The times players put up in the 40-yard-dash aren't everything. Faster players often flop, slower players can emerge as great pros. Sometimes the times players put up at the combine can be influenced by an injury or whatnot. But we all tend to notice when a running back puts up a fast time, or a slow one.
Kansas City used a third-round pick to select Kareem Hunt over the weekend. Hunt (who played for the Toledo Rockets, interestingly enough) ran a 4.62 40 at the combine. But with only Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West and C.J. Spiller on the roster, Hunt needs to be viewed as a candidate to climb the depth chart and make some starts this season.
Washington drafted Samaje Perine just seven picks into the fourth round, and he ran an even slower combine time (4.65). But their incumbent, Robert Kelley, is even slower, having barely cracked 4.70 at his pro day.
I decided to look at all the running backs drafted in the first three rounds since 2000, pulling out the ones who ran a 4.60 or slower. One guy who showed up on the list is one of the league's best backs (LeVeon Bell). Mark Ingram is also pretty good (though Sean Payton doesn't seem to agree). Some others quickly washed out of the league.
| SLOWER RBS, 2000-PRESENT (FIRST 3 ROUNDS) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Rd | Pk | Player | 40 time | Time? |
| 2005 | 1 | 4 | Cedric Benson, Chi. | 4.60 | Pro Day |
| 2002 | 1 | 16 | William Green, Clev. | 4.60 | combine |
| 2015 | 2 | 54 | Ameer Abdullah, Det. | 4.60 | combine |
| 2013 | 2 | 48 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 4.60 | combine |
| 2015 | 2 | 36 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 4.61 | combine |
| 2001 | 2 | 58 | Travis Henry, Buff. | 4.61 | combine |
| 2015 | 3 | 95 | Matt Jones, Wash. | 4.61 | combine |
| 2008 | 3 | 69 | Jacob Hester, S.D. | 4.61 | combine |
| 2002 | 3 | 84 | Lamar Gordon, St.L. | 4.61 | combine |
| 2017 | 3 | 86 | Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 4.62 | combine |
| 2011 | 1 | 28 | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 4.62 | combine |
| 2014 | 2 | 57 | Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 4.62 | combine |
| 2009 | 3 | 65 | Shonn Greene, NYJ | 4.62 | combine |
| 2011 | 2 | 62 | Daniel Thomas, Mia. | 4.65 | estimate |
| 2011 | 3 | 73 | Stevan Ridley, N.E. | 4.65 | combine |
| 2014 | 2 | 55 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 4.66 | combine |
| 2013 | 2 | 58 | Montee Ball, Den. | 4.66 | combine |
| 2005 | 3 | 73 | Vernand Morency, Hou. | 4.66 | Pro Day |
| 2000 | 3 | 81 | Rueben Droughns, Det. | 4.66 | combine |
| 2007 | 3 | 90 | Tony Hunt, Phil. | 4.68 | Pro Day |
| 2005 | 3 | 101 | Maurice Clarett, Den. | 4.68 | Pro Day |
I don't think a poor 40 is a killer for Hunt, or Perine if you want to dip outside the first three rounds. But we can look back at some of the guys who washed out of the NFL and say, yeah, maybe they weren't fast enough.
--Andy Richardson