Generally, an NFL Draft prospect's 40-yard dash time tells pro teams little about his potential to succeed as a player at football's highest level. But NFL Combine 40 times sure are fun to track.
The 300-plus players at the 2020 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, after all, treat their drills and on-field workouts as a competition. So the player who leaves the Combine with the fastest 40 time will rightfully wear such an accomplishment as a badge of honor regardless of where he eventually gets selected in the NFL Draft.
2020 NFL COMBINE RESULTS:
Live updates, highlights from player workouts
Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, for example, is a potential first-round pick in April's draft. But his focus at the Combine, he admitted earlier in the week, was breaking John Ross' 40-yard dash record. Ross was selected ninth overall by the Bengals in the 2017 NFL Draft a couple of months after he recorded a 4.22-second 40 at the Combine.
"My goal is to be the fastest ever," Ruggs told CBS Sports on Tuesday.
Ruggs III didn't become the fastest ever, but he did get close. He officially ran the 40 in 4.27 seconds, tied for the fourth fastest by a receiver in Combine history. Quez Watkins of Southern Miss had the second fastest 40 time among wide receivers in 2020 at 4.35 seconds.
Of course, balancing out the pride a player might experience after a fast 40 time is the sobering reality that, for most prospects, it means nothing. Keep in mind Tom Brady was the second slowest quarterback at the NFL Combine 20 years ago. Turns out simply being good at football matters just a tad more.
As for the rest of the top 40 times from the 2020 NFL Combine, below is a tracker of the fastest players as quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, running backs, offensive linemen, specialists, defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs run their 40s on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
NFL Combine 40 times
Below are the fastest 40-yard dash times recorded at the 2020 NFL Combine.
(The table will be updated as 40 times are recorded over the four-day period of on-field workouts).
| Rank | 40 time | Player | Position | College |
| 1. | 4.27 | Henry Ruggs III | WR | Alabama |
| 2. | 4.29 | Javelin Guidry | DB | Utah |
| 3. | 4.35 | Quez Watkins | WR | So. Miss |
| 4. | 4.37 | L'Jarius Sneed | DB | Lousiana Tech |
| T-5. | 4.38 | Darnell Mooney | WR | Tulane |
| T-5. | 4.38 | Denzel Mims | WR | Baylor |
| T-7. | 4.39 | Isaiah Simmons | LB | Clemson |
| T-7. | 4.39 | Antonio Gibson | WR | Memphis |
| T-7. | 4.39 | Devin Duvernay | WR | Texas |
| T-7. | 4.39 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | Wisconsin |
| T-11. | 4.41 | Darrynton Evans | RB | App. State |
| T-11. | 4.41 | Tanner Muse | DB | Clemson |
| T-13. | 4.42 | Chase Claypool | WR | Notre Dame |
| T-13. | 4.42 | Raymond Calais | RB | Louisiana Lafayette |
| T-15. | 4.43 | Justin Jefferson | WR | LSU |
| T-15. | 4.43 | John Hightower | WR | Boise State |
| 17. | 4.44 | Anthony McFarland Jr. | RB | Maryland |
| T-18. | 4.45 | Isaiah Coulter | WR | Rhode Island |
| T-18. | 4.45 | Jerry Jeudy | WR | Alabama |
| T-18. | 4.45 | Jeff Thomas | WR | Miami |
NFL COMBINE RECORDS:
Top marks for 40-yard dash, bench press, other drills
Additionally, here are the five fastest 40 times for each position group from the 2020 NFL Combine.
(The tables will be updated as 40 times are recorded over the four-day period of on-field workouts.)
- Quarterbacks:
| Rank | 40 time | Player | College |
| 1. | 4.58 | Cole McDonald | Hawaii |
| 2. | 4.59 | Jalen Hurts | Oklahoma |
| T-3. | 4.68 | Justin Herbert | Oregon |
| T-3 | 4.68 | Steven Montez | Colorado |
| 5. | 4.69 | Kelly Bryant | Missouri |
- Wide receivers:
| Rank | 40 time | Player | College |
| 1. | 4.27 | Henry Ruggs III | Alabama |
| 2. | 4.35 | Quez Watkins | Southern Miss |
| T-3. | 4.38 | Darnell Mooney | Tulane |
| T-3. | 4.38 | Denzel Mims | Baylor |
| T-4. | 4.39 | Devin Duvernay | Texas |
| T-4. | 4.39 | Antonio Gibson | Memphis |
- Tight ends:
| Rank | 40 time | Player | College |
| 1. | 4.49 | Albert Okwuegbunam | Missouri |
| T-2. | 4.66 | Stephen Sullivan | LSU |
| T-2. | 4.66 | Brycen Hopkins | Purdue |
| 4. | 4.70 | Cole Kmet | Notre Dame |
| 5. | 4.71 | Dalton Keene | Virginia Tech |
- Running backs:
| Rank | 40 time | Player | College |
| 1. | 4.39 | Jonathan Taylor | Wisconsin |
| 2. | 4.41 | Darrynton Evans | Appalachian State |
| 3. | 4.42 | Raymond Calais | Louisiana |
| 4. | 4.44 | Anthony McFarland Jr. | Maryland |
| 5. | 4.47 | Cam Akers | Florida State |
- Offensive linemen:
| Rank | 40 time | Player | College |
| 1. | 4.85 | Tristan Wirfs | Iowa |
| 2. | 4.91 | Danny Pinter | Ball State |
| 3. | 4.93 | Ezra Cleveland | Boise State |
| 4. | 5.02 | Jack Driscoll | Auburn |
| 5. | 5.03 | Terence Steele | Texas Tech |
- Specialists:
| Rank | Position | 40 time | Player | College |
| 1. | Punter | 4.69 | Alex Penchin | Bucknell |
| 2. | Punter | 4.75 | Tommy Townsend | Florida |
| 3. | Long Snapper | 4.76 | Steven Wirtell | Iowa State |
| 4. | Punter | 4.79 | Michael Turk | Arizona State |
| 5. | Punter | 4.83 | Braden Mann | Texas A&M |
- Linebackers:
| Rank | 40 time | Player | College |
| 1. | 4.39 | Isaiah Simmons | Clemson |
| 2. | 4.46 | Willie Gay Jr. | Mississippi State |
| 3. | 4.49 | Davion Taylor | Colorado |
| 4. | 4.50 | Patrick Queen | LSU |
| 5. | 4.51 | Shaun Bradley | Temple |
- Defensive linemen:
| Rank | 40 time | Player | College |
| 1. | 4.60 | James Smith-Willaims | N.C. State |
| 2. | 4.64 | Jabari Zuniga | Florida |
| 3. | 4.69 | Alton Robinson | Syracuse |
| T-4. | 4.70 | Alex Highsmith | Charlotte |
| T-4. | 4.73u | D.J. Wonnum | South Carolina |
- Defensive backs:
| Rank | 40 time | Player | College |
| 1. | 4.29 | Javelin Guidry | Utah |
| 2. | 4.37 | L'Jarius Sneed | Lousiana Tech |
| 3. | 4.39 | CJ Henderson | Florida |
| 4. | 4.40 | Javaris Davis | Auburn |
| 5. | 4.41 | Tanner Muse | Clemson |
NFL Combine 40-yard dash schedule
- Thursday: Quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends
- Friday: Running backs, offensive linemen and special teams
- Saturday: Linebackers and Defensive linemen
- Sunday: Defensive backs
The schedule for the NFL Combine in 2020 was adjusted to satisfy the league's perpetual thirst for prime-time TV viewers and ratings. The on-field workout portion of the NFL Draft scouting event traditionally had taken place through the mornings and early afternoons of Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday during Combine week.
In 2020, those workouts will begin at 4 p.m. ET and end at 11 p.m. ET on the same days, with the exception being Sunday (2-7 p.m. ET).
The complete TV schedule for the 2020 NFL Combine can be viewed here.
Contributing: Austin Anderson, Tom Gatto