Fastest Running Back 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 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 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 fastest running back times of all time.
Best Running Back NFL Combine 40 Times All-Time
| Fastest Running Back Times in NFL Combine History | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Chris Johnson | East Carolina | 4.24 | 2008 |
| Dri Archer | Kent State | 4.26 | 2014 |
| Keith Marshall | Georgia | 4.31 | 2016 |
| Devon Achane | Texas A&M | 4.32 | 2023 |
| Darren McFadden | Arkansas | 4.33 | 2008 |
| Onterio McCalebb | Auburn | 4.34 | 2013 |
| Jahvid Best | California | 4.35 | 2010 |
| Anthony Alridge | Houston | 4.36 | 2008 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | Alabama | 4.36 | 2023 |
| Knile Davis | Arkansas | 4.37 | 2013 |
| T.J. Logan | North Carolina | 4.37 | 2017 |
| C.J. Spiller | Clemson | 4.37 | 2010 |
| Pierre Strong | South Dakota St | 4.37 | 2022 |
| Isiah Pacheco | Rutgers | 4.37 | 2022 |
| Keaton Mitchell | East Carolina | 4.37 | 2023 |
Year By Year Top Running Back 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 Running Back that has run a 4.40 or faster.
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2023 NFL Combine
2023
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2023 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Devon Achane | Texas A&M | 4.32 | 2023 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | Alabama | 4.36 | 2023 |
| Keaton Mitchell | East Carolina | 4.37 | 2023 |
| Deneric Prince | Tulsa | 4.41 | 2023 |
| Chase Brown | Illinois | 4.43 | 2023 |
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2022 NFL Combine
2022
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2022 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Pierre Strong | South Dakota State | 4.37 | 2022 |
| Isiah Pacheco | Rutgers | 4.37 | 2022 |
| Ty Chandler | North Carolina | 4.38 | 2022 |
| Kenneth Walker III | Michigan State | 4.38 | 2022 |
| D’vonte Price | Florida International | 4.38 | 2022 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 4.39 | 2022 |
| Zamir White | Georgia | 4.40 | 2022 |
2020
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2020 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Jonathan Taylor | Wisconsin | 4.39 | 2020 |
| Darrynton Evans | Appalachian State | 4.41 | 2020 |
| Raymond Calais | Louisiana-Lafayette | 4.42 | 2020 |
| Anthony McFarland | Maryland | 4.44 | 2020 |
| Cam Akers | Florida State | 4.47 | 2020 |
2019
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2019 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Justice Hill | Oklahoma State | 4.40 | 2019 |
| Ryquell Armstead | Temple | 4.45 | 2019 |
| Jordan Scarlett | Florida | 4.47 | 2019 |
| Mike Weber | Ohio State | 4.47 | 2019 |
| Travis Homer | Miami | 4.48 | 2019 |
2018
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2018 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Nyheim Hines | NC State | 4.38 | 2018 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 4.40 | 2018 |
| Kalen Ballage | Arizona State | 4.46 | 2018 |
| Rashaad Penny | San Diego State | 4.46 | 2018 |
| Derrius Guice | LSU | 4.49 | 2018 |
2017
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2017 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| T.J. Logan | North Carolina | 4.37 | 2017 |
| Joe Williams | Utah | 4.41 | 2017 |
| Tarik Cohen | North Carolina A&T | 4.42 | 2017 |
| De’Angelo Henderson Sr. | Coastal Carolina | 4.48 | 2017 |
| Christian McCaffrey | Stanford | 4.48 | 2017 |
| Donnel Pumphrey | San Diego State | 4.48 | 2017 |
2016
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2016 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Keith Marshall | Georgia | 4.31 | 2016 |
| Tyler Ervin | San Jose State | 4.41 | 2016 |
| Kenyan Drake | Alabama | 4.45 | 2016 |
| Daniel Lasco | California | 4.46 | 2016 |
| Marshaun Coprich | Illinois State | 4.47 | 2016 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | Ohio State | 4.47 | 2016 |
| Wendell Smallwood | West Virginia | 4.47 | 2016 |
2015
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2015 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Jeremy Landford | Michigan State | 4.42 | 2015 |
| Karlos Williams | Florida State | 4.48 | 2015 |
| Trey Williams | Texas A&M | 4.49 | 2015 |
| David Johnson | Northern Iowa | 4.50 | 2015 |
| Melvin Gordon | Wisconsin | 4.52 | 2015 |
2014
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2014 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Dri Archer | Kent State | 4.26 | 2014 |
| Jerick McKinnon | Georgia Southern | 4.41 | 2014 |
| Henry Josey | Missouri | 4.43 | 2014 |
| Damien Williams | Oklahoma | 4.45 | 2014 |
| LaDarius Perkins | Mississippi State | 4.46 | 2014 |
2013
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2013 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Onterio McCalebb | Auburn | 4.34 | 2013 |
| Knile Davis | Arkansas | 4.37 | 2013 |
| Kerwynn Williams | Utah State | 4.48 | 2013 |
| Johnathan Franklin | UCLA | 4.49 | 2013 |
| Michael Ford | LSU | 4.50 | 2013 |
2012
| Fastest NFL Combine Running Back Times 2012 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Lamar Miller | Miami (FL) | 4.40 | 2012 |
| Chris Rainey | Florida | 4.45 | 2012 |
| LaMichael James | Oregon | 4.45 | 2012 |
| Ronnie Hillman | San Diego State | 4.45 | 2012 |
| Cyrus Gray | Texas A&M | 4.47 | 2012 |
| Isaiah Pead | Cincinnati | 4.47 | 2012 |
FAQ
Does Running a Fast 40 at the Combine Guarantee Success for a Running Back?
Running a fast 40 at the NFL Combine can lead to much hype and recognition, but does it directly translate to NFL success?
Not at all.
I looked at the careers of the all-time top 10 running back times (I left Strong and Pacheco out because they’re both so recent) and here is what I found.
Only 4 of the 10 played more than 2 seasons in the NFL (Johnson 10, McFadden 10, Spiller 8 and Davis 4)
Only 2 of the 10 made a Pro Bowl (Johnson 3x and Spiller once). Johnson also won offensive player of the year one of those years when he ran for over 2000 yards.
Finally, having an all-time best 40 time wasn’t enough to get two of the top 10 players (McCalebb & Alridge) drafted.
So, while running a fast 40 is always better than running a slow one, it definitely doesn’t guarantee you success in the NFL. At least not at the running back position.
What was Adrian Peterson’s 40 Time?
Adrian Peterson ran a 4.41 at the 2007 NFL Combine. What made this time even more impressive is the fact that Peterson weighed close to 220 pounds.
What was Melvin Gordon’s 40 Time?
Melvin Gordon ran a 4.52 at the 2015 NFL Combine – a very good time for a running back especially considering Gordon weighed 215 pounds at the time.
What was Ezekial Elliott’s 40 Time?
Ezekial Elliott ran a 4.47 at the 2016 NFL Combine. 4.47 was tied for the 5th fastest time for a running back that year. Elliott weighed 225 pounds.
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 don’t receive an NFL Combine invite.
