The old phrase goes that speed kills. In the NFL, speed is one of the most sought-after traits when it comes to scouting. It stands to reason that the football can be coached and the fleetness of foot cannot.
Since 1999, when the NFL implemented electronic timing at the NFL Scouting Combine, 25 players have registered 40-yard-dash times faster than 4.3 seconds. Some have turned into stars. Some never played a regular season game.
Here are all 25 players to break the 4.3 mark and where they were drafted, sorted by fastest speeds.
4.29 seconds
Year Player Team Pick
2025 Matthew Golden Packers 1/23
2020 Javelin Guidry Jets Undrafted
2019 Zedrick Woods Jaguars Undrafted
2005 Fabian Washington Raiders 1/23
Fabian Washington (2005): The Oakland Raiders took cornerbacks with each of their first two picks in the draft that year. Both Washington and Stanford Routt are on this list. Washington played seven seasons with the Raiders, three as a full-time starter, before finishing his career in 2012 with the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans.
4.28 seconds
Year Player Team Pick
2025 Maxwell Hairston Bills 1/30
2024 Nate Wiggins Ravens 1/30
2022 Tyquan Thornton Patriots 2/50
2017 Jalen Myrick Jaguars 7/222
2015 JJ Nelson Cardinals 5/159
2011 DeMarcus Van Dyke Raiders 3/81
2010 Jacoby Ford Raiders 4/108
1999 Champ Bailey Broncos 1/7
Champ Bailey (1999): The only Hall of Famer on this list, Bailey more than lived up to his collegiate hype. Bailey made 12 Pro Bowls in his 15 seasons, only missing out in his rookie year with Washington, an injury-plagued 2008 season and his final year with the Denver Broncos in 2013.
4.27 seconds
Year Player Team Pick
2026 Lorenzo Styles Jr. TBD TBD
2020 Henry Ruggs III Raiders 1/12
2013 Marquise Goodwin Bills 3/78
2005 Stanford Routt Raiders 2/38
Marquise Goodwin (2013): Goodwin had a solid 10-year career after being taken by the Buffalo Bills in 2013. He was never a star, but put together a strong 56-catch, 962-yard season after moving to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017.
4.26 seconds
Year Player Team Pick
2023 D.J. Turner Bengals 2/60
2022 Riq Woolen Seahawks 5/153
2014 Dri Archer Steelers 3/97
2005 Jerome Mathis Texans 4/114
Riq Woolen (2022): Woolen made the Pro Bowl his first season in the league with the Seattle Seahawks. He finished with 63 tackles and six interceptions in 2022 and spent most of the seasons since as a starter, winning a Super Bowl with the franchise in February.
4.24 seconds
Year Player Team Pick
2008 Chris Johnson Titans 1/24
1999 Rondel Menendez Falcons 7/247
Chris Johnson (2008): Johnson was a star from the moment he took the field with the Tennessee Titans. He earned three Pro Bowls and ran for 1,000 yards or more in each of his first six seasons. His best came in 2009 when he ran for 2,006 yards en route to earning Offensive Player of the Year honors.
4.23 seconds
Year Player Team Pick
2022 Kalon Barnes Panthers 7/242
4.22 seconds
Year Player Team Pick
2017 John Ross Bengals 1/9
4.21 seconds
Year Player Team Pick
2024 Xavier Worthy Chiefs 1.28
Xavier Worthy (2024): Worthy won a Super Bowl in his first season in the NFL after catching 59 passes for 638 yards and six touchdowns with the Kansas City Chiefs. The numbers took a dip in 2025, his second season, but he remains a part of the Chiefs' plans.
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