2022 NFL Draft: 5 Storylines From the NFL Combine

2. The 40 times that were and weren’t

Year after year, the 40-yard dash remains the most heavily covered event at the combine. While its relevance to a player’s draft stock varies from position to position, everyone wants to see just how fast each player can run.

This year’s 40-yard times were especially interesting, as eight wide receivers ran sub 4.4s, which is the most since 2003. One of the biggest surprises of the bunch was Garrett Wilson, who was projected to run in the 4.5 range, recording a 4.38. Additionally, the defensive backs made their presence felt with several running in the 4.3 or faster range, including Baylor corner Kalon Barnes who just missed the combine record with a 4.23.

But as great as the 40-times were for the receivers, the times that weren’t run ended up being just as big of a story. Most notably, Ohio State’s Chris Olave and Baylor’s Tyquan Thornton had their official times come back significantly slower than anticipated.

Olave’s unofficial run of 4.26 ended up being a 4.39, and Thornton’s unofficial time of 4.21 would’ve been a combine record until it was changed to a 4.29 after review. Unofficial times have never been perfect, but discrepancies around one-tenth of a second are pretty rare. Even with these miscalculations, the 40-yard dash times were very impressive for all position groups and shows how just how athletic this class is.