Mel Kiper Predicts Prospects to 'Dominate' and 1 Overlooked QB Who Can Rise at NFL Combine

ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. named Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green among his prospects to watch at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week.

When asked to choose a player who will "dominate" their workout at the combine, Kiper went with Proctor, noting, "I think he could post some really good numbers in the combine testing and help make the case that he should stay at left tackle in the NFL—and go in Round 1.and go in Round 1.

Listed at 6'7" and 366 pounds on NFL.com, Proctor was a consensus All-American and First Team All-SEC selection in 2025, and he won the SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top blocker in the conference.

On its latest big board, the BR NFL Scouting Department ranked Proctor as the No. 39 overall player and the No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2026 NFL draft.

Rush by Kadyn Proctor

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Kiper also mentioned Styles as a player he thinks will dominate the combine, noting that he would have picked the OSU linebacker if fellow ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid hadn't.

The 6'5", 243-pound Styles is an elite-level athlete who Kiper believes will "light up the vertical and 40."

After winning a College Football Playoff national title with the Buckeyes in 2024, Styles was named a First Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten in 2025.

He was highly productive at the collegiate level, recording 100 tackles and six sacks in 2024, followed by 82 tackles, one sack and one interception last season.

The BR NFL Scouting Department has Styles rated as the No. 14 overall player and No. 2 linebacker in the upcoming draft.

Kiper concluded his analysis by choosing Green as the quarterback who has the chance to rise highest on draft boards with a strong combine showing.

In order to get in the conversation as the No. 3 quarterback in the class behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Alabama's Ty Simpson, Kiper believes Green needs to "run as well as expected and throw with precision Saturday."

After starting his college career at Boise State, Green spent his last two seasons at Arkansas, and he had his fair share of ups and downs as a dual-threat quarterback.

In 2025, Green completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and he also rushed for 777 yards and eight scores.

The BR NFL Scouting Department ranks Green as the 164th overall player and ninth-best quarterback in the draft, but Kiper suggested that since the quarterback position is so wide open behind Mendoza and Simpson, Green has a chance to help his stock significantly.