The Most Memorable NFL Combine Performances Since 2000

The popularity of the NFL Scouting Combine has skyrocketed over the past two decades.

Every year, hundreds of players, agents, executives, team personnel and media flock to the annual event in Indianapolis. Fans, meanwhile, watch the combine to see their favorite players get evaluated in a series of drills and athletic testing.

Most of the time, what happens at the combine is forgettable—which isn't necessarily good or bad. Some prospects, though, put together a truly memorable showing.

The list is subjective and organized chronologically.

2005: Matt Jones

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While in college at Arkansas, Matt Jones made a name for himself as a powerful dual-threat quarterback. However, he began preparing for the NFL as a pass-catcher instead.

Thanks to the 2005 combine, he was a first-round pick, too.

Jones ripped off a 4.37-second 40-yard dash and a 39.5-inch vertical, which is a ridiculous combination for a 6'6¼", 240-pound human. That performance helped convince the Jacksonville Jaguars to use the No. 18 pick on the converted QB.

Jones only lasted four seasons in the NFL, due in large part to a July 2008 arrest on a felony cocaine charge and a February 2009 arrest where he was charged with contempt for violating the terms of his plea deal.

When he was on the field, Jones caught a respectable 166 passes for 2,153 yards and 15 touchdowns.

2006: Vernon Davis

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One year later, Vernon Davis became a combine legend.

Davis, a tight end from Maryland, checked in at 6'3¼" and 254 pounds. He showed off rare explosiveness for someone of that stature, posting a sizzling 4.38-second 40-yard run and 42-inch vertical along with 33 reps on the 225-pound bench press.

Soon after, the San Francisco 49ers chose him with the No. 6 pick. Davis played nine-plus seasons in San Francisco and holds top-six franchise rankings in catches (441; fifth), yards (5,640; sixth) and touchdowns (55; fourth). He made the Pro Bowl twice and landed second-team All-Pro honors in 2013.

Davis wrapped up his career on the Denver Broncos and in Washington, retiring with 7,562 yards—the 122nd-most in NFL history.

2012: Dontari Poe

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The commonality among this opening trio is a level of athleticism from humans who, at their size, typically aren't all that explosive.

Dontari Poe was, quite clearly, another exception.

After measuring at 6'3½" and 346 pounds, the defensive tackle popped a few eyeballs with a 4.98-second 40-yard dash. As of that moment in 2012, only one player since 2000—Alex Barron in 2005—had notched a sub-5.00 second run while weighing 320-plus pounds.

Poe also recorded 44 bench reps, which remains the fifth-most by any player since 2000, before embarking on a nine-year career that included two Pro Bowl appearances.

2015: Byron Jones

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Pssh, combine record? How about a world record, too!

In the standing broad jump, Byron Jones registered a 12'3" leap and shattered the previous mark by eight inches. The cornerback soared past the 11'7" distance from future All-Pro linebacker Jamie Collins (2013) and an inch beyond the 12'2" standard Norwegian athlete Arne Tvervaag set in 1968.

As if that's not enough, Jones skied 44.5 inches in the vertical jump, tallied a 3.94-second 20-yard shuttle and sprinted to a 4.43-second time in the 40. Nobody questioned his explosiveness.

Jones developed into an All-Pro corner with the Dallas Cowboys and signed a five-year, $82.5 million deal to join the Miami Dolphins as a free agent in 2020.

2017: John Ross III

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The short version? John Ross III is incredibly fast.

Following a standout career with Washington, the wideout dazzled at the combine with a 4.22-second 40-yard dash. While the sprint tied Donte Stallworth's unofficial record, Ross broke the recognized mark of 4.24 previously held by Chris Johnson (2008).

Although he didn't win an island because he wore Nike cleats instead of Adidas, Ross landed with the Cincinnati Bengals as the ninth pick in the 2017 draft.

Through five injury-marred years in the NFL, Ross has managed 62 catches for 957 yards and 11 touchdowns.

2018: Saquon Barkley

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Entering the 2018 combine, the scouting world expected Saquon Barkley to put up ridiculous numbers. He backed up the hype.

Barkley scampered to a 4.40-second 40, notched a 41-inch vertical and logged 29 bench reps. Among prospects who weighed 235 pounds or less at the combine, exactly zero other players since 2000 have matched all three numbers.

Two months later, the New York Giants selected the Penn State product with the No. 2 pick.

Barkley piled up an NFL-best 2,028 yards in his first season, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. He totaled 1,441 yards in 2019 before an ACL shortened his 2020 campaign, and Barkley held a lesser role in 2021 while continuing his recovery.

2018: Shaquem Griffin

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Shaquem Griffin first drew national recognition as a linebacker at UCF, where he earned 2016 Defensive Player of the Year honors in the American Athletic Conference. He amassed 166 tackles with 33.5 for loss and 18.8 sacks during his final two seasons.

Oh, also, he has one hand.

Born with amniotic band syndrome, Griffin had his left hand amputated as a 4-year-old. But that difference didn't stop him from becoming a high-level college linebacker—and it didn't prevent him from pushing 20 bench reps at the combine, either. Griffin wore a prosthetic hand for the workout.

Additionally, he raced to a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and was the only linebacker to even crack 4.5 seconds.

Griffin held a reserve role on the Seattle Seahawks from 2018-20, providing 25 tackles in 46 appearances.

2020: Tristan Wirfs

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One more entry to the "imposing humans shouldn't be allowed to athletically test off the charts" pile, my friends.

Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs dominated the 2020 combine with his remarkable display of explosiveness. He set position-specific records with a 36.5-inch vertical jump and 10'1" broad jump, and he also darted to an OL-best 4.85-second 40 time.

Wirfs' excellence hasn't stopped in the NFL, either.

Chosen with the No. 13 pick, he's locked down the right side of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive line. Wirfs won a Super Bowl in 2020 and earned first-team All-Pro recognition in 2021.