Current NFL Superstars Who Dominated at the Scouting Combine

Prospects are arriving in Indianapolis for the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, kicking off a week-long event that will have a sizable impact on big boards across the league.

The results of the many drills, the official measurements that get recorded and the medical exams that will be undertaken will all play key roles in prospect evaluations.

While plenty who tested off the charts have passed through the combine but never amounted to anything more than workout warriors, there are also a significant amount of prospects who dominated the event and went on to become standout NFL players.

Many of them are still showcasing their talents in the league today.

With that in mind, let's take a look back at just a few of the more impressive combine results from several current stars, highlighting the scores that made them truly stand out and noting the impact these performances had on their draft positions.

OT Trent Williams

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Notable Combine Scores

40-Yard Dash: 4.81 seconds (99%)

Vertical Leap: 34½ inches (98.2%)

Broad Jump: 113 inches (93.8%)

Draft Position: No. 4 overall (2010) by Washington Commanders

It's not often that an offensive lineman turns heads at the combine.

Trent Williams broke the mold, however, with his scintillating showing back in 2010.

Despite the tackle's ho-hum performance on the bench press—his 23 reps fell in the bottom half of offensive tackles and near the bottom third for players of his 6'4", 315-pound size—his athleticism was readily on display.

The Oklahoma product wowed scouts with a 4.81 40-yard dash and showcased his otherworldly leaping abilities during both the vertical and broad-jump events.

Williams' results in those drills still rate among the best ever seen from an offensive lineman.

That showcase of sheer athleticism helped Williams ascend his mid-to-late first-round projections to become a top-five selection in the 2010 draft.

Washington secured a player who started nine seasons at left tackle for the club, earning seven Pro Bowl nods before requesting to be traded or released amid a dispute with the organization. He went on to sign a record-breaking contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2021.  

WR Julio Jones

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Notable Combine Scores

40-Yard Dash: 4.34 seconds (97.6%)

Vertical Leap: 38½ inches (88.2%)

Broad Jump: 135 inches (99.1%)

3-Cone: 6.66 seconds (94.2%)

60-Yard Shuttle: 11.07 seconds (92.3%)

Draft Position: No. 6 overall (2011) by Atlanta Falcons

Julio Jones put on a performance for the ages when he showed up at the 2011 combine.

While his draft position may not have been impacted as much as some of the other players on this list—he was widely regarded as a surefire top-10 pick—he secured that status by showing out in Indianapolis.

The Alabama product looked the part from the start, with a height of 74¾ inches (6'2") and a weight of 220 pounds. His 9¾-inch hands put him in the upper echelon of wideouts.

And Jones dominated every single event he entered aside from the shuttle run. His 4.25-second finish there was only in the 44th percentile among wideouts.

Jones' second-worst performance came on the bench press, but his 17 reps were still good for the 73rd percentile. Every other event the wideout entered—including the 40-yard dash, 60-yard shuttle, three-cone drill, vertical jump and broad jump—was good for at least the 88th percentile.

The performance clearly enticed the Falcons, who were picking at No. 27 that year but coughed up five picks—including a pair of first-rounders—to get the No. 6 slot from the Cleveland Browns to select Jones.

The decision proved to be well worth it. The Browns hardly benefited from their extra selections, while Jones racked up nearly 13,000 yards and scored 60 touchdowns during his decadelong run with Atlanta.

Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans prior to the 2021 campaign and struggled with injuries in his first season with the club. While his advancing age won't help him bounce back easily, the 33-year-old still possesses the athleticism and talent to contribute at a high level if he can stay on the field. 

DT Aaron Donald

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Notable Combine Scores

40-Yard Dash: 4.68 seconds (99.6%)

Vertical Leap: 32 inches (83.4%)

Broad Jump: 115 inches (94.4%)

Shuttle Run: 4.39 seconds (90.4%)

3-Cone: 4.39 seconds (98.3%)

Bench Press: 35 reps (93.7%)

Draft Position: No. 13 overall (2014) by Los Angeles Rams

Aaron Donald showed flashes of what was to come at the 2014 combine.

The Pittsburgh product went to Indianapolis with concerns about his potential to thrive in the NFL due to his diminutive size for a defensive tackle.

His official measurements did little to alleviate the doubts, as Donald stood at just 72¾ inches (6'1") and weighed 285 pounds, putting him in the fifth and 20th percentiles, respectively, among DTs.

Donald addressed his stature at the combine, per Chris Burke of SI.com: "[My height] is what it is. Thinking about it isn't going to get me no taller. All I can [do] is go play the game of football the way I play it: hard-nosed, out there trying to make plays."

He also showed he had the athleticism to take on any offensive lineman, cobbling together a historic performance in front of evaluators.

He finished in the 90th percentile or better for the 40-yard dash, bench press, broad jump, shuttle run and three-cone drill.

Despite his collegiate production—he had 27.5 sacks and 63 tackles for a loss over his final three seasons with the Panthers—and eye-popping test results, Donald didn't come off the board until just before the midpoint of the first round.

The Rams certainly don't regret taking a chance on him.

After winning four Defensive Player of the Year awards in his first seven seasons, Donald added Super Bowl champion to his resume in February, making a key stop on the final drive to secure the Lombardi Trophy.

CB Jalen Ramsey

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Notable Combine Scores

40-Yard Dash: 4.41 seconds (96%)

Vertical Leap: 41½ inches (97.1%)

Broad Jump: 135 inches (99.7%)

60-Yard Shuttle: 11.10 seconds (88.8%)

Draft Position: No. 5 overall (2016) by Jacksonville Jaguars

Jalen Ramsey's numbers from the 2016 combine jump off the page.

The Florida State product's vertical leap and broad jump tied for the best marks from any position that year. His broad jump was the second-longest leap of the decade, trailing only Byron Jones' world-record showing in 2006.

Ramsey showcased his blazing speed in the 40-yard dash even though it came after the jumping tests, which some evaluators believe negatively impacted many prospects' times.

Those track-star performances were made more impressive by the fact that Ramsey stood at 6'1", 209 pounds, which is the ideal size for an NFL defensive back.

Though he plays corner now, Ramsey ultimately scored in the 88th percentile or better among free safeties in both the 40-yard dash and the 60-yard shuttle. (He could move to the position later in his pro career).

The Jaguars took Ramsey the No. 5 overall pick that year, getting three seasons of stellar play from the defensive back before dealing him to the Rams during the 2019 campaign.

RB Saquon Barkley

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Notable Combine Scores

40-Yard Dash: 4.40 seconds (95.3%)

Vertical Leap: 41 inches (97.6%)

Bench Press: 29 reps (98.1%)

Draft Position: No. 2 overall (2018) by New York Giants

Saquon Barkley put together one of the best workouts ever during his brief but impactful visit to Indianapolis four years ago.

The Penn State product stunned observers with his athleticism for a 6'0", 233-pound running back. His weight put him in the 93rd percentile for the position.

Barkley ran his 40-yard dash in 4.40 seconds, a 95th percentile performance and likely the second-best time ever for a prospect weighing 230 or more pounds.

He banged out 29 reps on the bench—a number that only a handful of backs have ever achieved—and showed off a 41-inch vertical.

The Giants knew there was something special about Barkley.

While injuries and a roughshod offensive line have hurt his development in recent seasons, Barkley amassed 3,469 yards from scrimmage and 23 touchdowns on 621 touches across his first two NFL seasons. He also won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018.

It remains to be seen if he can get his career back on track, but Barkley undoubtedly has the athleticism to excel at this level.

Edge Montez Sweat

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Notable Combine Scores

40-yard Dash: 4.41 seconds (94.7%)

Broad Jump: 125 inches (83.3%)

Draft Position: No. 26 overall (2019) by Washington Commanders

Montez Sweat came into the 2019 combine looking to prove himself as a top-10 pick.

The Mississippi State edge-rusher left no doubts about his athleticism in Indianapolis, recording the fastest 40-yard dash (4.41 seconds) for a defensive lineman since 2006.

It was an especially noteworthy performance given Sweat’s stature, as he stood at 77¾ inches (6'5") and weighed in at 260 pounds. Combine measurements officially revealed his massive hands and arm length—10½ and 30¾ inches, respectively—that ranked at the peak for his position.

His leaping ability was notable as well. Sweat posted a 125-inch broad jump that put him in the 83rd percentile of edge players.

While he tested off the charts, Sweat unfortunately took a major draft-stock hit when his medical exam revealed an enlarged heart.

This was a major reason why Sweat, who had his over/under draft position set at 7.5, was taken off several big boards and fell all the way to No. 26.

The medical condition—which may have been misdiagnosed—hasn't seemed to be a problem for Sweat thus far. He's rapidly emerging as a star for the Commanders, totaling 21 sacks over his first 42 games as a pro.

Combine results and positional percentiles are courtesy of NFLCombineResults.com.