Fastest Wide Receiver 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 Wide Receivers, 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 Wide Receiver 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 Wide Receiver NFL Combine 40 Times All-Time
| Fastest Wide Receiver Times in NFL Combine History | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| John Ross | Washington | 4.22 | 2017 |
| Marquise Goodwin | Texas | 4.27 | 2013 |
| Henry Ruggs III | Alabama | 4.27 | 2020 |
| Jacoby Ford | Clemson | 4.28 | 2010 |
| J.J. Nelson | UAB | 4.28 | 2015 |
| Tyquan Thornton | Baylor | 4.28 | 2022 |
| Darrius Heyward-Bey | Maryland | 4.30 | 2009 |
| Parris Campbell | Ohio State | 4.31 | 2019 |
| Andy Isabella | UMass Amherst | 4.31 | 2019 |
| Curtis Samuel | Ohio State | 4.31 | 2017 |
| Velus Jones Jr | Tennessee | 4.31 | 2022 |
Year By Year Top Wide Receiver 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 Wide Receiver that has run a 4.40 or faster.
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2023 NFL Combine
2023
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2023 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Trey Palmer | Nebraska | 4.33 | 2023 |
| Derius Davis | TCU | 4.36 | 2023 |
| Matt Landers | Arkansas | 4.37 | 2023 |
| Bryce Ford-Wheaton | West Virginia | 4.38 | 2023 |
| Marvin Mims Jr | Oklahoma | 4.38 | 2023 |
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2022 NFL Combine
2022
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2022 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Tyquan Thornton | Baylor | 4.28 | 2022 |
| Velus Jones Jr | Tennessee | 4.31 | 2022 |
| Calvin Austin III | Memphis | 4.32 | 2022 |
| Danny Gray | SMU | 4.33 | 2022 |
| Bo Melton | Rutgers | 4.34 | 2022 |
| Christian Watson | North Dakota State | 4.36 | 2022 |
| Garrett Wilson | Ohio State | 4.38 | 2022 |
| Chris Olave | Ohio State | 4.39 | 2022 |
2020
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2020 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Henry Ruggs III | Alabama | 4.27 | 2020 |
| Quez Watkins | Southern Mississippi | 4.35 | 2020 |
| Denzel Mims | Baylor | 4.38 | 2020 |
| Darnell Mooney | Tulane | 4.38 | 2020 |
| Devin Duvernay | Texas | 4.39 | 2020 |
| Antonio Gibson | Memphis | 4.39 | 2020 |
2019
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2019 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Parris Campbell | Ohio State | 4.31 | 2019 |
| Andy Isabella | UMass Amherst | 4.31 | 2019 |
| Mecole Hardman | Georgia | 4.33 | 2019 |
| DK Metcalf | Ole Miss | 4.33 | 2019 |
| Terry McLaurin | Ohio State | 4.35 | 2019 |
| Emanuel Hall | Missouri | 4.39 | 2019 |
| Darius Slayton | Auburn | 4.39 | 2019 |
2018
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2018 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| D.J. Chark | LSU | 4.34 | 2018 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | South Florida | 4.37 | 2018 |
| Antonio Callaway | Florida | 4.41 | 2018 |
| Robert Foster | Alabama | 4.41 | 2018 |
| D.J. Moore | Maryland | 4.42 | 2018 |
2017
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2017 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| John Ross | Washington | 4.22 | 2017 |
| Curtis Samuel | Ohio State | 4.31 | 2017 |
| Josh Malone | Tennessee | 4.40 | 2017 |
| Quincy Adeboyejo | Ole Miss | 4.42 | 2017 |
| Chris Godwin | Penn State | 4.42 | 2017 |
| Isaiah McKenzie | Georgia | 4.42 | 2017 |
| Michael Rector | Stanford | 4.42 | 2017 |
2016
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2016 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Will Fuller | Notre Dame | 4.32 | 2016 |
| Kolby Listenbee | TCU | 4.39 | 2016 |
| Trevor Davis | California | 4.42 | 2016 |
| Ricardo Louis | Auburn | 4.43 | 2016 |
| Malcolm Mitchell | Georgia | 4.45 | 2016 |
| Charone Peake | Clemson | 4.45 | 2016 |
2015
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2015 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| J.J. Nelson | UAB | 4.28 | 2015 |
| Phillip Dorsett | Miami | 4.33 | 2015 |
| Chris Conley | Georgia | 4.35 | 2015 |
| Kevin White | West Virginia | 4.35 | 2015 |
| Tyler Lockett | Kansas State | 4.40 | 2015 |
2014
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2014 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Brandin Cooks | Oregon State | 4.33 | 2014 |
| John Brown | Pittsburgh State | 4.34 | 2014 |
| Donte Moncrief | Ole Miss | 4.40 | 2014 |
| Paul Richardson | Colorado | 4.40 | 2014 |
| Martavis Bryant | Clemson | 4.42 | 2014 |
| Jeff Janis | Saginaw Valley State | 4.42 | 2014 |
2013
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2013 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Marquise Goodwin | Texas | 4.27 | 2013 |
| Tavon Austin | West Virginia | 4.34 | 2013 |
| Ryan Swope | Texas A&M | 4.34 | 2013 |
| Josh Boyce | TCU | 4.38 | 2013 |
| Kenny Stills | Oklahoma | 4.38 | 2013 |
2012
| Fastest NFL Combine Wide Receiver Times 2012 | |||
| Player | School | Time | Year |
| Travis Benjamin | Miami | 4.36 | 2012 |
| Stephen Hill | Georgia Tech | 4.36 | 2012 |
| Chris Owusu | Stanford | 4.36 | 2012 |
| Devin Wylie | Fresno State | 4.39 | 2012 |
| A.J. Jenkins | Illinois | 4.39 | 2012 |
| Tommy Streeter | Miami | 4.40 | 2012 |
FAQ
Does Running a Fast 40 at the Combine Guarantee Success for a Wide Receiver?
Running a fast 40 at the NFL Combine can lead to much hype and recognition, but does it directly translate to NFL success?
I wouldn’t say it guarantees success, but it definitely seems to at least give you a shot.
I took the top 11 all-time 40s and looked at where (or if) they were drafted, how long of a career they had in the NFL and any pro bowls and/or awards they received while playing. Here’s what I found out:
Having a really fast 40 time as a wide receiver will at least get you drafted, rather high as well. All 11 were drafted and 9 of the top 11 were drafted within the first 3 rounds.
It also appears to give you some longevity as well. Not counting Thornton and Jones Jr (both rookies in 2022), every player in the top 11 but one played at least 3 years in the league. 6 of the top 11 are still active in the NFL as of the 2022 season.
On the other hand, I was surprised that despite all of this obvious physical talent and the high draft picks, there has not been a single Pro Bowl selection out of the top 11 (at least not yet).
So, I would say, that having great straight-ahead speed is obviously an extremely helpful attribute for a wide receiver, there are many other factors that go into being an elite receiver in the NFL.
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.
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