The NFL scouting combine isn’t about padded stats or highlight reels—it’s about raw, unfiltered athleticism. And nothing turns heads faster than a receiver obliterating the 40-yard dash. Speed is currency at the combine. It can skyrocket draft stock, get general managers talking, and sometimes, fool teams into thinking a fast guy can actually play football.
But let’s be honest—not every speedster makes it in the league. Some names on this list got drafted high and vanished. Others made good on their straight-line speed. And one? He ran himself straight into NFL history.
Before 2024, John Ross was the fastest man the combine had ever seen. Then came Xavier Worthy. The Texas Longhorns wide receiver clocked an official 4.21, beating Ross’ 2017 time by 0.01 seconds and setting a new NFL combine record.
The Kansas City Chiefs grabbed him with the 28th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, betting on his elite speed. Worthy didn’t disappoint—after a slow start, he turned it up in the second half of the season, finishing with 59 receptions, 638 yards, and six touchdowns. His breakout moment? Super Bowl LIX, where he put up 157 yards and two touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Cincinnati Bengals made John Ross the ninth overall pick in 2017, convinced they were getting a game-changing deep threat. His 4.22-second 40-yard dash remains one of the fastest times in NFL history, but his career? A letdown.
Ross battled injuries, struggled with consistency, and never developed into more than a gadget player. In five seasons, he totaled 957 receiving yards—a number some receivers hit in a single season. By 2023, he was out of the league, his speed nothing more than a footnote in combine history.
At the 2020 NFL combine, Henry Ruggs III recorded a 4.27-second 40-yard dash. The Las Vegas Raiders picked him 12th overall, expecting him to be their next deep-threat superstar.
For a while, it seemed like Ruggs might live up to the hype. But in November 2021, everything changed. He was involved in a high-speed DUI crash, resulting in a fatality and a prison sentence. His NFL career ended overnight.
Before football, Marquise Goodwin was an Olympic long jumper, and at the 2013 NFL combine, his track speed was on full display. He ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash, tying Ruggs for one of the fastest times ever.
Goodwin’s career never reached elite levels, but he carved out a solid role as a speed-based deep threat, bouncing between teams like the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, and Seattle Seahawks. He finished with 3,000+ career receiving yards—not bad for a guy who was once better known for jumping than catching.
At the 2022 NFL combine, Tyquan Thornton ran a 4.28-second 40-yard dash, sparking immediate hype. The New England Patriots took him in the second round, believing they had landed their next big-play receiver.
Reality hit fast. Thornton struggled to get consistent playing time, and his impact has been minimal. In two seasons, he’s managed just 338 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Speed? He’s got it. But so far, it hasn’t mattered much.
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