The NFL Combine is back for the first time since 2020, and with it comes one of the most popular events to watch: the 40-yard dash.
Fans missed out on a chance to watch burners like Anthony Schwartz, Ja'Marr Chase and Rondale Moore tear up the turf in pursuit of John Ross' 2017 record of 4.22 seconds last season as schools held pro days in an effort to give their athletes a chance to have miniature combines.
No one from last year's group reached the record, with Schwartz posting the fastest time in the field at 4.27 seconds.
This year's competition was without one of the draft's fastest runners, as Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the national championship game. But several other speedsters made great runs at Ross' record, including Baylor cornerback Kalon Barnes (4.23) and UTSA cornerback Tariq Woolen (4.26), both of whom produced top-five all-time finishes in the 40-yard dash.
In all, three players produces sub-4.3 times, while 31 players produced sub-4.40 times. If speed kills, then this class is full of killers.
The Sporting News tracked the fastest performances at the 2022 NFL Combine, including an overall tracker and breakdowns by position.
2022 NFL Draft 40 times
Here are the fastest 40 times recorded during the 2022 NFL Combine.
The table will be updated as 40 times are recorded over the four-day period of player workouts.
| Rank | Player | Position | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Kalon Barnes | CB | Baylor | 4.23 |
| 2. | Tariq Woolen | CB | UTSA | 4.26 |
| 3. | Tyquan Thornton | WR | Baylor | 4.28 |
| 4. | Velus Jones | WR | Tennessee | 4.31 |
| 5. | Calvin Austin III | WR | Memphis | 4.32 |
| 6. | Zyon McCollum | CB | Sam Houston State | 4.33 |
| 7. | Danny Gray | WR | SMU | 4.33 |
| 8. | Nick Cross | S | Maryland | 4.34 |
| 9. | Bo Melton | WR | Rutgers | 4.34 |
| 10. | Christian Watson | WR | North Dakota State | 4.36 |
| 11. | Percy Butler | S | Louisiana | 4.36 |
| 12. | JT Woods | S | Baylor | 4.36 |
| 13. | Tycen Anderson | S | Toledo | 4.36 |
| 14. | Alontae Taylor | CB | Tennessee | 4.36 |
| 15. | Amare Barno | EDGE | Virginia Tech | 4.36 |
| 16. | Pierre Strong | RB | South Dakota State | 4.37 |
| 17. | Lewis Cine | S | Georgia | 4.37 |
| 18. | Isiah Pacheco | RB | Rutgers | 4.37 |
| 19. | Cobie Durant | CB | South Carolina State | 4.38 |
| 20. | Tariq Castro-Fields | CB | Penn State | 4.38 |
| 21. | Dax Hill | S | Michigan | 4.38 |
| 22. | Ty Chandler | RB | North Carolina | 4.38 |
| 23. | Kenneth Walker III | RB | Michigan State | 4.38 |
| 24. | D'vonte Price | RB | Florida International | 4.38 |
| 25. | Garrett Wilson | WR | Ohio State | 4.38 |
| 26. | Cam Taylor-Britt | CB | Nebraska | 4.38 |
| 27. | Damarri Mathis | CB | Pitt | 4.39 |
| 28. | Jalyn Armour-Davis | CB | Alabama | 4.39 |
| 29. | Kalir Elam | CB | Florida | 4.39 |
| 30. | Chris Olave | WR | Ohio State | 4.39 |
| 31. | Breece Hall | RB | Iowa State | 4.39 |
| 32. | Josh Thompson | CB | Texas | 4.40 |
| 33. | Zamir White | RB | Georgia | 4.40 |
NFL COMBINE RECORDS: Top marks for 40-yard dash, bench press, other drills
Those are the top 20 40 times overall. Here is a breakdown by each position group from the 2022 NFL Combine.
Tight ends
| Rank | Player | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Chig Okonkwo | Maryland | 4.52 |
| 2. | Jelani Woods | Virginia | 4.61 |
| 3. | Grant Calcaterra | SMU | 4.62 |
| 4. | Daniel Bellinger | San Diego State | 4.63 |
| 5. | Greg Dulcich | UCLA | 4.70 |
| 6. | Connor Heyward | Michigan State | 4.72 |
| 7. | Cole Turner | Nevada | 4.76 |
| 8. | Peyton Hendershot | Indiana | 4.80 |
| 9. | Jake Ferguson | Wisconsin | 4.81 |
| 10. | Austin Allen | Nebraska | 4.83 |
| 11. | Curtis Hodges | Arizona State | 4.85 |
| 12. | Jeremiah Hall | Oklahoma | 4.96 |
Quarterbacks
| Rank | Player | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Desmond Ridder | Cincinnati | 4.52 |
| 2. | EJ Perry | Brown | 4.65 |
| 3. | Kenny Pickett | Pittsburgh | 4.73 |
| 4. | Dustin Crum | Kent State | 4.75 |
| 5. | Brock Purdy | Iowa State | 4.84 |
| 6. | Bailey Zappe | Western Kentucky | 4.88 |
| 7. | Jack Coan | Notre Dame | 4.90 |
| 8. | Skylar Thompson | Kansas State | 4.91 |
Wide receivers
| Rank | Player | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Tyquan Thornton | Baylor | 4.28 |
| 2. | Velus Jones | Tennessee | 4.31 |
| 3. | Calvin Austin III | Memphis | 4.32 |
| 4. | Danny Gray | SMU | 4.33 |
| 5. | Bo Melton | Rutgers | 4.34 |
| 6. | Christian Watson | North Dakota State | 4.36 |
| 7. | Garrett Wilson | Ohio State | 4.38 |
| 8. | Chris Olave | Ohio State | 4.39 |
| 9. | Alec Pierce | Cincinnati | 4,41 |
| 10. | Skyy Moore | Western Michigan | 4.41 |
| 11. | Isaiah Weston | Northern Iowa | 4.42 |
| 12. | Jahan Dotson | Penn State | 4.43 |
| 13. | Khalil Shakir | Boise State | 4.43 |
| 14. | Kevin Austin Jr. | Notre Dame | 4.43 |
| 15. | Wan'Dale Robinson | Kentucky | 4.44 |
| 16. | George Pickens | Georgia | 4.47 |
| 17. | Braylon Sanders | Ole Miss | 4.48 |
| 18. | Jalen Tolbert | South Alabama | 4.49 |
| 19. | Jalen Nailor | Michigan State | 4.50 |
| 20. | Tré Turner | Virginia Tech | 4.51 |
Offensive linemen
| Rank | Player | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Dare Rosenthal (OT) | Kentucky | 4.88 |
| 2. | Kellen Diesch (OT) | Arizona State | 4.89 |
| 3. | Chris Paul (G) | Tulsa | 4.89 |
| 4. | Trevor Penning (OT) | Northern Iowa | 4.89 |
| 5. | Cam Jurgens (C) | Nebraska | 4.92 |
| 6. | Abraham Lucas (OT) | Washington State | 4.92 |
| 7. | Ickey Ekwonu (OT) | N.C. State | 4.93 |
| 8. | Dylan Parham (G) | Memphis | 4.93 |
| 9. | Zach Tom (C) | Wake Forest | 4.94 |
| 10. | Charles Cross (OT) | Mississippi State | 4.95 |
| 11. | Zach Thomas (G) | San Diego State | 4.96 |
| 12. | Braxton Jones (OT) | Southern Utah State | 4.97 |
Running backs
| Rank | Player | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Pierre Strong | South Dakota State | 4.37 |
| 2. | Isiah Pacheco | Rutgers | 4.37 |
| 3. | Ty Chandler | North Carolina | 4.38 |
| 4. | Kenneth Walker III | Michigan State | 4.38 |
| 5. | D'vonte Price | Florida International | 4.38 |
| 6. | Breece Hall | Iowa State | 4.39 |
| 7. | Zamir White | Georgia | 4.40 |
| 8. | James Cook | Georgia | 4.42 |
| 9. | Tyler Goodson | Iowa | 4.42 |
| 10. | Trestan Ebner | Baylor | 4.43 |
Defensive linemen
| Rank | Player | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Amare Barno (EDGE) | Virginia Tech | 4.36 |
| 2. | Sam Williams (EDGE) | Mississippi | 4.46 |
| 3. | Travon Walker (DE) | Georgia | 4.51 |
| 4. | Boye Mafe (EDGE) | Minnesota | 4.53 |
| 5. | Nik Bonitto (EDGE) | Oklahoma | 4.54 |
| 6. | David Ojabo (EDGE) | Michigan | 4.55 |
| 7. | Kayvon Thibodeaux (EDGE) | Oregon | 4.58 |
| 8. | Jermaine Johnson II (DE) | Florida State | 4.58 |
| 9. | Myjai Sanders (EDGE) | Cincinnati | 4.67 |
| 10. | Jeffrey Gunter (EDGE) | Coastal Carolina | 4.70 |
Linebackers
| Rank | Player | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Troy Andersen | Montana State | 4.42 |
| 2. | Christian Harris | Alabama | 4.44 |
| 3. | Channing Tindall | Georgia | 4.47 |
| 4. | Malcolm Rodriguez | Oklahoma State | 4.52 |
| 5. | Brandon Smith | Penn State | 4.52 |
| 6. | Quay Walker | Georgia | 4.52 |
| 7. | Leo Chenal | Wisconsin | 4.53 |
| 8. | D'Marco Jackson | Appalachian State | 4.55 |
| 9. | Brian Asamoah | Oklahoma | 4.56 |
| 10. | Chance Campbell | Ole Miss | 4.57 |
| 11. | Damone Clark | LSU | 4.57 |
Specialists
| Rank | Player | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Jake Camarda (P) | Georgia | 4.61 |
| 2. | Jordan Stout (P) | Penn State | 4.67 |
| 3. | Matt Araiza (P) | San Diego State | 4.70 |
| 4. | Cal Adomitis (LS) | Pitt | 4.97 |
Cornerbacks
| Rank | Player | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Kalon Barnes | Baylor | 4.23 |
| 2. | Tariq Woolen | UTSA | 4.26 |
| 3. | Zyon McCollum | Sam Houston State | 4.33 |
| 4. | Alontae Taylor | Tennessee | 4.36 |
| 5. | Cobie Durant | South Carolina State | 4.38 |
| 6. | Tariq Castro-Fields | Penn State | 4.38 |
| 7. | Cam Taylor-Britt | Nebraska | 4.38 |
| 8. | Damarri Mathis | Pitt | 4.39 |
| 9. | Jalyn Armour-Davis | Alabama | 4.39 |
| 10. | Kalir Elam | Florida | 4.39 |
| 11. | Josh Thomspon | Texas | 4.40 |
| 12. | Sauce Gardner | Cincinnati | 4.41 |
| 13. | Isaac Taylor-Stuart | USC | 4.42 |
| 14. | Trent McDuffie | Washington | 4.44 |
| 15. | Akayleb Evans | Missouri | 4.46 |
| 16. | Chris Steele | USC | 4.48 |
| 17. | Chase Lucas | Arizona State | 4.48 |
| 18. | Sam Webb | Missouri Western | 4.48 |
| 19. | DeMarcus Fields | Texas Tech | 4.48 |
| 20. | Roger McCreary | Auburn | 4.50 |
Safeties
| Rank | Player | School | 40 time |
| 1. | Nick Cross | Maryland | 4.34 |
| 2. | Percy Butler | Louisiana | 4.36 |
| 3. | JT Woods | Baylor | 4.36 |
| 4. | Tycen Anderson | Toledo | 4.36 |
| 5. | Lewis Cine | Georgia | 4.37 |
| 6. | Dax Hill | Michigan | 4.38 |
| 7. | Markquese Bell | Florida A&M | 4.41 |
| 8. | Dane Belton | Iowa | 4.43 |
| 9. | Bubba Bolden | Miami | 4.47 |
| 10. | Delarrin Turner-Yell | Oklahoma | 4.47 |
| 11. | Jaquan Brisker | Penn State | 4.49 |
| 12. | Smoke Monday | Auburn | 4.52 |
| 13. | Juanyeh Thomas | Georgia Tech | 4.55 |
| 14. | Kyle Hamilton | Notre Dame | 4.59 |
| 15. | Quentiin Lake | UCLA | 4.59 |
NFL Combine 40-yard dash schedule
- Thursday: Tight ends, quarterbacks, wide receivers
- Friday: Offensive linemen, running backs
- Saturday: Defensive linemen, linebackers
- Sunday: Kickers, defensive backs
Each day, the running portion of the combine will be the first on the schedule. Those events will begin at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and will open at 2 p.m. for defensive backs on Sunday. Kickers will have their workout session from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
