Who is the fastest player in the NFL? Here’s where Tyreek Hill, Ja’Marr Chase, others rank in 2021

There’s something exciting about watching a player with incredible speed fly down the field.

Whether using that speed to escape down the sideline, break through the middle of the defense and score, or split a coverage unit on special teams, those big break-speed plays always add another level of excitement to the game.

And there are several players in the league capable of splitting defenses with their speed. Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, nicknamed the Cheetah, is often seen as the fastest, but he certainly hasn’t run away with the title, as other talents like 49ers running back Raheem Mostert and quarterback Ravens fielder Lamar Jackson have shown that they, too, can pass at near full speed. anyone.

Is there a way to find out who is the fastest player in the league? Sporting News is taking a look to see which players have posted the strongest cases.

Who is the fastest player in the NFL?

There are always several different ways one can come to a conclusion about the fastest player in the league, and each one is likely to return a different result.

Certain guys just pass that sight test, where their speed seems to be on a different level than other players. But our eyes aren’t perfect and it’s incredibly subjective, so we won’t be using that method.

What about the fastest times posted in a game? There is a lot going on in the action of the game. Players have to run routes, avoid tacklers, carry a soccer ball, or catch the ball. We can also take a look at the 40-yard dash times, where players are asked to run in a straight line as fast as they can. But even then, some player may not have their best day. Another might have an adrenaline rush.

There’s no perfect way to decide who’s the fastest player in the league, but we’re going to run through the available data to see who’s closest to that description.

The 10 fastest players in 2021

NFL Next-Gen Stats has been tracking the fastest players on the ball since 2016. This, like any other method, is still an imperfect method as it doesn’t include defenders, such as safeties and corners, who run behind a ball carrier to make a tackle. Still, it gives us a great overview of the players who have posted the fastest times when trying to avoid getting knocked down.

These are the players who posted the fastest times during the regular season.

Top 10 fastest times in 2020

The 2021 season is still underway. So let’s take a look at who were the fastest players in last year’s regular season. One player seems to stand out above the rest.

Who has the fastest time in a regular season game?

Perhaps it’s not a bit surprising to see that the fastest time ever recorded by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, dating back to the start of the 2016 season, belongs to Hill. He returned a kickoff 27 yards and clocked 23.24 mph.

Hill and Mostert split the top four, as Hill records first and third and Mostert is second and fourth. Mostert is the only other player to record a speed of more than 23 mph. Xavier Rhodes is the only defensive player to break the top 10.

40 times faster

Before each NFL draft, players are evaluated based on their ability to run 40 yards in a straight line.

Here are the fastest players on record at the NFL Combine, according to Stathead, since 2000. 2021 times are from college Pro Days, as the 2021 NFL Combine has been canceled, and courtesy of the NFL Bible Draft.

What is Lamar Jackson’s 40 time?

Jackson did not run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine before the 2018 NFL Draft, but on Speed ​​Day in Louisville, he posted a 4.34-second dash for the 40-yard dash. According to Stathead, that time would have been the third fastest recorded by a quarterback since 2000, behind only Robert Griffin III and Michael Vick, who clocked 4:33.

What is Tyreek Hill’s time 40?

Hill missed the 2016 NFL combine due to a domestic abuse arrest. Hill ran at West Alabama Pro Day and ran a 4.29-second 40-yard dash. That would tie him for the 15th-fastest time, according to Stathead, and 11th-fastest among wide receivers.

What is Devan Duvernay’s 40 time?

Duvernay posted the eighth-fastest time at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine when he ran a 4.39, according to Stathead. It was the fifth-fastest time among wide receivers in the class, behind the Raiders’ Henry Ruggs III (4.27, fastest overall in 2020), the Eagles’ Quez Watkins (4.35), the Jets’ Denzel Mims (4.38 ) and the Bears’ Darnell Mooney (4.38). He was tied with Antonio Gibson of Washington.

What is Ja’Marr Chase’s 40th time?

There was no 2021 NFL combine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Chase was still able to sign during LSU’s Pro Day and stood out, posting a time of 4.34 40. That was the third-fastest time among players in the 2021 NFL Draft, according to Stathead.

What is Derrick Henry’s 40 time?

Henry has been known primarily for his ability to get past defensive players, using his strength to break through defenses and break up big runs. But he also has the speed to be able to pass players. by Stathead, had the 12th fastest time at the 2016 NFL Combine among running backs, posting a 40 time of 4.54 seconds.

What is Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s 40th time?

Valdes-Scantling posted the second-fastest time on the field in 2021, trailing only the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor. When he was at the 2018 NFL Combine, he showed off the Jets, competing with a time of 4.37 40, trailing only DJ Chark, who was drafted in the second round by the Jaguars. according to Stathead.

What is Quez Watkins’s time of 40?

The Eagles took two of the fastest wide receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft, but the fastest of the two was Quez Watkins. head of state he listed his 40th time at the Combine at 4.35 seconds, second only to Ruggs of the Raiders. Jalen Reagor was also up there in speed, clocking in at 4.47 seconds, the 15th-fastest time among receivers.