Workouts have begun at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, and organizations like the New York Jets should be thrilled with what they’ve seen so far.

Day one of workouts saw the country’s best defensive linemen and linebackers this year in college football compete.

Many of the top names stood out. Some set records not seen in decades. Others struggled to make a major impact.

We’re here, in Indianapolis, to break down the big takeaways from the combine today and throughout the weekend. Today, a glimpse of the Jets’ future at No. 2 just became a little clearer.

David Bailey: Freak

No player dominated combine workouts more than Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey. The college football leader in sacks last season posted an absurd 4.50 forty time on his first try — the most across all defensive linemen in the drill.

Bailey also posted the third-fastest top speed in the forty (22.91 mph) than any player at his position over the last four years.

He also posted the third-highest broad jump.

Bailey’s calling card of speed and explosiveness was very apparent throughout workouts. It was the kind of performance from a top prospect that announces his candidacy as one of the better players in the draft.

Bailey’s athleticism was off the charts Thursday. He made the decision for the Jets with the second overall pick more enticing.

Arvell Reese: No. 2 pick

Reese didn’t participate in some of the combine tests, like the vertical or broad jump. All he needed to do was show his speed in the forty-yard dash to turn heads.

That’s exactly what he did, and then some.

Reese posted an unofficial second-round forty time of 4.47. It was the fastest recorded time at the combine on Thursday.

During drills, the Ohio State linebacker proved exactly why he wanted to be seen as an outside linebacker and edge rusher NFL prospect. His change of direction, quickness, and lateral movement stood out in other-worldly ways.

Reese has been the betting favorite to land with the Jets at the second overall selection for most of the pre-draft process, and he seemingly secured that with his performance in Indy.

Biggest winners

Reese’s performance was solid. His forty time was the best of the day …

For about five minutes.

Ohio State teammate Sonny Styles tied Reese’s work with a forty time of 4.47 on his second try. The off-ball linebacker had an unreal day, setting a combine vertical jump mark of 43.5 inches. He also recorded an 11-2 broad jump.

Styles’ metrics were off the charts, showing why he’s going to be a top-10 pick. Topping it off, the unofficial forty time for Styles was a 4.49.

No one looked more athletic than him today. As an off-ball linebacker, he guaranteed himself a spot in the top 10 with this performance.

We’re going to see three players on the same defense go in the top 10 this year, and it shouldn’t be a shock. The Ohio State stars are just that good.

Outside of Styles, Reese, and Bailey, UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence stood out with his outright burst and quickness in circle drills. His 4.52 forty time was slightly behind Bailey’s, but it still showed his athleticism.

Lawrence is expected to be an early Day 2 selection and seemed to solidify that mark.

Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant was another quiet winner. The Jets added T’Vondre Sweat to their roster with the Jermaine Johnson trade, but adding depth to their defensive tackle room on day three in April makes a lot of sense.

Keep an eye on Durant in that regard. He’s fast and would be a logical three-tech-type player.

Biggest losers

Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. needed a strong combine performance to make up for some alarming measurements. His arm length of just 30.875 inches was the third-lowest ever recorded.

It’s something NFL scouts have been consistently talking about throughout Indianapolis.

The fact that Bain didn’t even work out isn’t a very good sign of the chances of him going in the top five or 10 in April’s draft. If he were able to show his speed was next level, there would be fewer conversations around his prospect status.

He didn’t, though.

Now, there are even bigger questions following one of the best college performers last season.

As it pertains to the New York Jets, however, things just crystallized.

Reporting from the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Ind.