I am a fan of the 40. Especially the electronically-timed version at the combine. It allows for an apples-to-apples comparison of players from different years.
When looking at on-field action, there are always issues of who’s getting helped and hurt by schemes and level of competition. You get a powerhouse team like Alabama or Georgia, and there are games that any random Joe would look good running through big holes. When there’s a long touchdown against Eastern Michigan, you have to wonder if the guys in the secondary can run.
While the 40 is just one small piece of the puzzle, all of the variables are controlled, with the players running on the same field and with the same accurate clocks.
The two first-round running backs this year turned in noteworthy times. Jahmyr Gibbs (pictured) ran 4.36, and that’s smoking fast – the best by any running back selected in the first or second round in 11 years. And Gibbs’ speed can be seen on his highlight clips, with him consistently running away from people. He’s going to score some long touchdowns for the Lions.
With Bijan Robinson, he’s a tenth slower, running 4.46, and you can see the difference on the field. I watched all of his carries from three games a few weeks ago, and there were plays where he was on the edge that I thought the specialness didn’t quite kick in. In particular a goal-line carry against Iowa State, where if he were a half step faster, it would have been a touchdown rather than him getting pushed out of bounds at the 1.
Kenneth Walker and Breece Hall last year both ran under 4.40. They’re more like Gibbs than Robinson. Walker had a long touchdown against the Chargers last year where he reached 22.1 mph, the fastest time by a running back all year. And with Hall being faster than Robinson and having put up comparable college stats, I think he’ll be a better runner at the NFL level (Hall looked really good before tearing his ACL last year).
But with the 40 times in front of me, I am reminded that while Robinson isn’t as fast as Gibbs, Walker or Hall, that 4.46 is still an impressive time. In last 10 years, 33 running backs selected in the first two round have run the 40 at the combine. Only six of those backs ran faster than Robinson.
D’Andre Swift, Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey, Miles Sanders, Dalvin Cook. Those guys all ran slightly slower than Robinson. He’s not a true burner, but I expect he’ll break some longer runs for the Falcons.
| RUNNING BACK 40 TIMES | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pk | Player | Ht | Wt | Time |
| 2023 | 12 | Jahmyr Gibbs, Det. | 5.09 | 199 | 4.36 |
| 2022 | 41 | Kenneth Walker, Sea. | 5.09 | 211 | 4.38 |
| 2022 | 36 | Breece Hall, NYJ | 5.11 | 217 | 4.39 |
| 2020 | 41 | Jonathan Taylor, Ind. | 5.10 | 226 | 4.39 |
| 2018 | 2 | Saquon Barkley, NYG | 6.00 | 233 | 4.40 |
| 2022 | 63 | James Cook, Buff. | 5.11 | 199 | 4.42 |
| 2018 | 27 | Rashaad Penny, Sea. | 5.11 | 220 | 4.46 |
| 2023 | 8 | Bijan Robinson, Atl. | 5.11 | 215 | 4.46 |
| 2020 | 52 | Cam Akers, LAR | 5.10 | 217 | 4.47 |
| 2016 | 4 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 6.00 | 225 | 4.47 |
| 2020 | 35 | D'Andre Swift, Det. | 5.08 | 212 | 4.48 |
| 2017 | 8 | Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 5.11 | 202 | 4.48 |
| 2019 | 53 | Miles Sanders, Phil. | 5.11 | 211 | 4.49 |
| 2018 | 59 | Derrius Guice, Wash. | 5.11 | 218 | 4.49 |
| 2017 | 41 | Dalvin Cook, Minn. | 5.11 | 213 | 4.49 |
| 2014 | 54 | Bishop Sankey, Tenn. | 5.09 | 209 | 4.49 |
| 2017 | 4 | Leonard Fournette, Jac. | 6.01 | 230 | 4.51 |
| 2018 | 35 | Nick Chubb, Clev. | 5.10 | 225 | 4.52 |
| 2015 | 15 | Melvin Gordon, S.D. | 6.01 | 215 | 4.52 |
| 2020 | 62 | AJ Dillon, G.B. | 6.00 | 247 | 4.53 |
| 2013 | 37 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 5.09 | 208 | 4.53 |
| 2018 | 31 | Sony Michel, N.E. | 5.11 | 214 | 4.54 |
| 2016 | 45 | Derrick Henry, Tenn. | 6.02 | 247 | 4.54 |
| 2013 | 62 | Christine Michael, Sea. | 5.10 | 221 | 4.54 |
| 2013 | 61 | Eddie Lacy, G.B. | 5.11 | 230 | 4.55 |
| 2020 | 32 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, K.C. | 5.07 | 207 | 4.60 |
| 2015 | 54 | Ameer Abdullah, Det. | 5.09 | 205 | 4.60 |
| 2013 | 48 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 6.01 | 230 | 4.60 |
| 2015 | 36 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 6.01 | 226 | 4.61 |
| 2018 | 38 | Ronald Jones, T.B. | 6.00 | 200 | 4.66 |
| 2014 | 55 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 6.01 | 233 | 4.66 |
| 2014 | 57 | Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 6.00 | 230 | 4.66 |
| 2013 | 58 | Montee Ball, Den. | 5.10 | 215 | 4.66 |
—Ian Allan