Though its importance is often overstated, the main event of every NFL Scouting Combine is the 40-yard dash. Nearly every player will run the drill, forever marking them as either a speedster or a cement-footed plodder.
NFL combine drills explained: 40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is the main attraction at every combine.
The NFL hopefuls are broken up by position groups and move through the drills on their designated day. For the 40-yard dash, players are given two opportunities to run. Some teams take the better of the two times. Others average them.
The quality of a 40-yard dash time depends on the type of player. A quarterback who runs in the 4.6-second range is generally considered fast whereas the same time for a wide receiver or cornerback leaves more to be desired. For certain positions, the 40-time matters very little. For example, an offensive lineman can run the drill in 5.2 seconds and still be selected early in the draft. As always, the perception varies by personnel department to personnel department.
As with every year, plenty of attention will be paid to the player that runs the best 40-yard dash. To make things more interesting, Adidas has promised to give this hideously painted Porsche 911 Carrera to the top three performers at the combine.
The top performer last year was Kent State running back Dri Archer who blazed a 4.26 time. Six other players managed to run in the sub-4.4 range, including first-round picks Brandin Cooks, Justin Gilbert, Jason Verrett and Bradley Roby. Since electric timing was introduced in 1999, the best recorded times were produced by Rondel Menendez and Chris Johnson (both 4.24 seconds). Unofficially, the all-time record belongs to Auburn's Bo Jackson, who reportedly ran the drill in an astounding 4.12 seconds.
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