Jeff Caldwell suddenly in spotlight after breakout NFL Combine performance

The running backs, wide receivers, and quarterbacks got their chance to showcase their skills at the 2026 NFL Combine on Saturday, and there were plenty of major storylines.

From Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love solidifying himself as the draft's top back with a blazing 4.36-second 40-yard dash to Arkansas QB Taylen Green putting up a near-perfect Relative Athletic Score, the event had a handful of big-time standouts. In terms of players who raised their draft stock in Indianapolis, however, no one may have made themself more money in the 2026 NFL Draft than Cincinnati Bearcats' WR Jeff Caldwell.

The former Lindenwood star transferred to Cincinnati for the 2025 season, and has only been getting better since making that decision. Caldwell put on a solid performance at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January, and earned himself a combine invite after a senior campaign where he racked up a respectable 478 yards and 6 touchdowns on 32 receptions.

He showed up in Indianapolis for his workout with a chance to prove himself, and to say that he fulfilled that goal would be a massive understatement.

Official NFL Combine Results

Caldwell measured in at an impressive 6'5" 216 pounds, already making him an intriguing profile for teams to work with. His explosiveness was immediately displayed, registering a 42" vertical jump and an 11'2" broad jump. The real hype came when he ran the 40, clocking in at an absurd 4.31 seconds, finishing just 0.01 seconds behind Oklahoma's Deion Burks, the positional leader in his group.

For receivers of his size, another question mark is often their ability to get out of the gate quickly, but Caldwell shut down any doubt about that as well, speeding to a position-leading 1.48-second 10-yard split. His phenomenal workout, capped off by a strong showing during on-field drills, graded him out with a perfect 10.00 RAS.

Firmly On The Rise

Caldwell has consistently been mocked in the later rounds of the draft, with most sites ranking him in the 200s, and listing him as a projected 6th-7th round pick, with some not even having him getting drafted.

That narrative was flipped on its head on Saturday, and the Bearcat became an instant sensation within NFL Draft media. He's already being viewed as a candidate to fly up draft boards, and his potential could have NFL scouts falling over themselves to get a chance to develop him as a Day 3 selection.