There were a bunch of wide receivers at the 2024 NFL Combine who produced speedy 40-yard dash times. These players had a need for speed, and they delivered at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy posted the fastest time and set a new record. Worthy is ranked ninth on Mel Kiper’s position rankings, behind fellow Texas receiver Adonai Mitchell at number seven.
This is a big step up from the 2023 NFL Combine, where the fastest 40-time from a wide receiver was Maryland’s Trey Palmer at 4.33 seconds. That almost seems slow given the time Worthy put out there (I’m kidding). Or maybe this is just a fast year since only four players recorded a sub-4.40 time in 2023.
Top 5 40-Yard Dash Times
Player | School | Time |
1. Xavier Worthy | Texas | 4.21 |
2. Brian Thomas Jr. | LSU | 4.33 |
3. Adonai Mitchell | Texas | 4.34 |
4. Devontez Walker | North Carolina | 4.36 |
5. Jacob Cowing | Arizona | 4.38 |
The next four players also scored a sub-4.40; having nine players achieve that is quite a feat. Xavier Worthy sets a new record for the fastest 40-yard dash time. The previous record holder was Washington wide receiver John Ross, who recorded a 4.22 in 2017. It was a big day for Longhorns football as two Texas wide receivers landed inside the top five for the fastest 40-times. LSU keeps getting recognition as Baton Rouge’s Brian Thomas Jr. lands second. LSU defensive lineman Jordan Jefferson landed the top spot for most bench press reps earlier in the NFL Combine. North Carolina is another repeat top-five player, as defensive lineman Cedric Gray was fourth in the bench press event. Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson is just outside the top 5 in the 40-yard dash, despite having high hopes that he might score the fastest time.
Xavier Worthy recorded 75 receptions for 1,014 receiving yards, five touchdowns, and an average of 13.5 yards per catch this season at Texas, a team that made the once-exclusive College Football Playoff. Is he worthy of a first-round pick because of his wheels and solid college stats?
Other Fastest 40-Yard Dash Times In NFL History
Player | School | Time | Year |
Kalon Barnes | Baylor | 4.23 | 2017 |
Chris Johnson | East Carolina | 4.24 | 2008 |
Rondel Menendez | Eastern Kentucky | 4.24 | 1999 |
Dri Archer | Kent State | 4.26 | 2014 |
Jerome Mathis | Hampton University | 4.26 | 2005 |
DJ Turner | Michigan | 4.26 | 2023 |
Tariq Woolen | University of Texas at San Antonio | 4.26 | 2022 |
What is striking to me about this list is that, besides Baylor and Michigan, all of the colleges these players are from are outside of the Power Five conferences. Two of these schools, Eastern Kentucky and Hampton, are in the FCS, a whole different class that is seen as below the FBS. The main difference between these subdivisions is the number of scholarship athletes. It seems where you went to college didn’t matter then. If you could play, you could play. It’s great to see all these non-major schools produce high-level athletes. It is certainly not like that anymore. 61 power-five schools are represented in the 2024 NFL Combine, while just 11 FCS schools were invited, and a total of 21 schools were invited from other non-power-five schools.
Fast Players Don’t Last
Former 40-yard dash champ John Ross announced his retirement from the NFL on July 26, 2023. After playing four seasons with the Bengals from 2017–2020, one season with the Giants in 2021, and one with the Chiefs in 2023, Ross has decided to hang up the cleats. The Bengals have drafted John Ross and DJ Turner. Gee, they really like fast guys. Hopefully, the speedy cornerback turns out better for them than Ross did.
Players who record fast 40-times usually don’t go on to have very successful NFL careers. Because of these players’ extreme speed, they don’t seem to be very well-rounded in other aspects of their football skills. With the exception of Chris Johnson and Tyreek Hill, fast players do not seem to have made it big names in the past. But maybe that will be different with Xavier Worthy. John Ross was drafted ninth overall in 2017. Worthy is projected to be drafted 34th overall by the Patriots. If that is any early indication, things are not looking good for Xavier Worthy.
Rich Eisen’s Hilarious 40-Yard Dash
Rich Eisen runs the 40 yard dash against Chase Winovich, Devin Bush, and Rashan Gary pic.twitter.com/HGBbgudd2q
— LG (@LGhail) March 4, 2019
NFL Network commentator Rich Eisen has run the 40-yard dash for several years now, and it’s interesting to see how fast (or slow) non-athletes run it. What would happen if I ran and if I could score a time under five and a half seconds?
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Cooper Sherman is an avid NFL fan and enjoys watching and covering it the most. The NFL is king. He previously wrote and was a podcaster for the online publications Pro Sports Fanatics and Jersey Column. He is also an NBA fan and watches it occasionally, more when the NFL season ends. His teams are the Patriots and Celtics, as tough as it is to be a Patriots fan right now. He is optimistic that Jerod Mayo will turn this team in the right direction! Follow him on Instagram and Threads @coopstershermy456, and X/Twitter @justcoopthings.
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