The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine has arrived, and with it, the eyes of the football world. As we prepare for the NFL draft, the combine offers a week’s worth of drills, interviews, and measurements to point discourse in new directions down the stretch.
Among the most anticipated moments will come when the running backs are evaluated. Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love is the consensus RB1, but a messy collection of backs will vie for draft capital behind him, making the combine all the more important.
Complete Schedule for Running Backs at NFL Combine
Fortunately for fans, Love will be competing at the combine rather than following in the footsteps of 2025 first-round pick Ashton Jeanty. Like Jeanty, Love lacks true competition to be the first back off the board. However, Jeanty was the sixth pick, and Love may be destined to slip a bit further given the realities of positional value.
Perhaps an excellent pre-draft circuit can change that calculus and keep Love in the top 10. Strong testing numbers can also help Jonah Coleman, Jadarian Price, Emmett Johnson, and others reshuffle the deck and capture momentum late in the draft process.
Love was the fourth-ranked rusher by PFSN’s CFB RB Impact Metric. Like the rest of the running backs, he arrived at Lucas Oil Stadium on Tuesday, Feb. 24. The running backs will join the invited quarterbacks and wide receivers with the following schedule:
- Tuesday: Registration, orientation, team interviews
- Wednesday: Pre-exam, NFLPA meeting, team interviews
- Thursday: General medical exam, pre-ordered studies, team interviews
- Friday: Ortho exams, media interviews, team interviews
- Saturday: Measurements, on-field workout
- Sunday: Bench press, departure
Saturday is the big day for fans hoping to watch the running backs race their way up boards during the 40-yard dash. Speed kills, but it won’t be the only athletic trait tested in Indianapolis.
MORE: When Are the Drills in the 2026 NFL Combine? Complete Schedule of TV Events
Prospects will be asked to compete in the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle, and 60-yard shuttle. Many running backs opt out of the three-cone drill, meant to test agility, because of its difficulty. If they look agile on film, a poor three-cone time can only hurt their draft stock.
Likewise, there are a handful of position-specific drills for prospects to showcase their footwork, vision, burst, and agility in a practice setting. Many backs also run routes and catch passes for teams hoping to find passing-game value out of the backfield.
Fans can watch the running back drills on Saturday, from 1 to 8 p.m. ET, on NFL Network and NFL+.
