Almost every fan of the NFL tuned in to the league’s combine this year for the annual 40-yard dash this past week.
University of Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond could not live up to his prediction of beating his former collegiate teammate Xavier Worthy’s record breaking combine time. Bond, who ran a 4.39, was not close to Worthy’s record time of 4.21 last year. Another Texas product, Matthew Golden, beat Bond on Saturday. Golden had the second fastest time of the 2025 combine, finishing in 4.29 seconds.
Bond’s stock did not drop heavily. He is still considered a late first, early second round talent and is a valuable asset to plenty of teams. However, his confident claims of breaking 4.2 seconds were met with criticisms after being beaten by many others, including his own teammate.
This raises the question of the importance of the 40-yard dash. I will look at two of the fastest and slowest times by wideouts to see if speed equals performance on the field.
Cooper Kupp: 4.62 seconds
The 2021 Super Bowl MVP started off his combine with one of the slowest times ever at his position. Cooper Kupp was taken by the Rams in the third round and never thought about his 4.62 again. Despite some injuries, Kupp has scored 57 touchdowns and gained almost 8,000 yards in his first eight seasons in the pros. His 2021 season is hailed as one of the best seasons ever by a receiver. Kupp won Offensive Player of the Year and was a first team All-Pro after winning the receiving triple crown with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Kupp’s skillset goes way beyond the 40-yard dash, as he has cemented himself as one of the best route runners and pass catchers in the game.
John Ross: 4.22 seconds
When John Ross crossed the 40-yard line for his recording breaking dash, he pulled up and grabbed his hamstring. He sat out the remainder of the combine, and that would be the telltale sign of his career. Coming in to the combine, Ross had a lengthy list of injuries including ACL and knee meniscus tears. The injuries did not stop once Ross was taken with the ninth pick by the Bengals in the 2017 draft. The Washington product only played three games before being sidelined with a shoulder labrum tear that he previously aggravated in college. After a few groin problems in 2018, Ross missed half of 2019 with an A/C joint sprain in his shoulder and has only played in 14 games since 2019. These injuries were not the fault of the speedster, and his status as a draft bust should be credited more towards the Bengals’ front office than to him.
Mike Evans: 4.53 seconds
Mike Evans was a powerhouse in college that scouts did not even worry about his 4.53 time. After two seasons with Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M, the Buccaneers selected Evans with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 draft. In his 11 years since being drafted, Evans has never gone under 1,000 receiving yards in a season. In 2024, Evans surpassed this mark is just 14 games despite being sidelined with a hamstring injury for three weeks of the season. The six-time pro bowler has accumulated over 12,000 career receiving yards and tallied his 100th career touchdown reception last year. The 2020 Super Bowl champion has carved out a Hall of Fame career for himself and no one has once mentioned his 4.53 time.
Tyquan Thornton: 4.28 seconds
As one of the final draft picks of Bill Belichick’s tenure as general manager of the Patriots, Tyquan Thornton did not live up to expectations of Patriots fans. Thornton had an amazing senior year at Baylor and his combine numbers boosted his stock even more. Belichick selected Thornton in the second round, pairing him with second year quarterback Mac Jones. His first season showed some promise, scoring two touchdowns and hauling in 22 passes. However, Thornton’s lack of success coincided with New England’s struggles over the past two seasons. Thornton caught 17 passes in the same number of games before being released by the Patriots in November of 2024. The 24-year-old was signed to the Chiefs practice squad but never appeared in any games. It is uncertain whether the speedster will be on an NFL roster in 2025.
The 40-yard dash can definitely boost your draft status and bring in life-changing money. However, the fate of the receiver’s career after the combine is up to them to decide.