DeMonte Capehart 40 time: Clemson DT wows scouts with blazing sprint at NFL Combine

The first day of the 2026 NFL Combine belonged to the towering figures who are on the defensive line. And few defensive tackles did more to bolster their draft stock than Clemson's DeMonte Capehart.

A sixth-year senior, Capehart saw the field sparingly throughout his college days. However, he made the most of his opportunity while decked out in a New Era muscle tee, showcasing dizzying speed, depth-defying leaping ability and a frame that could leave ball-carriers weary.

Here's what you need to know about Capehart's performance at the NFL Combine.

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DeMonte Capehart 40 time

Capehart posted a scorching 4.85 time in the 40-yard dash, the fourth-best time in the field. He was one of seven defensive tackles to record a 40 time below five seconds.

Capehart flew under the radar during his collegiate career, starting just 12 games across six seasons with the Tigers. He dealt with various injuries while with Clemson, limiting his impact. As a sixth-year senior, Capehart tallied a career-best 21 tackles and one sack in six starts.

Given his lack of collegiate production -- Capehart recorded 72 tackles, 13.5 sacks and three sacks across his Tigers career -- he was largely mocked to be drafted in the fifth or sixth round. However, the 23-year old's performance at Thursday's combine could prove a boon in the coming few months.

MORE: Who has the fastest 40-yard dash in 2026 draft?

DeMonte Capehart measurements

Capehart found success in variety of different tests on Thursday afternoon. His measurements were especially sizzling, with Capehart touting impressive height (6-foot-5), weight (313 pounds), hand size (10 1/4 inches) and arm length (more than 33 inches).

He tacked on another impressive outing the the vertical jump, posting a 33.5-inch vertical, the joint-third best mark among defensive tackles at this year's combine.

All told, Capehart looked like a standout athlete atop the Lucas Oil Stadium turf. That should help him climb up draft boards -- albeit its unclear to what extent.

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DeMonte Capehart RAS score

Capehart proved to be a darling in terms of Relative Athletic Score (RAS), a metric that takes all of a player's NFL Combine measurables -- height, weight, wingspan, hand size, athletics and drill results -- and boils them down into a single number, placed on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

Among defensive tackles who participated in the NFL Combine from 1987 to 2026, Capehart ranks eighth in RAS, having posted an astronomical 9.97 mark in the metric. By comparison, Aaron Donald posted a 9.66 RAS, while Kevin Williams and Ndamukong Suh recorded RAS marks of 9.44 and 9.54, respectively.

That's not to say Capehart is destined for greatness. But his physical traits, speed and leaping ability lends itself to believe he could make an impact in the league if he refines the other parts of his game.

MORE: What is a Relative Athletic Score?

DeMonte Capehart draft projection

Capehart was not listed on TSN's Vinnie Iyer's pre-combine two-round mock draft. The Athletic's Jesse Newell tipped the 23-year-old to be selected by the Chiefs in the fifth round.

"Capehart’s potential as a run-stopping interior player still fits well with their needs at this spot, while also allowing them to get younger at a position where they’ve been cycling through veterans for too long," Newell wrote.

The Clemson DT ranks No. 161 among all players and No. 16 among defensive linemen on NFL Mock Draft Database consensus rankings.

MORE: NFL Draft order 2026