What is the fastest NFL combine 40-yard dash time? Here's who holds the record by year, history.

Much of the scouting work on college prospects is done for the 32 NFL front offices. Everything a player can put on tape before the draft is already out there. But there is still one big chance for NFL draft hopefuls to increase their draft stock: the NFL scouting combine.

The 40-yard dash is one of the most significant drills at the combine, allowing players to prove their speed in testing and potentially improving how they're viewed by scouts.

Last year, draft experts generally viewed wide receiver Xavier Worthy as a borderline first-round draft pick entering the offseason. He went on to set the NFL combine record in the 40-yard dash, and the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to draft him with the No. 28 overall pick. The correlation is there, even if Worthy's 40 time wasn't the direct cause.

Here's what to know about the fastest 40-yard dash times in NFL combine history:

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What is the fastest 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine in history?

University of Texas Longhorns product (and current Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver) Xavier Worthy set the NFL combine record for fastest 40-yard dash with a time of 4.21 seconds. He set it last year.

Here's a full list of the fastest 40-yard dash times in the NFL combine since electronic timekeeping began in 1999:

Xavier Worthy, WR: 4.21 seconds (2024)

John Ross III, WR: 4.22 seconds (2017)

Kalon Barnes, CB: 4.23 seconds (2022)

Rondel Menendez, WR: 4.24 seconds (1999)

Chris Johnson, RB: 4.24 seconds (2008)

Jerome Mathis, WR: 4.26 seconds (2005)

Dri Archer, RB: 4.26 seconds (2014)

Tariq Woolen, CB: 4.26 seconds (2022)

D.J. Turner, CB: 4.26 seconds (2023)

Henry Ruggs III, WR: 4.27 seconds (2020)

Stanford Routt, CB: 4.27 seconds (2005)

Marquise Goodwin, WR: 4.27 seconds (2013)

What is the 40-yard dash?

The 40-yard dash is exactly what it sounds like. Players start in a track position and then sprint 40 yards as fast as they can. They are able to start whenever they want, as the electronic timing method tracks them from start to finish.

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