Will Anybody Be Faster Than Chris Johnson?

2016's Below Average Speed

(Above) A bar graph comparing the last six years of combine times.

(Right) Chris Johnson at the NFL Combine.

The fastest combine 40 time ever recorded took place at the 2008 NFL Draft Combine.  Chris Johnson ran a 40 yard dash in 4.24 seconds.  To this day not a single person has been able to beat his speed, well at least at the NFL Combine.  Chris Johnson is widely known as the "fastest man in football" and since 2008 the combine has seen times of 4.27, 4.26, and 4.28 but never a 4.24.  At the 2016 NFL Combine the company Adidas offered up $1,000,000 for anyone who beat a 4.24 40 yard dash.  The one catch, the event is sponsored by Nike so the athlete had to be wearing adidas shoes in order to win the money.   This years combine did not even come close to the record with the fastest NFL 40 yard dash time coming from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Wide Receiver Will Fuller (4.33).  Not in anyway am I saying that a 4.33 40 yard dash is slow, but if you compare it to previous times over the last 6 years, it is not quite up to par.  Hopefully the 2017 NFL Combine will bring a new record time.

Who Are The Fastest NFL Future Stars?

2016 NFL Combine Fastest 40 Yard Dash Times

This years NFL Combine was one for the books. Although there was no new 40 yard dash record, there were some new leaders that emerged in the top 10 of all time.  In the past it was common to see running backs and wide receivers consistently bringing in the top times at the combine, and this year it is no different.  There were 6 athletes who ran the 40 yard dash in under 4.4 seconds recording 7 of the top 10 fastest 40's of all time.




The fastest recorded 40 yard dash at this years (2016) NFL Combine was Will Fuller, who ran a 4.32.  The Notre Dame wide receiver, who at the combine was compared to arguably the NFL's fastest wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr, watched his draft stock soar after the NFL combine.  Other stars such as safety T.J Green and defensive back Jonathan Jones were clocked just 1/100th of a second slower than Fuller at 4.33.  Even the big guys showed up this year with offensive lineman Jason Spriggs running a sub 5 second 40 yard dash.  The 2016 NFL Combine set the bar high for next years athletes to match up too.