Xavier Worthy:

40-yard dash time: 4.21 seconds

Xavier Worthy is the most recent record holder of the NFL combine’s 40-yard dash, with his 4.21-second sprint occurring just one year ago. Worthy’s first season in the NFL was relatively average for a receiver drafted late in the first round, with 638 yards on 59 receptions. The 40-yard dash wasn’t the only record Worthy broke, as his 157-yard, 2-touchdown Super Bowl performance set a new record for most receiving yards by a rookie receiver.

In addition to his elite speed, Worthy was a major deep ball threat as well, an asset that the Chiefs’ offense was previously lacking. One would expect some natural progression for Worthy in year two, and his ceiling is one of the highest of any young players in the NFL today.

Tariq Woolen:

40-yard dash time: 4.26 seconds

Considering that the Seahawks selected Tariq Woolen in the 5th round, 153rd overall, speed is primarily what earned Woolen a spot in the NFL. A 4.26-second time in the 40-yard dash places him in the 99.8th percentile among all cornerbacks since the year 2000 who participated in the combine, highlighting the rarity of his speed.

Once Woolen made the starting roster, his league-leading six interceptions, 16 passes defended, and Pro Bowl selection proved to be one of the draft’s biggest steals in 2022. Two seasons later, Woolen is yet to record numbers that top his rookie season, although his 5 interceptions, 25 passes defended, and 99 combined tackles in the past two seasons still make him a productive corner.

Tyreek Hill:

Max Speed: 23.24 MPH (equivalent to roughly a 4.25 sec 40)

Tyreek Hill is 31 years old and still one of the league’s fastest players. Hill has only gotten faster since his 4.29-second 40-yard dash run during the 2016 NFL combine. 2024 was a bit of a down year for Hill, but the Dolphins wideout finished the 2023 season with three of the top-ten fastest runs.

Hill was also only 166 yards shy of breaking Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving yards record that season, leading the NFL in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. While Hill experienced his first career under 1,000-yard season in 2024, while starting over 15 games, his game speed still significantly outpaces opposing defensive backs today, and don’t be surprised if Hill returns to his All-Pro form in 2025.

Nate Wiggins:

40-yard dash time: 4.28 seconds

During the 2025 NFL combine, Nate Wiggins tied for the seventh-fastest 40-yard dash time in combine history, increasing his draft stock to a late-first round pick, where the cornerback from Clemson was drafted by the Ravens 30th overall. Wiggins’s prospect grade projected him to be a good starter within two years, though Wiggins became a productive starter within a few weeks.

The Ravens needed Wiggins to develop quickly after Baltimore’s pass defense was historically bad early in the 2024 season. Wiggins finished the season with a 50% completion percentage allowed, 13 passes defended, and only 336 air yards allowed. Wiggins rarely covered opposing team’s WR1, but he only allowed a 20% completion percentage when covering Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Notably, Wiggins showed significant improvement over the last six games, reducing target separation to an average of 0.5 yards. With Jaire Alexander now coming to Baltimore and an increased responsibility for Nate Wiggins in 2025, the speedy corner could be poised for a breakout sophomore season.

Matthew Golden:

40-yard dash time: 4.29 seconds

Matthew Golden was one of four rookies to score a 40-yard dash time under 4.30 seconds at the 2025 NFL combine. Golden became the first wideout drafted by the Packers in the first round since 2002, giving Green Bay some needed explosiveness on offense, and potentially becoming a true No. 1 receiver.

That might be a little much to ask out of a wideout whose player comparison is Chris Olave, and is only projected to be a good starter within two years. Nevertheless, Golden possesses much more athleticism, especially speed, than everyone else in the Packers’ receiver room, and should receive plenty of touches to showcase that speed in 2025.

KaVontae Turpin:

Top Speed: 22.36 MPH

Saquon Barkley:

Top Speed: 21.93 MPH

Maxwell Hairston:

40-yard dash time: 4.28 seconds

Jahmyr Gibbs:

Top speed: 22.03 MPH

Jahmyr Gibbs recorded the second-highest 40-yard dash time in the 2023 NFL combine, only behind Devon Achane. However, Gibbs’s speed is most noticeable on the field, with the Lions’ running back recording two of the top ten fastest runs of the 2024 season, scoring a 54-yard touchdown reception and a 70-yard rushing touchdown. Gibbs is one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL today, with his 3rd-most 20+ yard rushing plays and 3rd-highest yards per carry putting Gibbs on a similar caliber as other speedsters, Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley.

Devon Achane:

Top Speed: 21.93 MPH

The Dolphins have two of the NFL’s ten fastest players, making them the NFL’s fastest team. Miami held eight of the twenty fastest runs of the 2023 season, with Devon Achane recording three of those. Achane scored a 67-yard rushing touchdown for 21.93 mph, a 76-yard rushing touchdown for 21.76 mph, and somehow reached 21.5 mph on a three-yard touchdown, showing just how explosive the Dolphins’ running back is.

Achane recorded an insane 7.8 yards per carry on 103 carries in 2023, which didn’t last in 2024 when he received double that amount of carries. Despite the speed and explosiveness, Achane has yet to reach 1,000 yards in a single season, and while there is a solid chance that he will if Tua stays fully healthy in 2025, Achane isn’t quite a workhorse running back.