Sippin’ on a 40: Why are we so obsessed with the NFL Combine 40 yard dash?

February 22, 2015

Like the NBA dunk contest, there is a fascination with 40 times at the NFL combine. Both give us good reason. Spectacular dunks that make us jump out of our seats and wish we could do the same—Watching somebody run so fast it feels like they could fly. We all want that kind of speed (hello Usain Bolt). But being able to dunk doesn’t make you a great basketball player because, well, there aren’t open lanes to the basket every time down the court (see for example, Harold Miner and Spud Webb). The same is true for the 40 yard dash at the combine. People want to equate top speed with NFL skills. It just doesn’t hold up, particularly if you look at the fastest 40 combine times over the last 14 years.

Antwan Harris

Looking at 40 yard dash stats from nflcombineresults.com starting in 2000, you would be hard pressed to find anyone you recognize among the fastest runners. Antwan Harris, fastest in 2000, got lucky and was drafted by the Patriots, which netted him 2 rings in his six years in the NFL. 2001 and 2008 seem to be the outlier years where some of the top dashers went on to what could be considered known, if not good careers. The fastest man in 2001 was Santana Moss, with the third fastest being Michael Vick and a guy named Steve Smith being 12th fastest. He must have eaten a heavy breakfast that day. Better than 2001, was 2008. In the top 10 that year were Chris Johnson (1st), Dominique Rodger-Cromartie (2nd), Orlando Scandrick (5th), Darren McFadden (7th) and somehow in 9th DeSean Jackson. Mike Wallace was second fastest in 2009 with a sick 4.28 behind only Darrius Heyward-Bey at 4.25. Heyward-Bey, if only he had better hands. 2004 also saw a couple of familiar names at the top, but not the best. Dunta Robinson (4th fastest) and DeAngelo Hall (5th fastest) were beat out by that famous Tar Heel Michael Waddell. By the way, Waddell was part of one great defense at UNC that included some guy named Julius Peppers.

Julius Peppers – AP Photo

Here is the list of the fastest times from 2000-2014:

2000—Antwan Harris, Virginia, CB
2001—Santana Moss, Miami, WR
2002—Aaron Lockett, Kansas State, WR
2003—Kevin Garrett, Southern Methodist, CB
2004—Michael Waddell, UNC, CB
2005—Hamza Abdullah, Washington State, SS
2006—Jonathan Joseph, South Carolina, CB
2007—Yamon Figurs, Kansas State, WR
2008—Chris Johnson, East Carolina, RB
2009—Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland, WR
2010—Trindon Holliday, Louisiana State, WR
2011—Demarcus Van Dyke, Miami, CB
2012—Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech, WR
2013—Marquise Goodwin, Texas, WR
2014—Dri Archer, Kent State, WR

If you are looking for talent in the top 20 times for the 40 yard dash, its slim pickins’. Couple of interesting things to pop out when looking at the fastest 40 times. The ACC, as currently membered, produced the most fastest 40 yard times at 5. The storied SEC checks in with only one – Trindon Holliday from LSU in 2010. Of the fastest 40 times since 2000, only once was it a running back—Chris Johnson in 2008. Eight times the fastest runner has been a wide receiver. That surprised me. I was expecting mostly corners. Might end up being that way again this year.

I’m not saying running fast is not important. Speed is obviously important at the NFL level for certain skill positions. But speed alone can’t help you catch the ball, deflect a pass or break a tackle. That’s why Bo Jackson was such a freak. Sadly, there aren’t any Bo Jackson’s around now a days. The combine has a few more days to go, with corners still going on Monday, so it’s possible, but not likely, that the fastest man has yet to run.