 2025, and now moves the running back and his cap hits to Houston.\u00a0More on that deal here<\/a>.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t the only trade the Texans were involved in today. They also agreed to trade offensive lineman\u00a0Tytus Howard to the Browns<\/a>\u00a0for a fifth-round pick, and Cleveland is set to give the 29-year-old a three-year, $63 million extension.<\/p>\n We also saw the Jets and Titans swap defensive linemen\u00a0last week. Defensive end\u00a0Jermaine Johnson is heading to the Titans<\/a>\u00a0in exchange for defensive tackle T\u2019Vondre Sweat.<\/p>\n The 27-year-old Johnson will reunite with former Jets coach Robert Saleh in Tennessee, his coach when he was drafted in the first round of 2022. In turn, the Jets could replace Johnson by drafting an edge with the No. 2 pick in this year\u2019s draft. As for Sweat, it didn\u2019t seem like he was a fit in Saleh\u2019s scheme. Back to you, Jacob.<\/p>\n New opportunities for QBs<\/p>\n Struggling quarterbacks have revived their careers with such regularity over the past few years that we\u2019ve come to expect it from\u00a0someone\u00a0each season.<\/p>\n These jumps in performance typically follow a change (or three) in scenery. Players like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield broke out once they reached their fourth teams, while Daniel Jones just needed out of New York.<\/p>\n Based on combine chatter, a few more should get refreshes this offseason. And within a couple weeks, we might know several of the candidates:<\/p>\n Tua Tagovailoa. Under Tagovailoa\u2019s current contract, he would lock in $20 million in additional guarantees on March 15, the third day of the new league year. The Dolphins are thus expected to part ways with him prior. His release would cost Miami a record-setting $99.2 million in dead money.\u00a0(He also turned 28 today. Happy Birthday, Tua!)<\/p>\n Kyler Murray.\u00a0He would add $19.5 million\u00a0in\u00a0guaranteed money for 2027 on that same date. The Cardinals are unlikely to stomach that. Cutting him prior would add\u00a0$54.7 million in dead money\u00a0but\u00a0be offset by his nearly equivalent cap number, leaving a total cap hit of just $2 million. (Time for baseball<\/a>? Remember the MLB\u2019s Athletics drafted the now 28-year-old with the ninth pick in 2018.)<\/p>\n Geno Smith. He is scheduled to\u00a0get $8 million guaranteed, which would make his total salary $26.5 million\u00a0for the Raiders in 2026. The 35-year-old could help develop likely No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, but that\u2019s a hefty price for mentorship.<\/p>\n The list of other options for quarterback-needy teams is\u00a0long but uninspiring<\/a>, including Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins.<\/p>\n It\u2019s led by the significantly younger (26)\u00a0Malik Willis. He could\u00a0reportedly<\/a>\u00a0get an average of $30 million per year, though I\u2019d expect his number to land closer to the $20 million that the Jets gave Justin Fields last offseason. The question now is whether\u00a0Willis can avoid the Browns<\/a>.<\/p>\n Extra Points<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc40 From the Eagles.\u00a0Zack Berman shares what he heard out of the Philadelphia contingent in Indianapolis, including the\u00a0hefty price tag for A.J. Brown<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf99\u00a0Mendoza on Brady and the Raiders.\u00a0We heard from the expected top pick\u00a0on Las Vegas<\/a>, as he emphasized learning and teamwork.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa\u00a0Dealmaking\u00a0happens at the legendary St. Elmo Steak House in Indianapolis. In this video,\u00a0Michael Silver takes you inside<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcd3 Inside our notebooks.\u00a0Everything\u00a0we learned from the 2026 combine<\/a>, including how the Cowboys are shaking up their defense.<\/p>\n \u25b6\ufe0f\u00a0Last week\u2019s most-clicked:\u00a0Our top 10\u00a0free agents at each position<\/a>, with plenty of familiar names at edge rusher.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udceb Enjoyed this read? Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Athletic\u2019s free NFL newsletter in your inbox.\u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a1e778420786425087839e2676de1a24-te-combine-legends-2.jpg\"\/)
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\nMeanwhile, the 6-4, 366-pound Sweat gives the Jets a strong run stopper to fill the void left midseason by Quinnen Williams, now in Dallas.<\/p>\n