The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine has now come and gone. It’s up for debate as to wether or not a player’s performance at the Combine should have bearing on where he is drafted. What’s not up for debate, is that the time these young men lay down in the 40-yard dash, will likely follow them for the rest of their football careers.
So here are some of the top performances from the workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this past weekend.
DJ Turner II
Michigan cornerback DJ Turner II earned the badge as the fastest prospect at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. He posted a 4.26-second time on Friday.
It ended up being the only sub 4.3 time run at this year’s combine. It’s also tied for the fifth fastest time officially clocked. Congratulations to Turner.
Devon Achane
Devon Achane had the third fastest time of the 2023 Combine, and the fourth-fastest time ever for a running back. It was also the fastest time since 2014.
Chris Johnson set the bar for running backs at the 2008 Combine with a time of 4.24 seconds.
Trey Palmer
Former LSU and Nebraska wide receiver Trey Palmer was the fastest of all wide receivers , with a time of 4.33. He clocked in at a top speed of 21.5 mph during the Senior Bowl, and did not disappoint in his official performance at the combine. He’s the fastest Cornhusker since cornerback Fabian Washington ran a 4.29 in 2005.
Top 10
4.26 | DJ Turner II CB Michigan
4.30 | Deonte Brooks CB Maryland
4.32 | Devon Achane RB Texas A&M
4.33 | Trey Palmer WR Nebraska
4.35 | Emmanuel Forbes CB Mississippi State
4.36 | Jahmyr Gibbs RB Alabama
4.36 | Darius Rush CB South Carolina
4.36 | Derius Davis WR TCU
4.37 | Keaton Mitchell RB East Carolina
4.37 | Matt Landers WR Arkansas
All times are unofficial, but taken from the NFL’s Live Tracker.
Nolan Smith
Nolan Smith from Georgia finished just outside the top 10. He ran a 4.39.
Why does he get a special mention?
Because he’s an edge rushing linebacker that weighs 240 pounds!
Look out!
The Official Top 5 40-yard Dashes All-Time
Now, that’s without including folklore.
Fastest Ever
So who’s the fastest ever?
Bo Jackson is on record as saying he ran a 4.13. He’s even said that people on hand, clocked it as low as 3.90 but that the electronic timer officially timed it at 4.13.
It has been said consistently that Darrell Green recorded a time of 4.09 at the Washington Redskins’ training camp in 1986. Is it true? Who knows? But few were ever faster than Green was. For what it’s worth, Green himself has said in interviews that the fastest time he has ever been aware of running is 4.15.
Deion Sanders has the closest thing as a verifiable 40 yard dash time. Sanders ran a 4.21 forty yard dash at the 1989 NFL combine.
Faster Still
The fastest recorded 40 yard split on record, belongs to Olympian Maurice Greene. During his World Record 60 meter run of 6.33, Green crossed the 40 yard mark at 4.18. They say the average reaction time to a starter’s pistol is .25 seconds, so if you subtract that from Green’s time, you come up with a 40 yard dash time of 3.93 seconds.
But that’s not exactly a fair comparison. That was run on an indoor track, not grass. And it was run in spikes, and not cleats. Two distinct advantages.
Usain Bolt – the fastest man on two legs – ran a 4.22 to tie the official top 40-time in NFL history.
Usain Bolt just tied the NFL combine record for the 40-yard dash at 4.22 seconds ?
(via @simoncrosse) pic.twitter.com/eo8D7NVK2o— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 2, 2019
Could It Really Be?
It’s nothing close to official, but a fun Darrell Green 40 tidbit is that he ran a 4.43 at 50 years old. Wow.
He also allegedly ran an even more incredible 4.20 40 at the age of 40 while still with the Redskins.
The former Redskins cornerback was really something else.
