The 40-yard dash may not be the most important drill to talent evaluators at the 2024 NFL Combine, but it has always held a special place among the hearts of NFL fans.
Speed kills in the NFL, where cornerbacks have high burn rates and are, sometimes, simply outrun by the Tyreek Hills of the world.
It’s no wonder that the 40-yard dash has captured the attention of NFL fans. It’s a basic test that measures a player’s straight-line speed. While that alone may not often crop up in NFL games, where weaving through defenses, playing through contact, and showcasing agility are more important, it still has a place.
Rest assured, when one fan notes that a player has “4.3 speed,” every other NFL diehard knows exactly what they mean.
All that said, many will wonder which prospects will clock the fastest 40-yard dash times at the 2024 NFL Combine. Players only seem to be getting bigger, faster, and stronger, so some may even take aim at John Ross’ NFL Combine 40-yard dash record of 4.22 seconds.
Who will be the fastest at the 2024 NFL Combine? The Sporting News breaks down eight candidates who can challenge for times in the 4.2 and early-4.3 range.
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NFL Combine 40 time projections for 2024
Anthony Gould, WR/KR, Oregon State
- Projected 40 time: 4.27
Gould should be in the running for the fastest 40 time at the 2024 NFL Combine. He was a high school sprinter and ran the 100-meter dash in 10.49 seconds in 2018. At 5-8, 165 pounds, Gould is small and doesn’t carry a lot of weight on his frame. That will be ideal for him in this short-distance sprint, where fast acceleration is key.
Gould was a big-time playmaker at Oregon State and averaged 16.2 yards per catch during his college career. He also routinely topped speeds of 20 mph during games, so it’s easy to fathom him clocking a time in the 4.2 range if all goes well.
Anthony Gould (@antgould_) is no stranger to our speed club. In week 3 of the 2023 season, the former @BeaverFootball receiver reached a max speed of 21.6 mph.
Last night Gould put more impressive top speed on tape reaching 20.0 mph on this punt return touchdown. #ReelSpeed… pic.twitter.com/hQI8HQBh0C
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) February 2, 2024
Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
- Projected 40 time: 4.29
Worthy is a better-regarded prospect than Gould and possesses similar speed. The 6-1 Texas receiver logged 75 catches for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns during his final college season and was a true deep threat throughout his career. He recorded 26 touchdowns on 197 career catches (good for a touchdown percentage of 13.2) and routinely used his speed to blow by defensive backs.
Like Gould, Worthy was a great track athlete in high school and clocked a personal-best 10.55 in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore. He also posted the fastest on-field speed of any player in college football last season, per Reel Analytics, with a mark of 22.7 mph.
College Football’s Fastest Five: Week 12
1. @TexasFootball WR Xavier Worthy (@XavierWorthy) 22.7 mph #ReelAnalytics #HookEm pic.twitter.com/wdSDwGHBm6
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) November 20, 2023
Worthy clocking the fastest 40 time wouldn’t be a surprise. If he breaks 4.3 seconds, that could help him move from the fringe first-round range to firmly inside of the first 32 picks.
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Tulu Griffin, WR/KR, Mississippi State
- Projected 40 time: 4.30
Lideatrick “Tulu” Griffin got his nickname as a child. It stemmed from a shortened version of the phrase “too loose,” a reference to how easy it was for him to build up speed and accelerate.
“You could tell he was that kid who was just electric, the fastest kid on the field,” Griffin’s former high school coach Teddy Dyess told the Clarion Ledger. “And you could see it even as a 9-, 10-, 11-year-old, he had unbelievable vision. If there’s a crease there, he’s able to see it, and he’s able to find it, and then he has that burst of speed that really sets him apart.”
Indeed, Griffin is lightning-fast, and at 5-10, 180 pounds, he has the same advantage as Gould in running the 40. He doesn’t carry too much weight with him, so that could allow him to break the 4.3-second mark or at least finish with a 4.3-flat.
Tyler Owens, S, Texas Tech
- Projected 40 time: 4.30
Owens didn’t play much in three seasons at Texas before transferring to Texas Tech for his final two seasons, where he logged 56 tackles and an interception. He isn’t a highly touted prospect in this draft, but his athletic ability is second to none.
Owens was a track star during his high school days and clocked a cool 10.29-second mark in the 100-meter dash. That mark was the best in the entire country.
So, don’t be surprised if Owens (6-2, 204 pounds) puts on a show at the NFL Combine. He may clock the fastest time on Friday when the defensive backs and tight ends work out.
Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
- Projected 40 time: 4.32
Wilson is another speedy receiver who enjoyed a productive final season at Michigan. He caught 48 passes for 789 yards with 12 touchdowns, good for an incredible 25-percent touchdown rate.
Wilson logged a 4.33-second mark in the 40-yard dash last year, according to The Athletic, so it’s reasonable to expect him to clock a time in the 4.3 range. He logged a maximum practice speed of 20.07 mph at the Senior Bowl, per Zebra Technologies, so he should impress with his speed and the rapid acceleration he showcased at Michigan.
Roman Wilson showing off his speed today. Can’t wait to watch more of that this season! 💨⚡️ pic.twitter.com/6mnimNzVca
— JD 〽️ (@MGoJDBlue) September 4, 2022
Wilson may not log the top 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but his 3-cone time will be one to watch. He logged a terrific 6.2-second mark in that drill last year, per The Athletic.
Carlton Johnson, CB, Fresno State
- Projected 40 time: 4.32
Johnson is one of the lighter cornerbacks in the draft at just 165 pounds. That may concern some teams who worry about how he might fair against bigger, more physical receivers.
That said, Johnson is ridiculously fast and already proved it at the Senior Bowl. He recorded a speed of 22.17 mph at the Senior Bowl, good for 0.83 mph better than the second-fastest player. That earned him the respect of Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy.
“The fact that he was the second-fastest Senior Bowler in the past seven years, behind only Tariq Woolen, is noteworthy,” Nagy told NFL Network.
Since 2018, there’s been only five @seniorbowl participants hit 22.0+ MPH per our data partner, @ZebraTechnology, and Fresno State CB Carlton Johnson joined that elite group last week. 🔥
In fact, Johnson is now second-fastest (22.17) Senior Bowler since we began player… pic.twitter.com/lTWl9KXyZP
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 7, 2024
Woolen blazed his 40-yard dash in 4.26 seconds despite his 6-4 frame. Johnson’s strides won’t be as long as Woolen, as the Fresno State product is just 5-10, but he should still challenge for one of the fastest 40 times at the 2024 combine.
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Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee
- Projected 40 time: 4.33
Wright logged 1,013 yards and four touchdowns on just 137 carries for the Volunteers last season and could work his way up draft boards with a good combine performance. He should deliver that after he logged the second-fastest play speed among running backs last season at 22.2 mph, per Reel Analytics.
College Football’s Fastest Five: Week 12
3. @Vol_Football RB Jaylen Wright (@__jw12) 22.2 mph #ReelAnalytics #GBO pic.twitter.com/AvrrtwmRMJ
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) November 20, 2023
Wright has also logged a speed of 23.6 mph in practice and ran a hand-time 4.28-second 40-yard dash during his high school days, per The Athletic. Wright was a state champion in the 55-meter dash (6.29-second personal best), as well.
Wright’s 5-11, 200-pound frame should allow him to move quickly, but it remains difficult for running backs to break the 4.3-second mark. Finishing in the low-to-mid 4.3s should be Wright’s overall goal.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
- Projected 40 time: 4.35
Mitchell has been rising in the lead-up to the 2024 NFL Draft, and he could further solidify himself as a top-tier prospect with a great performance at the NFL Combine. He already starred at the Senior Bowl, logging a top speed of 20.08 mph in practice, and should be one of the most impressive performers in Indianapolis.
Need more reasons to be confident in Mitchell? Well, his top GPS speed last season was a whopping 23.58 mph, per The Athletic. He also logged 40-yard dash attempts in the 4.3-second range in front of NFL scouts, so, he shouldn’t buckle under pressure in Indianapolis.
Mitchell doesn’t seem likely to break the 4.3 mark, but if he can blaze a 4.35, that should cement his status as a top-20 lock.
