NFL Combine betting sits between the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft in April.
The league’s annual assessment of NFL prospects isn’t as popular as those two gambling options but does scratch the football betting itch, with several props available across various events, like the 40-yard dash.
I lace ‘em up and see if I can best the bookies with my NFL Combine predictions and picks.
2026 NFL Combine best bets
| Market | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
| ⏱️ Fastest 40-yard dash | Slower than 4.265 seconds | -115 |
| ⬆️ Highest vertical jump | Lower than 43.25 inches | -120 |
| ➡️ Longest broad jump | Over 137.5 inches | -120 |
Fastest 40-Yard dash time: Over/Under 4.265 seconds
Pick: Slower than 4.265 seconds
There have only been nine runs faster than 4.265 seconds at the NFL Combine since 1999.
Of those times, only two players stood shorter than 5-foot-11: Rondel Menendez (5-foot-9) and Dri Archer (5-foot-8). Posting an impressive 40-yard dash time requires explosiveness to get going, but also a lengthy stride to maintain speed throughout the sprint.
As we close in on the combine, Mississippi State receiver Brenen Thompson is the frontrunner for fastest 40-yard time. He’s a former Texas high school 200-meter champion but stands just 5-foot-9.
Other combine markets are padding the Under 4.265 seconds as much as -130, and there is always a propensity for bettors to bet on “something to happen” rather than not. Thompson will be fast, just not that fast.
Highest vertical jump: Over/Under 43.25 inches
Pick: Lower than 43.25 inches
It’s been a minute since we’ve truly seen elite bounce in the vertical jump event.
Last year, Nick Emmanwori was the first prospect to post a 43-inch vertical in four years, and heading into the 2026 NFL Combine, the best bouncers top out around 40 to 41 inches.
One guy garnering attention is Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who earned the nickname “The Freak” due to his incredible athleticism.
He recorded a 41.5-inch leap last summer at a weight of 255 pounds. He’s expected to be around 240 pounds for the combine but getting past the 43-inch bar is a big ask.
Longest broad jump: Over/Under 137.5 inches
Pick: Over 137.5 inches
Just to be clear, 137 inches is 11 feet, five inches. The unofficial world record is 12 feet, three inches, set by former corner Byron Jones at the 2015 NFL Combine. That’s the average length of a great white shark in one bound. That's nuts.
Last year, Emmanwori was tops in the broad jump at 138 inches, and we haven’t had a 140-plus jumper since 2019, when there was apparently something in the water at Lucas Oil Stadium as three guys reached that mark.
We might see a prospect or two crack that bar in 2026. Cincinnati receiver Jeff Caldwell reportedly posted a 141-inch broad jump last year, and while expectations for the combine are tempered, he could still clear 137.
Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers recorded a jump of 135 inches last year – a five-inch improvement from 2024 – and was a high school champ in long and high jump in Texas.
This market is as pricy as Over 137.5 inches -130 at some books — one of the rare NFL Combine markets padding the Over.
