The Fastest 40 Times in NFL Combine History

As hundreds of prospects gather at Lucas Oil Stadium for the annual NFL Scouting Combine, most everyone is looking forward to the 40-yard dash.

While the overall time is sometimes less meaningful than that of a 10-yard split, the 40-yard dash has become the featured event because, well, we love speed.

And the last two-plus decades have brought plenty of that to Indianapolis.

In the interest of accuracy, only the electronically timed 40-yard dashes at the combine were considered for this list, excluding results from 1982-1998. The legend of Bo Jackson's 4.12-second run remains, and hand-timed sprints occasionally turn up faster results too. We're sticking to technology.

T-9. Five Players at 4.28

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Jalen Myrick

Jalen Myrick: The Minnesota Vikings cornerback ripped off his 4.28-second time in 2017 and became a seventh-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He appeared in five games before spending much of 2018 on the Vikings practice squad. Myrick most recently suited up for the DC Defenders of the XFL.

J.J. Nelson: A wide receiver out of UAB, Nelson was a fifth-round selection in the 2015 draft following his 4.28 run. He notched a pair of 500-plus-yard seasons with the Arizona Cardinals but played in only two games for the Oakland Raiders in 2019.

DeMarcus Van Dyke: The 2011 combine put Van Dyke, who also ran track at Miami, in the spotlight. A third-round draft selection of the Raiders, Van Dyke managed 25 appearances between Oakland and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2011-13.

Jacoby Ford: An All-American sprinter at Clemson, Ford was a fourth-round choice of the Raiders in 2010. He earned All-Rookie honors that season after returning three kickoffs for touchdowns but would only play 38 NFL games.

Champ Bailey: The 2019 Hall of Fame class welcomed Bailey to Canton, Ohio. The cornerback's NFL journey began at the 1999 combine with a 4.28 dash, and he racked up 931 tackles, 52 interceptions and 12 Pro Bowl nods during a 15-year career.

T-7. Stanford Routt, 2005

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

40-yard dash: 4.27 seconds

The 2004 Conference USA Male Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, Stanford Routt put his All-American speed to good use.

However, he wasn't satisfied with a 4.27 time in Indianapolis.

"I guess a day or two after, a few of my friends were watching the NFL Network, and they said, 'Yeah, everybody's real impressed with how you did,'" Routt said in 2005. "But at the time, I honestly gave myself about a C-plus."

Oakland used the No. 38 overall pick on Routt, who played 110 games for the Raiders over the next seven years before finishing his career in Kansas City and Houston.

T-7. Marquise Goodwin, 2013

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

40-yard dash: 4.27 seconds

Not only is Marquise Goodwin a San Francisco 49ers receiver, he's also an Olympian. The speedster represented the United States in the long jump at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Oh, and he's one of the fastest players in NFL history.

The Buffalo Bills used a third-round pick on Goodwin in 2013. He mostly struggled to produce in four seasons in Orchard Park but enjoyed a breakout season in 2017 after joining the 49ers, making 56 catches for 962 yards.

Injuries limited Goodwin to 20 appearances in 2018 and 2019 combined, but he started 14 games during that stretch.

T-5. Jerome Mathis, 2005

Dave Einsel/Associated Press

40-yard dash: 4.26 seconds

Similar to Jacoby Ford, Jerome Mathis burst onto the NFL scene as a kick returner before fading.

The Houston Texans used a fourth-round pick on the Hampton product, who took two kickoffs back for touchdowns in 2005 and earned All-Pro honors. Unfortunately, though, injuries limited him to five appearances over the next two years.

Mathis wouldn't play another NFL game. He most recently played professionally with the Pittsburgh Power in the now defunct Arena Football League in 2011.

T-5. Dri Archer, 2014

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

40-yard dash: 4.26 seconds

Dri Archer piled up 2,577 all-purpose yards and 24 total touchdowns in a spectacular 2012 season at Kent State. That explosive year combined with a scorching run at the 2014 combine led to the Steelers selecting him in the third round of the 2014 draft.

He simply never panned out.

Archer totaled 40 touches in 20 appearances for Pittsburgh, which released him during the 2015 campaign.

T-3. Rondel Menendez, 1999

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

40-yard dash: 4.24 seconds

Rondel Menendez might be the fastest player you didn't know existed. His record run stood, relatively officially, for 18 years.

The sad part of his NFL story happened in the final game of the 1999 preseason. Samer Kalaf of Deadspin noted Menendez, a seventh-round pick, had already made the Falcons roster. However, he wanted to play. Menendez went to return a punt, but an early hit from a Cincinnati Bengals player resulted in a torn meniscus.

Despite bouncing around to a few teams in the 1999 and 2000 campaigns, he'd never officially enter an NFL game.

T-3. Chris Johnson, 2008

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

40-yard dash: 4.24 seconds

Before he was CJ2K, Chris Johnson drew praise for his 4.24-second sprint at the 2008 combine. Soon after, the Tennessee Titans chose him No. 24 overall in the draft.

Johnson secured three straight Pro Bowl trips to begin his career, including an All-Pro season in 2009. He rushed for 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns, adding 50 catches for 503 yards and two scores in that campaign. His total of 2,509 yards from scrimmage is still an NFL record.

During a 10-year career that included a season with the New York Jets and three on the Arizona Cardinals, Johnson rushed for 9,651 yards. That total ranks 35th in league history.

T-1. Donte' Stallworth, 2002

BILL FEIG/Associated Press

40-yard dash: 4.22 seconds

At the 2002 combine, Donte' Stallworth didn't believe the coach who shared his 40 time.

"I looked at him like 'That's wrong.'" Stallworth said, per Judy Battista of NFL.com. "Then, as I started walking back, I saw all my friends and teammates and scouts looking at me in disbelief, like 'Wow.'"

Stallworth, whom the New Orleans Saints picked No. 13 overall, went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL. He caught 321 passes for 4,837 yards and 35 touchdowns.

T-1. John Ross III, 2017

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

40-yard dash: 4.22 seconds

Injuries have plagued John Ross III throughout his football career. While at the University of Washington, he endured a torn ACL and a torn labrum. With the Cincinnati Bengals, knee, shoulder and groin injuries—along with healthy scratches—limited him to 24 games in three seasons.

No matter what Ross' future holds, he'll always have Indy.

Ross wowed the NFL world with a 4.22-second dash in 2017, leading the Bengals to select him No. 9 overall.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.