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Each year, hopeful prospects make their way to the NFL Draft Combine in hopes of adding their name to the fastest 40-yard dash times in NFL Combine history. While many dismiss the 40 as a random sprint, it's importance can't be overstated.
Organizations view the 40 as a dependable way to evaluate talent and judge prospects against each other. A player's NFL dreams can be buoyed - or dashed - by his performance in the 40.
With performances being tallied from the 2023 NFL Combine, let's take a look back at the players that have blazed a trail and etched their names into the record book. These are the five fastest 40-yard dash times in history.
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#5. 4.27 Seconds
Marquise Goodwin (WR, 2013); Henry Ruggs III (WR, 2020); Stanford Routt (CB, 2005)
Henry Ruggs III is the most recent player to hit 4.27 at the NFL Combine, blazing through the 40 in 2020. Unfortunately, Ruggs is also the most disappointing and tragic figure on this list, as a high-speed car crash while he was under the influence of alcohol led to the death of 23-year-old Tina Tintor in November of 2021. He was immediately released by the Las Vegas Raiders and is still awaiting trial.
Stanford Routt was another player that was drafted by the speed-hungry Raiders franchise after he clocked a 4.27 40 at the 2005 Combine. It was, at the time, the fastest run since electronic timing was introduced. Routt had been an All-America track athlete while also playing cornerback at the University of Houston. He would spend the first seven seasons of his solid NFL career with the Oakland Raiders.
Another track star, Marquise Goodwin was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team and spent his collegiate career at the University of Texas. The Olympian did not disappoint in the 2013 NFL Combine, posting a blazing 4.27 40 time. Goodwin was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 2013 NFL Draft, but has battled injuries throughout his career while bouncing around the league. He is still an active NFL wide receiver and currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks.
#4. 4.26 Seconds
D.J. Turner II (CB, 2023); Jerome Mathis (WR, 2005); Dri Archer (RB, 2014); Tariq Woolen (CB, 2022)
Michigan cornerback D.J. Turner is fresh off turning in the fastest 40 time at the 2023 NFL Combine - and one of the fastest dashes in the last 20 years. The sub-4.27 club is a very exclusive one and his showing this year will certainly help to improve his already-good prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Tariq Woolen announced his presence with authority at the 2022 Combine. Hailing from tiny UT-San Antonio, Woolen's 4.26 time tied for the third-best in combine history at the time and was the fastest-ever 40-time for a player over six feet tall. His impressive showing led to the Seattle Seahawks selecting him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and Woolen put forth a terrific rookie campaign in which he finished the season tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions.
A high-school track star, Dri Archer evolved into an excellent running back and a standout kick-return specialist while at Kent State. His lightning-fast 40 time at the 2014 Combine helped solidify his place as a third-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2014 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, he couldn't capitalize on his speed at the pro level and quickly washed out of the league after two uneventful seasons.
Jerome Mathis was a six-time state track champion in high school and opened the eyes of NFL front offices after he posted a then-record 4.26 40 at the 2005 Combine. Mathis had proven himself to be a dynamic kick returner during his collegiate career at tiny Delaware State, where he broke NCAA records in career kick return average and career kickoff return TDs. After being selected by the Houston Texans in the '05 Draft, Mathis made the Pro Bowl as a rookie kick returner but unfortunately suffered a fracture in his left foot during the Pro Bowl. He never really recovered and, sadly, washed out of the NFL a couple of years later.
#3. 4.24 Seconds
Chris Johnson (RB, 2008), Rondel Menendez (WR, 1999)
Before he became CJ2K, Chris Johnson entered the 2008 NFL Combine as a little-known running back out of East Carolina. While a big senior season certainly had him on the radars of NFL front offices, his record-setting 4.24 40 time sent him skyrocketing up draft boards. Johnson's 4.24 tied the then-all-time overall record and still stands as the fastest 40-yard dash by a player at the running back position.
His impressive display at the Combine was a sign of things to come, as Johnson was drafted in the first round of the '08 Draft by the Tennessee Titans and went on to become a superstar. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons in the NFL, including going for over 2,000 yards in 2009 and being named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year.
The NFL Combine began using electronic timing in 1999 and wide receiver Rondel Menendez wasted little time in posting an official record at 4.26. It put the speedster from Eastern Kentucky on the map and resulted in his selection in the seventh round of the 1999 Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
Unfortunately, his NFL career was basically over before it started, as he sustained a torn meniscus in the Falcons' final game of the '99 preseason. Menendez was released by Atlanta later in the year and bounced around the league for a couple of years before eventually ending his career in NFL Europe in 2001.
#2. 4.23 Seconds
Kalon Barnes (CB, 2022)
A high school track champion and wide receiver, Kalon Barnes converted from WR to the cornerback position while at Baylor in 2018. After a rather unremarkable college career, Barnes lit the 2022 NFL Combine on fire with his phenomenal performance of 4.23 in the 40-yard dash. It was the second-fastest time since electronic timing was instituted in 1999 and propelled him into the seventh round of the 2022 Draft, where he was selected by the Carolina Panthers.
Barnes' blistering hasn't translated to success in the NFL to this point, as he failed to make the Panthers' 53-man roster and was cut prior to the start of the 2022 season. The Baylor product spent some time with the Miami Dolphins before ending his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings.
#1. 4.22 Seconds
John Ross (WR, 2017)
You come at the king, you best not miss. Many have entered the NFL Combine with John Ross' 2017 mark of 4.22 as their goal, but all have failed, as Ross' 4.22 still stands as the all-time fastest official time at the Combine. While the feats of some legendary athletes such as Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders live on in football lore, the wide receiver out of the University of Washington put a time in the record books with his electronically-timed dash in 2017.
Already a top wide receiver prospect in the '17 NFL Draft class, Ross' superhuman 40 time sent him skyrocketing up draft boards. He was ultimately selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round with the ninth overall pick. His pro career has been one marred by injuries, as Ross logged just one touch during his rookie season and underwhelmed in subsequent seasons with the Bengals. Cincinnati declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract and he spent the 2021 season with the New York Giants. Ross is currently signed to a reserve/futures contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
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