Fastest Cornerback 40 Times in NFL Combine History
I’ve always loved the NFL Combine. A series of events to evaluate the physical characteristics of the best college football players each year. While it’s debatable whether this whole event is actually valuable (why we’re still doing 225 rep tests, especially with Cornerbacks, I’ll never know), my fascination with it has never waned.
When I trained players for the combine, one of the things we would always do is look at previous years’ results to see how we stacked up. It was a great tool for goal-setting and motivation.
I basically did the same thing for this guide. I went through all the previous NFL Combines to find the top Cornerback 40 times of all time.
Note: These are the official NFL Combine times from NFL.com. Some resources online will also include pro day times, but because there are so many other variables (surface, weather, etc) I’ve stuck strictly to the official times from Indianapolis.
Best Cornerback NFL Combine 40 Times All-Time
| Fastest Cornerback Times in NFL Combine History | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Kalon Barnes | Baylor | 4.23 | 2022 |
| Tariq Woolen | Texas San Antonio | 4.26 | 2022 |
| DJ Turner II | Michigan | 4.26 | 2023 |
| Jalen Myrick | Minnesota | 4.28 | 2017 |
| Javelin Guidry | Utah | 4.29 | 2020 |
| Jamel Dean | Auburn | 4.30 | 2019 |
| Jakorian Bennett | Maryland | 4.30 | 2023 |
| Tyvon Branch | Connecticut | 4.31 | 2008 |
| Justin King | Penn State | 4.31 | 2008 |
| Trae Waynes | Michigan State | 4.31 | 2015 |
Year By Year Top Cornerback 40 Times
Here is a breakdown of the top 5 40 times from each year going back to 2012. In addition to the top 5 each year, I’ve also included any Cornerback that has run under a 4.40.
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2023 NFL Combine
2023
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2023 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| DJ Turner II | Michigan | 4.26 | 2023 |
| Jakorian Bennett | Maryland | 4.30 | 2023 |
| Deonte Banks | Maryland | 4.35 | 2023 |
| Emmanuel Forbes | Mississippi State | 4.35 | 2023 |
| Kelee Ringo | Georgia | 4.36 | 2023 |
| Darius Rush | South Carolina | 4.36 | 2023 |
| Christian Gonzalez | Oregon | 4.38 | 2023 |
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2022 NFL Combine
2022
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2022 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Kalon Barnes | Baylor | 4.23 | 2022 |
| Tariq Woolen | Texas San Antonio | 4.26 | 2022 |
| Zyon McCollum | Sam Houston State | 4.33 | 2022 |
| Alontae Taylor | Tennessee | 4.36 | 2022 |
| Cobie Durant | South Carolina State | 4.38 | 2022 |
| Tariq Castro-Fields | Penn State | 4.38 | 2022 |
| Cam Taylor-Britt | Nebraska | 4.38 | 2022 |
| Damarri Mathis | Pittsburgh | 4.39 | 2022 |
| Jalyn Armour-Davis | Alabama | 4.39 | 2022 |
| Kaiir Elam | Florida | 4.39 | 2022 |
2020
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2020 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Javelin Guidry | Utah | 4.29 | 2020 |
| Javaris Davis | Auburn | 4.39 | 2020 |
| C.J. Henderson | Florida | 4.39 | 2020 |
| Troy Pride | Notre Dame | 4.40 | 2020 |
| Josiah Scott | Michigan State | 4.42 | 2020 |
2019
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2019 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Jamel Dean | Auburn | 4.30 | 2019 |
| Mark Fields | Clemson | 4.37 | 2019 |
| Greedy Williams | LSU | 4.37 | 2019 |
| Isaiah Johnson | Houston | 4.40 | 2019 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | Central Michigan | 4.42 | 2019 |
2018
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2018 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Donte Jackson | LSU | 4.32 | 2018 |
| Parry Nickerson | Tulane | 4.32 | 2018 |
| Denzel Ward | Ohio State | 4.32 | 2018 |
| Tony Brown | Alabama | 4.35 | 2018 |
| Anthony Averett | Alabama | 4.36 | 2018 |
2017
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2017 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Jalen Myrick | Minnesota | 4.28 | 2017 |
| Fabian Moreau | UCLA | 4.35 | 2017 |
| Marshon Lattimore | Ohio State | 4.36 | 2017 |
| Cordrea Tankersley | Clemson | 4.40 | 2017 |
| Marlon Humphrey | Alabama | 4.41 | 2017 |
2016
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2016 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Jonathan Jones | Auburn | 4.33 | 2016 |
| Anthony Brown | Purdue | 4.35 | 2016 |
| William Jackson | Houston | 4.37 | 2016 |
| Brandon Williams | Texas A&M | 4.37 | 2016 |
| Kevon Seymour | USC | 4.39 | 2016 |
2015
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2015 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Trae Waynes | Michigan State | 4.31 | 2015 |
| Ronald Darby | Florida State | 4.38 | 2015 |
| Charles Gaines | Louisville | 4.44 | 2015 |
| Doran Grant | Ohio State | 4.44 | 2015 |
| Craig Mager | Texas State San Marcos | 4.44 | 2015 |
| Josh Shaw | USC | 4.44 | 2015 |
2014
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2014 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Justin Gilbert | Oklahoma State | 4.37 | 2014 |
| Phillip Gaines | Rice | 4.38 | 2014 |
| Jason Verrett | TCU | 4.38 | 2014 |
| Bradley Roby | Ohio State | 4.39 | 2014 |
| Brandon Dixon | NW Missouri State University | 4.41 | 2014 |
| Jaylen Watkins | Florida | 4.41 | 2014 |
2013
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2013 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Darius Slay | Mississippi State | 4.36 | 2013 |
| Dee Milliner | Alabama | 4.37 | 2013 |
| Desmond Trufant | Washington | 4.38 | 2013 |
| Robert Alford | Southeastern Louisiana | 4.39 | 2013 |
| Jamar Taylor | Boise State | 4.39 | 2013 |
2012
| Fastest NFL Combine Cornerback Times 2012 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Josh Robinson | UCF | 4.33 | 2012 |
| Ron Brooks | LSU | 4.37 | 2012 |
| Stephon Gilmore | South Carolina | 4.40 | 2012 |
| Coty Sensabaugh | Clemson | 4.42 | 2012 |
| Dwight Bentley | Louisiana-Lafayette | 4.43 | 2012 |
FAQ
Does Running a Fast 40 at the Combine Guarantee Success for a Cornerback?
Running a fast 40 at the NFL Combine can lead to much hype and recognition, but does it directly translate to NFL success?
I looked at the careers of the 12 guys with the all-time fastest 40 times, all 4.32 or less, to see how they panned out in the league.
For starters, I think it’s safe to say that it’s still a little early to tell because 7 of the 12 guys are from the 2018 combine or later.
Having said that, it seems that having an all-time best 40 time as a corner is less of a direct predictor of success* than almost any other position group. I have to admit, at a position where speed seems like it would be a high priority, I was a bit surprised by what I found.
Only 2 of the top 12 were drafted in the first round (Ward 4th overall, Waynes 11th) and 8 of the top 12 were taken in the 4th round or later. There is only a combined three pro bowls for the whole group (Ward 2, Woolen 1).
Half of the list is still active in the league and most are still very early in their careers, so there is still a ton of room for improvement in the group as a whole. Especially, considering Tariq Woolen (how is someone who is 6’4″ and runs a 4.26 not drafted until the 5th round?) nabbed a pro-bowl spot in his rookie season.
*Success is a relative term here. Just being drafted and making it multiple seasons in the NFL is a massive success. This is more of a comparison to the other position groups. (Here’s a look at the Offensive Line which has a shockingly high correlation)
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that not everyone that gets invited to NFL Combine actually runs a 40 at the Combine. So, some players that potentially could have run extremely fast times don’t have an official time on the record.
On top of that, there are many players each year that would have put up fast times and had success at the NFL level that doesn’t receive an NFL Combine invite.
