The 40-Yard Dash is overrated

The NFL Scouting Combine will begin Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, where the event has been held every year since 2008.

This event began in 1982, when college athletes were invited to showcase their skills in a variety of events and drills for NFL franchises.

Events feature the 40-Yard Dash, Bench Press, 3-Cone Shuffle, Vertical & Broad Jump and 20 Yard Shuttle.

The most notable event of the week is the 40-yard dash, where athletes can show off their speed in a straight-line 40-yard sprint. While this event holds a lot of weight in the eyes of scouts and fans, this event has not proven to be a good indicator of a player's success in the NFL.

Four of the top five players with the highest speeds in the 40-yard dash never received the honor of being named to the Pro Bowl. Chris Johnson is the one exception, as he made it to the Pro Bowl three times over his career, was named to one All-Pro team and won Offensive Player of the Year in 2009.

Still, running a fast 40-yard dash does not guarantee NFL success, but a slow time does not ensure failure.

The reason is that game speed differs from sprint speed. Game speed is when you can outrun defenders with the football in your hands, while sprint speed just shows how quickly you can get off the line and start running.

Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, arguably the greatest receiver of all time, ran what is considered a slow 4.71 40-yard dash in 1985.

Fellow Hall of Famer Michael Irvin spoke on Rice’s speed in a 2023 interview on “The Facility.”

“Speed on the football field is, I just gotta outrun that guy right behind me. And when Jerry Rice gets the ball in his hands, it's a whole different thing, man,” Irvin said.

“He's a better runner when he gets his speed going. That's why he's not a great 40 timer."

Larry Fitzgerald, who got inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026 in his first year of eligibility, also ran a slow time of 4.63 seconds.

Despite his slow start, he was named to 11 Pro Bowls over his career, with nine seasons with 1,000 receiving yards.

On the contrary, John Ross, who ran the second fastest 40-yard dash of all time in just 4.22 seconds, only amounted to one season of over 500 yards.

Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy broke Ross’ record in 2024 with a time of 4.21 seconds.

"I just broke the record. It still doesn't feel real," Worthy said.

"Man, just a blessing to be able to do this in front of all these fans, with all these peers I'm with."

With all the hype surrounding him following this performance at the combine, his just over 1,100 yards in two seasons have been underwhelming.

This event has brought fun moments to the league, but do not overreact one way or another based on how your favorite draft prospect performs this weekend.

Nicholas Smith is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please contact him at nbs5826@psu.edu.