Predicting the Fastest 40-Yard Dash Times for the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine

After Chris Johnson broke the 40-yard dash record with a time of 4.24 seconds in 2008, we wondered at every ensuing scouting combine whether someone could best him.

And every year the answer was an emphatic "nope!" as the record stood for nearly a decade. Then wide receiver John Ross finally wrestled the top spot away from Johnson in 2017, setting a new record with his time of 4.22 seconds.

Now the cycle starts again, with challengers lining up to dethrone the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver. Most of them come from the usual positions that place an emphasis on straight-line speed.

Cornerbacks Donte Jackson, Tony Brown and Denzel Ward will try to make sure Ross doesn't last long as the title holder in the combine's marquee event. So will wide receiver James Washington, and while running back Saquon Barkley isn't likely to break Ross' record, he should showcase stunning speed at his size.

Lamar Jackson, the Heisman-winning quarterback out of Louisville, is also required viewing on Saturday when he's set to display rare athleticism at his position.

Let's dive in by looking at the 2018 prospects who won't need long to cover 40 yards and will likely climb even further up draft rankings after they light up the turf in Indianapolis.

Donte Jackson, Cornerback

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Donte Jackson leads the list of speed merchants who could make even the best clock technology malfunction and just show the shrug emoji instead.

The cornerback out of LSU was a high school track star who won the Louisiana state championship in both the 100- and 200-meter events. He continued his warp-speed ways in college and was a member of the Tigers' relay team that won a conference title.

Jackson wants to make sure Ross' record lasts just one year, and he told NFL Network's Jane Slater he's been working toward that goal, via NFL.com's Dan Parr. He's been timed at 4.24 seconds, as Parr also noted, which matches the previous record held by Johnson.

The 22-year-old is undersized at his position by current NFL standards at 5'11" and 175 pounds. He leans heavily on his speed and burst to compensate, which led to four interceptions and 19 passes defensed over three seasons at LSU.

Prediction: 4.24

Denzel Ward, Cornerback

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Denzel Ward is also a little undersized for a cornerback at 5'10" and 191 pounds. But forgetting about that is easy because of how often he hovers around the ball.

He closes throwing windows quickly with speed that's expected to result in a 40-yard dash time around 4.30 seconds. The Ohio State training staff timed him at 4.31, according to NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, who has Ward ranked as his top cornerback.

Ward uses that top-end speed to constantly disrupt plays. He allowed only two receptions for 22-plus yards in 2017 and recorded either a pass defensed or interception on 24.6 percent of his targets in coverage, all per Pro Football Focus.

The 2017 All-American also finished his final collegiate season with two picks and 15 pass breakups. In his most recent mock draft, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller slotted Ward in at No. 6 to the New York Jets.

Prediction: 4.30

Saquon Barkley, Running Back

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The NFL Scouting Combine is the peak time of year for being reminded that you, the average gym goer or Fitbit step counter, are not from the same species as an NFL player. And especially a top-end draft prospect like running back Saquon Barkley, whose movement and speed at his size are simply unfair.

Barkley averaged 5.7 yards per carry throughout his time at Penn State and finished 2017 with 1,903 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns. He did that with a punishing cocktail of bulked-up power and blistering speed.

The latter is his most impressive skill because Barkley moves at a speed that shouldn't be possible while weighing 223 pounds and standing 5'11". During Penn State's winter conditioning tests in 2017, he clocked a 40-yard dash time of 4.33 seconds, according to The Morning Call's Mark Wogenrich.

For perspective, in 2017, UNC's T.J. Logan recorded the fastest time among running backs at the combine, with his 4.37 leading the group. His measurements were, in a word, normal, and more in line with what you would expect from a running back capable of posting that time. Logan measured at 5'9" and 196 pounds, 27 pounds lighter than Barkley.

Prediction: 4.35

Ronald Jones, Running Back

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Like Barkley, Ronald Jones was among the nation's top 10 in yards from scrimmage during the 2017 college football season. And also like Barkley, the first round is a possibility for the USC running back because of his elusiveness in the open field and breakaway speed.

If Jones hears his name during the opening night of the draft, it'll likely be toward the end of the first round, though. Which could mean he becomes an early Day 2 pick, as Miller projects. Either way, Jones' multifaceted skill should push him toward being one of the first running backs off the board, and raw speed will be his main selling point.

Jones, who finished 2017 with 1,550 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, posted a time of 10.83 seconds in the 100-meter dash in high school, as Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com noted. His quick acceleration translates to the field in the form of long, galloping runs, like Jones' 86-yard touchdown against Washington State. That was one of his nine games with 100-plus rushing yards in 2017.

Prediction: 4.39

James Washington, Wide Receiver

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Wide receiver James Washington lived in a different area code of the field throughout his collegiate career at Oklahoma State.

He was always stretching, bending and then breaking the opposing secondary, and he had two seasons with 20-plus yards per reception. Overall, his per-catch average finished at 19.8 yards, showing that he was a consistent deep threat on his way to 4,472 yards and 39 touchdowns through the air at Oklahoma State.

He became the fire starter for an offense that always looked to push the ball downfield, and he was accurately described as a "violent ballerina" by Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer in a November profile. Washington has the leaping ability to win jump balls and the agility to tiptoe while staying in bounds along the sideline.

He plays larger than his 6'0", 205-pound frame suggests. However, to compensate for that lack of size, NFL talent evaluators would surely like to see Washington zip by them during the 40-yard dash. They might not be able to see much, though, because being a blur is kind of his thing.  

Prediction: 4.41

Jaire Alexander, Cornerback

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Jaire Alexander comes with an injury red flag after the cornerback appeared in just six games during the 2017 season for Louisville because of knee and hand issues. But beyond those concerns, there's a defensive back who's tough to get the ball past.

During his last healthy season in 2016, Alexander recorded five interceptions for the Cardinals. And even more impressively, when he was on the field in 2017, the 21-year-old posted a passer rating in coverage of just 17.7, per PFF, which was tops among draft-eligible cornerbacks.

He accomplished that through quality ball skills and sheer speed, and the latter should be shown off during the 40-yard dash. In 2017, Alexander led Louisville's spring testing with a time of 4.32, according to Steve Jones of the Courier-Journal.

Alexander has late first-round potential and could vault himself into that territory with a strong performance at the combine. However, he might still be available at a Day 2 discount because of durability concerns.

Prediction: 4.35

Nyheim Hines, Running Back

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Nyheim Hines will likely be greeted with both intrigue and hesitation at the combine.

The latter is a product of his inexperience as a running back. He had a productive season for North Carolina State in 2017, finishing with 1,112 rushing yards at an average of 5.6 yards per carry with 12 touchdowns. But that was his only collegiate season carrying a load of any significance, and in the two years prior to 2017, Hines didn't even break the 250-yard mark in either season.

He did, however, have success as a receiver, which gives him appealing versatility. In 2016, Hines caught 43 balls out of the backfield for 525 yards, and that came after a solid freshman season with 256 receiving yards.

Which is where the intrigue lies with him. Speed will always get the attention of offensive coordinators, and Hines can be a mismatch-creating weapon who accelerates in space after the catch. And in the early going, he can also contribute as a returner, as he piled up 2,171 kick-return yards and two touchdowns over three seasons for the Wolfpack.

He's a track star too, as he ran the 100-meter and 60-meter dashes and 4x100-meter relay for North Carolina State, earning All-American and All-ACC honors. So he'll post an impressively low number during the 40-yard dash, but that won't silence concerns about his ability to handle a full NFL workload at 5'9" and 197 pounds.

Prediction: 4.43

Tony Brown, Cornerback

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You've no doubt noticed a recurring them so far: Speed, and speed alone, has value. So much value that if a prospect demonstrates especially impressive speed at his size, then weaknesses are forgotten, at least temporarily, and he vaults up draft boards.

That could be the path defensive back Tony Brown is headed toward. The former Alabama cornerback has the build (6'0" and 198 lbs) to be moved around the defensive backfield. A creative and ambitious coaching staff may even get him to add on a bit of weight and play some linebacker. His effectiveness against the run (61 tackles since the beginning of 2016) could prompt a need to use him more in that capacity.

But as an NFC scout told NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, the challenge will be finding a way to best utilize Brown's unique combination of size and speed while masking his weakness.

"He's not going to make plays in passing game, but he's really physical against the run," the scout said. "When you draft him you know he's going to immediately help you on special teams and against the run if he has to play, so there is value there."

Brown may not be a starter or every-down player immediately. But he's been timed in the 4.3s by Alabama's coaching staff, as Jeremiah noted. And in today's NFL, defensive backs who can play a few roles, and play them well, are coveted.

Prediction: 4.36

Isaiah Oliver, Cornerback

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Cornerback Isaiah Oliver has first-round potential and can solidify that status by posting a blazing 40-yard dash time. Which shouldn't be a problem for a track stud whose speed transitioned easily to the football field over his three years with the Colorado Buffaloes.

Oliver recorded three interceptions and 25 passes defensed over 31 games for Colorado. He did that while relying on the size and quickness scouts crave. At 6'1" and 190 pounds, he has the length and physicality to match up well on the outside with the fast-moving skyscrapers that populate NFL wide receiver depth charts. And he can keep passing windows narrow with his closing speed.

Oliver was an Arizona state high school champion in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. He ran the 60-meter dash in 2017 at Colorado in 6.94 seconds.

Prediction: 4.46

Lamar Jackson, Quarterback

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Lamar Jackson is a quarterback. That's all anyone should ever need to say about his position after he won the Heisman Trophy in 2016 as a quarterback and then finished third in the voting in 2017, again as a quarterback.

Yet because there's always a dose of silliness during draft season, the suggestion of moving Jackson to wide receiver has been floated. And not just by someone on the fringes, either.

In February, former Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian appeared on ESPN and said Jackson is too short and should consider a switch to wide receiver because of a lack of accuracy.

The first criticism is confusing, as although Jackson is 200 pounds and could benefit from some added weight for durability, at 6'3" he has plenty of height to be successful.

And as The Ringer's Danny Heifetz noted, concerns about Jackson's accuracy may be overblown after his adjusted completion percentage (which takes away throwaways, drops, spikes and batted passes) was 73.1 in 2017.

But it's not hard to see where thoughts of a position switch are coming from. There's a chance that chatter gets a little louder after the combine, too.

Jackson has great natural instincts in the open field and can evade defenders while sprinting for long runs. He did that repeatedly during his time at Louisville, resulting in 4,132 yards and 50 touchdowns on the ground.

Back during spring testing in 2017, he recorded a 40-yard dash time of 4.34 seconds, per Jones, and he will likely post a similar result in Indianapolis.

If that athleticism is combined with above-average accuracy, he'll be a lethal offensive weapon deserving of a starting quarterback role.

Prediction: 4.37