Does the 40 yard dash time really matter when it comes to a wide receiver in the nfl?

[Salvo]

It probably means more than the linemen or kickers running 40s, but in the end...no, it means next to nothing.

The combine should be done in full pads and utilize legitamite football skills, not the half-assed crap they have now.

[teeray]

his name is Alshon Jeffery. #17 WR; 6' 3", 216 lbs

Is it? I thought a Clemson fan told me his name was Fatty McFatterson.

[Peppers90 NC]

Though, it does matter some, even for LBr's:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100800608121816

[panthers55]

Does it matter? Of course it does. Should it be a deciding factor in taking a guy or not?? Not really. If there were questions about a guy's ability to separate, their ability to stretch the field or their ability to get in and out of breaks then quickness and speed are concerns and things like a 3 cone drill or 40 yard dash can illuminate those issues. But should it be the determining issue to draft him? Of course not. It is one piece of the puzzle among a large body of work for most players.

[teeray]

Does it matter? Of course it does. Should it be a deciding factor in taking a guy or not?? Not really. If there were questions about a guy's ability to separate, their ability to stretch the field or their ability to get in and out of breaks then quickness and speed are concerns and things like a 3 cone drill or 400 yard dash can illuminate those issues. But should it be the determining issue to draft him? Of course not. It is one piece of the puzzle among a large body of work for most players.

Geez! A 400 yard dash would be exhausting!! ;)

[chknwing]

the entire combine doesnt matter, teams already have film on the players they are looking at.

[Doc Holiday]

Here's how the read 40 times, if the guy is fast without pads on he can still be fast with them on, but if he's slow without pads though he will Be even slower with them on

[rayzor]

the only thing the combine is really useful for is giving teams a reason to look at your tape and hopefully swing you an interview you might not otherwise have had.

that's really the only thing a 40 time is used for. players at the top shouldn't really be effected one way or the other due to any performance at the combine.

[chknwing]

the only thing the combine is really useful for is giving teams a reason to look at your tape and hopefully swing you an interview you might not otherwise have had.

that's really the only thing a 40 time is used for. players at the top shouldn't really be effected one way or the other due to any performance at the combine.

exactly. its just a hey look at me event.

[lightsout]

Haven't read the thread at all, but here is my .02 anyway.

To me, 10 yard dash time is the MOST important. Need a guy who can get off the line in a hurry and accelerate. Also, vertical is important, not just for jumping either. A good vert, and broad jump as well, indicate explosiveness in the hips and thighs, where all the lower body power is generated. That means acceleration improves. 40 time is a good indicator of deep ball threats, but really, most corners dont run better than a 4.4 or 4.5 anyway, so you don't need a guy who slowly accelerates over 40 yards. You need a guy who can get up and go as soon as the ball is snapped.

[panthers55]

Geez! A 400 yard dash would be exhausting!! ;)

I ran the 400 meter race in track in high school. It was a long race given you had to sprint the whole way (or at least try to). I hated the mile and wasn't fast enough for the 100 meters so I did intermediate distances.

[Squirrel]

Game tape matters the most. But you do have some players that might look slow on game tape so having a 40 speed helps you see how fast they can run. But it shouldnt be the deciding factor in drafting them.

[MadHatter]

Most scouts look at it about the same way I look at it. You only pay attention to these things when they are extraordinary and force you to pay attention whether it be good or bad.

For instance if you burn off a 4.25 40, suddenly as a scout you have to go back and take another look at that guy on film.

Same thing if a guy unexpectedly runs a 4.75. You have to figure out if you missed something.

By and large it doesn't mean much. But if you blow it out or bomb suddenly the scouts have more work to do.

Also there are guys like the dude from South Carolina last year (can't remember his name). It was important that he run a good time or else he would have slipped.possibly to the 4th or 5th round instead of the top 2 rounds.

40 times don't determine success, but you can turn some heads either toward you or away from you depending on how you run.

Exactly.

The 40 time will either confirm what you see on film....or if it is contrary to what you saw, you go back and take another look at the film.

It should be one factor....but not the main factor.

[jayflip]

How fast you can drink a 40 is about as important as 40 times when it comes down to it. It's all about game tape. The scouting combine exists to pump up the NFL image and make money. Work out warriors often fail. If a WR runs a sub 5, then perhaps there might be a problem, but for the most part, judging caliber of play off of tenths of a second while running in streamline underwear in a straight line doesn't really mean much. It's just a flashy gimmick.