2026 NFL combine: Five players with elite speed who could challenge 40-yard dash record

The speed record in the 40-yard dash will be challenged at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine thanks to a handful of wide receivers with jet fuel in their tanks expected to run in Indianapolis.

Former Texas star Xavier Worthy made history two years ago with the fastest 40-yard dash in combine history at a lightning quick 4.21. Unofficially ruled a 4.22 at the first, the official time came in one-hundredth of a second faster to spark the all-time mark.

Initial burst, explosiveness and acceleration are vital factors each of these athletes possess toward setting a new mark. For many projected first-rounders, however, a less-than-stellar showing in the 40 can hinder draft stock and there's a few high-end prospects expected to skip the speed portion of the event.

After speaking with various NFL scouts, this is the group that continued coming up in conversation:

Brennen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State

The expectation from most insiders is Thompson should top the charts and potentially challenge Worthy's all-time mark. Thompson is long removed from his 10.18-second 100-meter dash showing in high school, but consistently clocked in the sub 4.3s at Oklahoma before his transfer to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs measured Thompson at 23.7 MPH in the preseason before he led the  SEC with five catches spanning 50 or more yards last season.

Barion Brown, WR, LSU

In terms of overall team speed, few were faster last season than LSU, who have several former players expected to blaze a trail in Indianapolis. One of those athletes is Brown, who scored six career kickoff return touchdowns in the SEC at Kentucky and LSU. The fastest player on Day 1 at the Senior Bowl earlier this year, Brown clocked in at 20.35 MPH on the Zebra Technologies performance tracker and his straight line get up as a long-strider is fluid. One of his top highlights last season was a 99-yard punt return score in LSU's bowl game against Houston.

Chris Hilton, WR, LSU

Hilton played behind several all-conference wideouts during his time in Baton Rouge, but holds a program record after once posting a 23.7 mph run on the GPS. Hilton averaged 19 yards per catch in his career and has a second gear few others possess this cycle, but battled leg and ankle injuries during his career and rarely saw consistent targets. He's at full strength this month and has prepared to flex his best in the 40.

"You're focusing on potential with Hilton and his skill set is similar to Tyreek Hill without the production," one NFL Draft scout told CBS Sports.

Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama

Straight line speed is Jackson's speciality, though he didn't get many opportunities to showcase that blaze with the Crimson Tide outside of chasing the opposition's WR1 on the outside. He shows a knack for closing quickness in coverage as a former five-star.  Jackson tied California's state record in the 100 meters with a head-turning 10.25-second time that ranked No. 2 nationally in 2021, but prep showings aren't always a perfect translation.

D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

A former track star, Ponds makes up for his lack of size with superlatives across the board in several categories as a potential first-round cornerback, including his instincts, ball skills and of course, his speed. Rarely beaten with the Hoosiers, his closing quickness is among the best this cycle at the position and few players are faster in coverage. Ponds' interception return for a touchdown in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Oregon was a spotlight play, one his coaches at Indiana saw throughout the last two years in practice. If there's a wild-card speedster inside Lucas Oil Stadium who could surprise with a jaw-dropping time, numerous scouts are pointing to Ponds.

"Ponds is probably the fastest DB I saw on tape," one evaluator who spent time at the Senior Bowl said.

Other speedsters to watch: Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia; Aaron Anderson, WR, LSU; Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia