The 2026 Cutdown Deadline
The NFL's 53-man roster limit locks in at 6 p.m. ET on August 30, with waiver claims following the next afternoon and 16-man practice squads filling out shortly after. The final preseason weekend — August 27 through 29 — is the last real audition for anyone whose spot isn't already secure. None of that process runs through the combine. But when two players are otherwise close on tape, teams frequently lean on the measurable stuff — long speed, explosiveness, size relative to position — to break the tie. That's the lens here: not who will get cut, but what the testing numbers say about the traits each of these players brought into the league.
Kaleb Johnson, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Johnson enters his second season behind a crowded Steelers backfield, and his path to a full-time role runs through special teams value and receiving work as much as carries. At the 2025 combine, the former Iowa workhorse measured 6'0", 225 lbs and ran an official 4.57-second 40-yard dash with a 1.62 10-yard split — solid, not blazing, for the position. That profile fits the tape: Johnson is a between-the-tackles runner with good contact balance rather than a home-run breakaway threat, and scouting reports flagged his straight-line speed as the one trait that lagged behind the rest of his game.
Broderick Jones, OT, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jones was a 2023 first-round pick who's now fighting to hold his starting left tackle job after spinal fusion surgery, with rookie Max Iheanachor pushing for the same reps. His combine profile is the reason Pittsburgh drafted him 14th overall in the first place: at 6'5", 311 lbs, Jones ran a 4.97-second 40 — the fastest time among offensive tackles at the 2023 combine — with a 30-inch vertical and a 1.74 10-yard split. That's rare timed speed for a player his size, and it's exactly why "struggled in camp" reads differently for Jones than it would for a tackle without that athletic ceiling; the traits are still there even when the technique slips.
Chris Braswell, Edge, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay has stacked its edge room with first-round rookie Rueben Bain Jr., YaYa Diaby, and Anthony Nelson, squeezing Braswell's path to snaps. His combine testing suggests the talent is real even if the depth chart is crowded: at 6'3", 251 lbs, Braswell ran a 4.60-second 40 with an excellent 1.59 10-yard split, a 33.5-inch vertical, and a 9'7" broad jump. He was also clocked at 21.9 mph in-season on Bruce Feldman's "Freaks List" and reportedly squatted 705 pounds — the kind of power-speed combination teams covet at the position, which is why a release would likely draw waiver interest fast.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
Beckham's path back to his original team is a legacy story as much as a roster one — he's now 33 and coming off a season with 550 receiving yards in six years, fighting for snaps behind Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, and a deep receiver room. It's a sharp contrast to his combine résumé: at 5'11", 198 lbs, Beckham ran a 4.43-second 40 with a 38.5-inch vertical and a 10'2" broad jump back in 2014, numbers that helped make him a first-round pick and, briefly, one of the most explosive receivers in the league. The testing profile hasn't changed — the fact that a decade of NFL wear has passed since it was recorded has.
Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
Levis sits behind the Titans' quarterback plans as a veteran arm rather than a lock, with the roster crunch at the position always a real possibility this time of year. He skipped the 40-yard dash at his 2023 combine, but his explosiveness numbers stood out for the position: at 6'4", 229 lbs, Levis posted a 34-inch vertical jump and a 10'4" broad jump — the second-best broad jump among quarterbacks that year, behind only Anthony Richardson. His athletic testing score reportedly ranked fifth among the QB class, evidence of a big, mobile frame even without an official sprint time on record.
All Five, Side by Side
| Player | Pos | Team | 40 Time | Vertical | Broad Jump |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaleb Johnson | RB | Steelers | 4.57s | — | — |
| Broderick Jones | OT | Steelers | 4.97s | 30" | 9'0" |
| Chris Braswell | Edge | Buccaneers | 4.60s | 33.5" | 9'7" |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | WR | Giants | 4.43s | 38.5" | 10'2" |
| Will Levis | QB | Titans | DNP | 34" | 10'4" |
Combine numbers are a snapshot, not a guarantee — plenty of players with modest testing numbers carve out long careers on technique and instincts, and plenty of workout warriors never stick. But when a roster decision comes down to a coin flip between two similar players, teams tend to trust the tape they can measure. That's the case for all five names above heading into Sunday's deadline.