Fastest Linebacker 40 Times in NFL Combine History
I’ve loved the NFL Combine for as long as I can remember. It’s essentially an Olympics decathlon for college football players each year. While it’s debatable whether this whole event is actually valuable (not quite sure why we’re still running 60-yard shuttles), my fascination with it has never waned.
When I’ve trained players for the combine, one of the things we would always do is look at previous years’ results to see how each guy’s numbers compared. 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 Linebacker 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 Linebacker NFL Combine 40 Times All-Time
| Fastest Linebacker Times in NFL Combine History | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Shaquem Griffin | UCF | 4.38 | 2018 |
| Isaiah Simmons | Clemson | 4.39 | 2020 |
| Owen Pappoe | Auburn | 4.39 | 2023 |
| Jon Alston | Stanford | 4.40 | 2006 |
| Devin White | LSU | 4.42 | 2019 |
| Troy Andersen | Montana State | 4.42 | 2022 |
| Devin Bush | Michigan | 4.43 | 2019 |
| Gary Johnson | Texas | 4.43 | 2019 |
| Trenton Simpson | Clemson | 4.43 | 2023 |
| Thomas Howard | Texas El-Paso | 4.44 | 2006 |
| Christian Harris | Alabama | 4.44 | 2022 |
Year By Year Top Linebacker 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 Linebacker that has run a 4.55 or faster.
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2023 NFL Combine
2023
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2022 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Owen Pappoe | Auburn | 4.39 | 2023 |
| Trenton Simpson | Clemson | 4.43 | 2023 |
| Yasir Abdullah | Louisville | 4.47 | 2023 |
| Dorian Williams | Tulane | 4.49 | 2023 |
| Dee Winters | TCU | 4.49 | 2023 |
| Charlie Thomas | Georgia Tech | 4.52 | 2023 |
| Anfernee Orji | Vanderbilt | 4.53 | 2023 |
| Jeremy Banks | Tennessee | 4.53 | 2023 |
| Shaka Heyward | Duke | 4.53 | 2023 |
| Daiyan Henley | Washington State | 4.54 | 2023 |
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2022 NFL Combine
2022
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2022 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Troy Andersen | Montana State | 4.42 | 2022 |
| Christian Harris | Alabama | 4.44 | 2022 |
| Channing Tindall | Georgia | 4.47 | 2022 |
| Malcolm Rodriguez | Oklahoma State | 4.52 | 2022 |
| Brandon Smith | Penn State | 4.52 | 2022 |
| Quay Walker | Georgia | 4.52 | 2022 |
| Leo Chenal | Wisconsin | 4.53 | 2022 |
| D’Marco Jackson | Appalachian State | 4.55 | 2022 |
2020
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2020 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Isaiah Simmons | Clemson | 4.39 | 2020 |
| Willie Gay Jr | Mississippi State | 4.46 | 2020 |
| Davion Taylor | Colorado | 4.49 | 2020 |
| Patrick Queen | LSU | 4.50 | 2020 |
| Shaun Bradley | Temple | 4.51 | 2020 |
| Kenneth Murray | Oklahoma | 4.52 | 2020 |
| Jordyn Brooks | Texas Tech | 4.54 | 2020 |
2019
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2019 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Devin White | LSU | 4.42 | 2019 |
| Devin Bush | Michigan | 4.43 | 2019 |
| Gary Johnson | Texas | 4.43 | 2019 |
| David Long | West Virginia | 4.45 | 2019 |
| Blake Cashman | Minnesota | 4.50 | 2019 |
| Ty Summers | TCU | 4.51 | 2019 |
2018
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2018 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Shaquem Griffin | UCF | 4.38 | 2018 |
| Roquan Smith | Georgia | 4.51 | 2018 |
| Malik Jefferson | Texas | 4.52 | 2018 |
| Jerome Baker | Ohio State | 4.53 | 2018 |
| Tremaine Edmunds | Virginia Tech | 4.54 | 2018 |
2017
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2017 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Jabrill Peppers | Michigan | 4.46 | 2017 |
| Duke Riley | LSU | 4.58 | 2017 |
| Raekwon McMillan | Ohio State | 4.61 | 2017 |
| Alex Anzalone | Florida | 4.63 | 2017 |
| Tyus Bowser | Houston | 4.65 | 2017 |
| Blair Brown | Ohio | 4.65 | 2017 |
| Anthony Walker | Northwestern | 4.65 | 2017 |
2016
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2016 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Darron Lee | Ohio State | 4.47 | 2016 |
| Travis Feeney | Washington | 4.50 | 2016 |
| De’Vondre Campbell | Minnesota | 4.58 | 2016 |
| Deion Jones | LSU | 4.59 | 2016 |
| Leonard Floyd | Georgia | 4.60 | 2016 |
2015
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2015 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Vic Beasley | Clemson | 4.53 | 2015 |
| Kwon Alexander | LSU | 4.55 | 2015 |
| Stephone Anthony | Clemson | 4.56 | 2015 |
| Bud Dupree | Kentucky | 4.56 | 2015 |
| Ben Heeney | Kansas | 4.59 | 2015 |
2014
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2014 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Kevin Pierre-Louis | Boston College | 4.51 | 2014 |
| Telvin Smith | Florida State | 4.52 | 2014 |
| Lamin Barrow | LSU | 4.64 | 2014 |
| Khalil Mack | Buffalo | 4.65 | 2014 |
| Ronald Powell | Florida | 4.65 | 2014 |
2013
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2013 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Zaviar Gooden | Missouri | 4.47 | 2013 |
| Cornelius Washington | Georgia | 4.55 | 2013 |
| Jon Bostic | Florida | 4.61 | 2013 |
| Jamie Collins | Southern Mississippi | 4.64 | 2013 |
| Sio Moore | Connecticut | 4.65 | 2013 |
2012
| Fastest NFL Combine Linebacker Times 2012 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Mychal Kendricks | California | 4.47 | 2012 |
| Zach Brown | North Carolina | 4.50 | 2012 |
| Luke Kuechly | Boston College | 4.58 | 2012 |
| Demario Davis | Arkansas State | 4.61 | 2012 |
| Nigel Bradham | Florida State | 4.64 | 2012 |
| Najee Goode | West Virginia | 4.64 | 2012 |
FAQ
Does Running a Fast 40 at the Combine Guarantee Success for a Linebacker?
Running a fast 40 at the NFL Combine can lead to much hype and recognition, but does it directly translate to NFL success?
Just for fun, I analyzed the careers of the all-time fastest 12 40 times for linebackers and it turns out, not at all.
Now, don’t get me wrong, running a fast 40 at any position doesn’t guarantee success in the NFL. There are countless amount of factors that go into play for a successful career, some of which are even completely out of control for the player.
But, having said that, for linebackers, the correlation for success is low even when compared to other positions.
There is only one Pro Bowl season (White) out of the entire group. While there are 3 first-round selections (Simmons 8th, White 5th, Bush 10th), over half the group went in the 3rd round or later.
5 of the players in the group are still currently active so this may change, but the longest careers out of the group are only 8 years long (Howard, Barnes). Compare that to the best Offensive Line 40 times where 6 of the top 10 played 9 years or longer.
So, if you’re looking for a ‘can’t miss’ indicator for the next hall-of-fame linebacker, you’ll need to look someplace else than at the 40-yard dash.
What’s a Good 40 Time for a College Football Linebacker?
Obviously, the times listed above are the elite of the elite. They’re definitely not indicative of all linebackers at the college level.
The short answer is anything under a 4.8 is pretty good.
The long answer is it depends on size, inside vs outside backer, etc. For more info check out my breakdown of 40 times for college football players.
Other Position Groups
If you enjoyed this deep dive into NFL Combine linebacker 40 times, you may be fired up to know that I’ve also done the same thing with other position groups as well.
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Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that not everyone who gets invited to the NFL Combine actually runs a 40 at the Combine. So, some players who 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 who would have put up fast times and had success at the NFL level that don’t receive an NFL Combine invite.
