How much do 40 times matter? It's a subject we've discussed, inconclusively, at various points this spring. In the past we've looked at incoming wide receivers; now the running backs.
The table below shows 40 times from running backs selected in the first three rounds over the past 10 years. The vast majority of them are official NFL combine times. Some are from Pro Days for backs that didn't run at the combine. Some are estimates from backs that didn't run at all in the spring. Typically those guys were coming off surgery or whatnot, and didn't run at the combine or their school Pro Days.
Plenty of fast guys have worked out really well; Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles. But others have never amounted to anything in the league, either due to injury, poor system fits, or other issues.
As for the slowest backs on this list, a lot of them have gone bust. LeVeon Bell, certainly has worked out very well. But maybe speed should have been a red flag for guys like Montee Ball and Daniel Thomas.
In the table below, sorted by 40 time, the four 2016 running backs are listed in bold.
| 40-YARD DASH TIMES, RBS DRAFTED ROUNDS 1-3, 2007-PRESENT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Rd | Pk | Player | 40 |
| 2008 | 1 | 24 | Chris Johnson, Tenn. | 4.24 |
| 2014 | 3 | 97 | Dri Archer, Pitt. | 4.26 |
| 2010 | 1 | 9 | C.J. Spiller, Buff. | 4.28 |
| 2008 | 1 | 4 | Darren McFadden, Oak. | 4.33 |
| 2010 | 1 | 30 | Jahvid Best, Det. | 4.34 |
| 2012 | 2 | 61 | LaMichael James, S.F. | 4.35 |
| 2013 | 3 | 96 | Knile Davis, K.C. | 4.37 |
| 2011 | 3 | 71 | DeMarco Murray, Dall. | 4.37 |
| 2010 | 1 | 12 | Ryan Mathews, S.D. | 4.37 |
| 2012 | 1 | 32 | David Wilson, NYG | 4.38 |
| 2008 | 3 | 73 | Jamaal Charles, K.C. | 4.38 |
| 2012 | 2 | 50 | Isaiah Pead, St.L. | 4.39 |
| 2015 | 3 | 73 | Tevin Coleman, Atl. | 4.40 |
| 2007 | 1 | 7 | Adrian Peterson, Minn. | 4.40 |
| 2007 | 2 | 50 | Chris Henry, Tenn. | 4.40 |
| 2007 | 3 | 93 | Garrett Wolfe, Chi. | 4.40 |
| 2014 | 3 | 96 | Jerick McKinnon, Minn. | 4.41 |
| 2008 | 1 | 23 | Rashard Mendenhall, Pitt. | 4.41 |
| 2012 | 3 | 67 | Ronnie Hillman, Den. | 4.42 |
| 2008 | 2 | 55 | Ray Rice, Balt. | 4.42 |
| 2010 | 2 | 58 | Ben Tate, Hou. | 4.43 |
| 2008 | 1 | 22 | Felix Jones, Dall. | 4.44 |
| 2008 | 2 | 44 | Matt Forte, Chi. | 4.44 |
| 2016 | 3 | 73 | Kenyan Drake, Mia. | 4.45 |
| 2012 | 3 | 84 | Bernard Pierce, Balt. | 4.45 |
| 2011 | 3 | 96 | Alex Green, G.B. | 4.45 |
| 2008 | 3 | 89 | Steve Slaton, Hou. | 4.45 |
| 2007 | 2 | 49 | Kenny Irons, Cin. | 4.45 |
| 2012 | 1 | 31 | Doug Martin, T.B. | 4.46 |
| 2009 | 1 | 27 | Donald Brown, Ind. | 4.46 |
| 2008 | 1 | 13 | Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 4.46 |
| 2007 | 1 | 12 | Marshawn Lynch, Buff. | 4.46 |
| 2007 | 3 | 71 | Lorenzo Booker, Mia. | 4.46 |
| 2016 | 1 | 4 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 4.47 |
| 2016 | 3 | 90 | C.J. Prosise, Sea. | 4.48 |
| 2014 | 3 | 69 | Charles Sims, T.B. | 4.48 |
| 2012 | 1 | 3 | Trent Richardson, Clev. | 4.48 |
| 2014 | 2 | 54 | Bishop Sankey, Tenn. | 4.49 |
| 2011 | 2 | 56 | Shane Vereen, N.E. | 4.49 |
| 2010 | 2 | 59 | Montario Hardesty, Clev. | 4.49 |
| 2015 | 3 | 86 | David Johnson, Ariz. | 4.50 |
| 2014 | 3 | 75 | Tre Mason, St.L. | 4.50 |
| 2010 | 2 | 51 | Toby Gerhart, Minn. | 4.50 |
| 2009 | 1 | 12 | Knowshon Moreno, Den. | 4.50 |
| 2009 | 2 | 53 | LeSean McCoy, Phil. | 4.50 |
| 2009 | 3 | 74 | Glen Coffee, S.F. | 4.50 |
| 2015 | 1 | 15 | Melvin Gordon, S.D. | 4.52 |
| 2015 | 1 | 10 | Todd Gurley, St.L. | 4.52 |
| 2009 | 1 | 31 | Beanie Wells, Ariz. | 4.52 |
| 2013 | 2 | 37 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 4.53 |
| 2008 | 3 | 64 | Kevin Smith, Det. | 4.53 |
| 2016 | 2 | 45 | Derrick Henry, Tenn. | 4.54 |
| 2015 | 3 | 77 | Duke Johnson, Clev. | 4.54 |
| 2013 | 2 | 62 | Christine Michael, Sea. | 4.54 |
| 2007 | 2 | 63 | Brandon Jackson, G.B. | 4.54 |
| 2013 | 2 | 61 | Eddie Lacy, G.B. | 4.55 |
| 2014 | 2 | 55 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 4.56 |
| 2014 | 3 | 94 | Terrance West, Clev. | 4.56 |
| 2011 | 2 | 57 | Mikel Leshoure, Det. | 4.56 |
| 2011 | 2 | 38 | Ryan Williams, Ariz. | 4.59 |
| 2015 | 2 | 54 | Ameer Abdullah, Det. | 4.60 |
| 2013 | 2 | 48 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 4.60 |
| 2015 | 2 | 36 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 4.61 |
| 2015 | 3 | 95 | Matt Jones, Wash. | 4.61 |
| 2008 | 3 | 69 | Jacob Hester, S.D. | 4.61 |
| 2014 | 2 | 57 | Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 4.62 |
| 2011 | 1 | 28 | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 4.62 |
| 2009 | 3 | 65 | Shonn Greene, NYJ | 4.62 |
| 2011 | 2 | 62 | Daniel Thomas, Mia. | 4.63 |
| 2011 | 3 | 73 | Stevan Ridley, N.E. | 4.65 |
| 2013 | 2 | 58 | Montee Ball, Den. | 4.66 |
| 2007 | 3 | 90 | Tony Hunt, Phil. | 4.68 |
--Andy Richardson