Fastest Player on Every NFL Team
Football purists will wax poetic all day about what makes a great player. They'll tell you about this mythical mix of talent, toughness, strength and determination that churns out Hall of Famers. In the end, it's something much more concrete. It's speed. And if you don't have any of it, you're not going to go very far.
Nowhere is more of a premium put on speed than at the NFL scouting combine, where 40-yard dash times have been pored over and examined as an indicator of future NFL success. And usually, it's pretty spot on.
These are the fastest players on every NFL team, based on recorded 40-yard dash times.
Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson (Tied)
Note: All 40-yard dash times are from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise indicated, and all players were on rosters as of Oct. 5, 2020.
High school: Blanche Ely High School (Pompano Beach, Florida)
College: LSU
Position: Cornerback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.31 seconds (2011)
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 203 pounds
NFL career: 10 seasons (2011-present)
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Career highlights: Four-time NFL All-Pro (2011, 2013, 2015, 2018), eight-time Pro Bowl (2011-18), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, two-time FBS All-American (2009, 2010), Bednarik Award winner (2010), Thorpe Award winner (2010)
Bottom line: One decade into his NFL story, Patrick Peterson's career has been a dizzying blur of highlight-reel plays — just not with the wins to match.
Peterson, along with former college and pro teammate Tyran Mathieu, seemingly kept the Cardinals competitive on their own for years.
Arizona Cardinals: Andy Isabella (Tied)
High school: Mayfield High School (Mayfield, Ohio)
College: UMass
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.31 seconds (2019)
Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 188 pounds
NFL career: 2 seasons (2019-present)
Teams: Arizona Cardinals
Career highlights: FCS All-American (2018), Biletnikoff Award finalist (2018)
Bottom line: You can't help but cheer for a player like Adam Isabella. He somehow played his way into a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of UMass at just 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds.
All praise should go to the analytics department for Arizona. When you're as fast as Isabella and can jump as high as he can, who cares how tall you are?
Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones
High school: Foley High School (Foley, Alabama)
College: Alabama
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.34 second (2011)
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 220 pounds
NFL career: 10 seasons (2011-present)
Teams: Atlanta Falcons
Career highlights: Five-time NFL All-Pro (2015-19), seven-time Pro Bowl (2012, 2014-19), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, BCS national champion (2009), SEC Freshman of the Year (2008)
Bottom line: Julio Jones is perhaps the dominant receiver of his generation. Just ask opposing players, who have to deal with his scary combination of size, speed and athleticism.
We knew Jones was something special the first time we ever saw him snagging passes out of the air for Alabama, and a decade in the NFL has reinforced that.
Baltimore Ravens: Robert Griffin III
High school: Copperas Cove High School (Copperas Cove, Texas)
College: Baylor
Position: Quarterback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.33 seconds (2012)
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 213 pounds
NFL career: 9 seasons (2012-present)
Teams: Washington Redskins (2012-15), Cleveland Browns (2016), Baltimore Ravens (2018-present)
Career highlights: NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2012), Pro Bowl (2012), Heisman Trophy winner (2011), FBS All-American (2011)
Bottom line: Robert Griffin III was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft out of Baylor and seemed destined to be an NFL star after his first few seasons in the league — in no small part thanks to his world-class speed.
Injuries derailed Griffin's career as a starter, but he pivoted and became one of the league's most reliable, respected backups.
Buffalo Bills: Taiwan Jones
High school: Deer Valley High School (Antioch, California)
College: Eastern Washington
Position: Running back/return specialist
40-yard dash time (year): 4.33 seconds (2011)
Height/weight: 6-foot, 195 pounds
NFL career: 10 seasons (2011-present)
Teams: Oakland Raiders (2011-16), Buffalo Bills (2017-18, 2020-present), Houston Texans (2019)
Career highlights: Pro Football Writers Association All-AFC (2015), Big Sky Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year (2010), FCS All-American (2010)
Bottom line: Taiwan Jones ran a blazing 4.33 seconds 40-yard dash time before the 2011 NFL draft. That speed helped him get into the league and carve out a decade-long career.
It also helped Jones lead Eastern Washington to the 2010 FCS national championship, including 230 rushing yards in a quarterfinal win over North Dakota State. With a broken foot.
Carolina Panthers: Curtis Samuel
High school: Erasmus Hall High School (Brooklyn, New York)
College: Ohio State
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.31 seconds (2017)
Height/weight: 5-foot-11. 195 pounds
NFL career: 4 seasons (2017-present)
Teams: Carolina Panthers
Career highlights: CFP national champion (2015), Big Ten champion (2014), Sporting News All-American (2016), All-Big Ten (2016)
Bottom line: How talented is Curtis Samuel? In Ohio State history, he's the only player to record over 1,000 career rushing and 1,000 career receiving yards.
Samuel finally found his footing in the NFL in 2019, when he played all 16 games after struggling with injuries through his first two seasons. He finished with 752 total yards and a career-high seven touchdowns.
Cincinnati Bengals: John Ross
High school: Jordan High School (Long Beach, California)
College: Washington
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.22 seconds (2017)
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 194 pounds
NFL career: 4 seasons (2017-present)
Teams: Cincinnati Bengals
Career highlights: Pac-12 Player of the Year (2016), All-Pac 12 (2016)
Bottom line: There are just a few rare, speedy unicorns like John Ross, who ran a laser-timed 40-yard dash in a record 4.22 seconds in 2017, breaking Chris Johnson's record of 4.24 seconds.
Ross' on-field production has been hampered by injuries throughout his career and likely will be a free agent in 2021.
Chicago Bears: Buster Skrine
High school: Etowah High School (Woodstock, Georgia)
College: Tennessee-Chattanooga
Position: Cornerback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.37 seconds (2011)
Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 185 pounds
NFL career: 10 seasons (2011-present)
Teams: Cleveland Browns (2011-14), New York Jets (2015-18), Chicago Bears (2019-present)
Career highlights: All-Southern Conference (2009, 2010)
Bottom line: Buster Skrine has crafted an unlikely NFL career. He's only 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds and was a fifth-round draft pick out of FCS Tennessee-Chattanooga in 2011.
Skrine's speed and ability to stand out on special teams and be a serviceable cornerback are the reason he's still in the league and has banked over $30 million in career earnings to date.
Cleveland Browns: Denzel Ward
High school: Nordonia High School (Macedonia, Ohio)
College: Ohio State
Position: Cornerback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.32 seconds (2018)
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 190 pounds
NFL career: 3 seasons (2018-present)
Teams: Cleveland Browns
Career highlights: Pro Bowl (2018), Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team (2018), FBS All-American (2017), All-Big Ten (2017)
Bottom line: Denzel Ward played high school and college football in Ohio and now plays pro football there as well, making a Pro Bowl for the Cleveland Browns in his rookie season.
The Browns made a huge investment in Ward after making him the No. 4 overall pick in 2018 with a four-year, $29.6 million contract that included almost $20 million guaranteed.
It's paying off.
Dallas Cowboys: Anthony Brown
High school: Hillsborough High School (Tampa, Florida)
College: Purdue
Position: Cornerback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.33 seconds (2016)
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 195 pounds
NFL career: 5 seasons (2016-present)
Teams: Dallas Cowboys
Career highlights: All-Big Ten (2015), East/West Shrine Game (2016)
Bottom line: Anthony Brown was a longshot to make the Cowboys roster after being a sixth-round pick in 2016, but he's hung around for five seasons as a special teams player, backup cornerback and nickel back.
Elite speed is what keeps Brown on the team, as evidenced by his 4.33-second 40 time before the draft.
Denver Broncos: Phillip Lindsay
High school: South High School (Denver, Colorado)
College: Colorado
Position: Running back
40-yard dash time (year): 4.39 seconds (2018)
Height/weight: 5-foot-8, 190 pounds
NFL career: 3 seasons (2018-present)
Teams: Denver Broncos
Career highlights: Pro Bowl (2018), Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team (2018), All-Pac-12 (2016)
Bottom line: It's not hard to see the reason why Phillip Lindsay went undrafted despite setting career records for all-purpose yards and total yards from scrimmage at the University of Colorado. He's only 5-foot-8.
Lindsay, a Denver native, surprised some by making the Broncos' roster in 2018 and surprised everyone by becoming the first undrafted rookie to make the Pro Bowl the same season.
Detroit Lions: Adrian Peterson
High school: Palestine High School (Palestine, Texas)
College: Oklahoma
Position: Running back
40-yard dash time (year): 4.40 seconds (2007)
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 220 pounds
NFL career: 14 seasons (2007-present)
Teams: Minnesota Vikings (2007-16), New Orleans Saints (2017), Arizona Cardinals (2017), Washington Redskins (2018-19), Detroit Lions (2020-present)
Career highlights: NFL Most Valuable Player (2012), NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2012), seven-time NFL All-Pro (2007-10, 2012, 2013, 2015), seven-time Pro Bowl (2007-10, 2012, 2013, 2015), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2007)
Bottom line: Adrian Peterson isn't just one of several likely Hall of Famers on this list. He's as sure of a first-ballot lock as you'll find.
The three-time NFL rushing yards champion and two-time NFL rushing touchdowns leader was simply uncatchable in his prime once he got into the open field.
Few running backs in the history of the NFL have been this big, strong, talented and fast.
Green Bay Packers: Darnell Savage
High school: Caravel Academy (Bear, Delaware)
College: Maryland
Position: Safety
40-yard dash time (year): 4.36 seconds (2019)
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 198 pounds
NFL career: 2 seasons (2019-present)
Teams: Green Bay Packers
Career highlights: Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team (2019), All-Big Ten (2018)
Bottom line: Darnell Savage was the Packers' No. 21 overall pick in 2019 and delivered right away as a rookie, making 14 starts and racking up 71 tackles, five pass deflections and two interceptions.
Savage went under the radar somewhat in college after a high school injury took him off the board for some elite Power Five schools, and he ended up at Maryland.
It will be tough to overlook him in the NFL.
Houston Texans: Will Fuller
High school: Roman Catholic High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
College: Notre Dame
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.32 seconds (2018)
Height/weight: 6-foot, 184 pounds
NFL career: 3 seasons (2018-present)
Teams: Houston Texans
Career highlights: FBS All-American (2014, 2015)
Bottom line: Injuries have been a big problem for former Notre Dame star Will Fuller throughout his NFL career.
Despite that, he's still put up pretty decent numbers while playing just 10 games in 2017, seven games in 2018 and 11 games in 2019.
After the Texans traded DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals before the 2020 season, Fuller's role as No. 1 receiver for the team will be a big ask.
Indianapolis Colts: Parris Campbell
High school: St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (Akron, Ohio)
College: Ohio State
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.31 seconds (2019)
Height/weight: 6-foot, 205 pounds
NFL career: 2 seasons (2019-present)
Teams: Indianapolis Colts
Career highlights: Three-time All-Big Ten (2016-18), CFP national champion (2015), two-time Big Ten champion (2017, 2018)
Bottom line: If you start to sense a theme between players on this list, that's understandable — four of them are from Ohio State.
Parris Campbell was a three-time All-Big Ten pick for the Buckeyes but has been held back by injuries in the NFL.
He only played seven games in 2019 and two games in 2020 before he was sidelined with a knee injury.
Kansas City Chiefs: Tyreek Hill
High school: Coffee High School (Douglas, Georgia)
College: West Alabama
Position: Wide receiver/return specialist
40-yard dash time (year): 4.29 seconds (2016)
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 185 pounds
NFL career: 5 seasons (2016-present)
Teams: Kansas City Chiefs
Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (2020), three-time NFL All-Pro (2016, 2018, 2018), four-time Pro Bowl (2016-19), Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team (2016), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year (2014)
Bottom line: There are few players comparable to Tyreek Hill when it comes to speed. Not just in today's game but in the history of the NFL.
Hill ran a blazing 4.29-second 40-yard dash at NCAA Division II West Alabama's Pro Day. He was kicked out of Oklahoma State in 2015 after a domestic abuse arrest and didn't get invited to the NFL scouting combine in 2016.
He's made the most of his NFL opportunity with the Chiefs and isn't finished yet.
Los Angeles Chargers: Michael Davis
High school: Glendale High School (Glendale, California)
College: BYU
Position: Cornerback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.34 seconds (2017)
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
NFL career: 4 seasons (2017-present)
Teams: Los Angeles Chargers
Career highlights: All-CIF (2013)
Bottom line: Michael Davis' speed and athleticism have kept him in the NFL after he struggled throughout his career at BYU, even losing his starting spot for a stretch during his senior season.
Undrafted in 2017, Davis' 4.34-second 40 time helped him land with the Chargers as a free agent and stick around for four years.
The team signed him to a one-year, $3.259 million contract for the 2020 season.
Los Angeles Rams: Van Jefferson
High school: Ravenwood High School (Brentwood, Tennessee)
College: Florida
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.37 seconds (2020, estimate)
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
NFL career: 1 season (2020-present)
Teams: Los Angeles Rams
Career highlights: Senior Bowl (2020), Preseason All-SEC (2017), Athlon Freshman All-American (2016), Athlon All-SEC (2016)
Bottom line: Van Jefferson is a second-generation NFL wide receiver. He's the son of current New York Jets receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, who played in the NFL from 1991 to 2003.
We had to fudge a little to get Jefferson on the list because he never actually ran a 40 at the combine or Pro Day because of a foot fracture, but we did some calculations thanks to his top speed numbers recorded at the Senior Bowl.
Take our word that he's really, really fast.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Chris Conley
High school: North Paulding High School (Paulding, Georgia)
College: Georgia
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.35 seconds (2015)
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds
NFL career: 6 seasons (2015-present)
Teams: Kansas City Chiefs (2015-18), Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-present)
Career highlights: NFLPA Collegiate Bowl (2015)
Bottom line: As fast as Chris Conley was at the NFL scouting combine in 2015 — he ran the 40 in 4.35 seconds — few people were talking about his speed after it was over. That's because Conley set the combine record with a stunning 45-inch vertical leap.
One other thing about Conley that's interesting. He's made several Star Wars fan films.
Seriously.
Las Vegas Raiders: Henry Ruggs
High school: Robert E. Lee High School (Montgomery, Alabama)
College: Alabama
Position: Wide receiver/return specialist
40-yard dash time (year): 4.27 seconds (2020)
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 188 pounds
NFL career: 1 season (2020-present)
Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Career highlights: CFP national champion (2017)
Bottom line: Henry Ruggs was just a hair's breadth away from the NFL scouting combine record in the 40-yard dash, and his blazing, 4.27-second time lifted him into the first round.
But it's not just speed for Ruggs, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. He was incredibly productive at Alabama, racking up 24 total career receiving touchdowns.
Miami Dolphins: Matt Breida
High school: Nature Coast Technical High School (Brooksville, Florida)
College: Georgia Southern
Position: Running back
40-yard dash time (year): 4.38 seconds (2017)
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 195 pounds
NFL career: 4 seasons (2017-present)
Teams: San Francisco 49ers (2017-2019), Miami Dolphins (2020-present)
Career highlights: Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year (2014), two-time All-Sun Belt Conference (2014, 2015), Doak Walker Award semifinalist (2014)
Bottom line: Matt Breida was a dominant running back in the Sun Belt and nationally for his sophomore and junior seasons at Georgia Southern before new coach Tyson Summers decided to change the offense to the triple option.
It likely cost Breida a spot in the draft, but he turned heads with his performance at Pro Day, running a 4.38-second 40, recording a 42-inch vertical leap and knocking out 23 reps in the 225-pound bench press.
Minnesota Vikings: Mark Fields
High school: William A. Hough High School (Cornelius, North Carolina)
College: Clemson
Position: Cornerback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.37 seconds (2019)
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 181 pounds
NFL career: 2 seasons (2019-present)
Teams: Minnesota Vikings
Career highlights: CFP national champion (2016, 2018)
Bottom line: Mark Fields won a pair of national titles at Clemson but never cracked the starting lineup in four seasons. But it's not unheard of for backups at big-time Power Five programs to make NFL rosters.
He's been cut by the Vikings both of the years he's been with the team, then put on the active roster in that same time after both cuts.
New England Patriots: Devin McCourty
High school: Saint Joseph Regional High School (Montvale, New Jersey)
College: Rutgers
Position: Free safety
40-yard dash time (year): 4.41 seconds (2010)
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 195 pounds
NFL career: 11 seasons (2010-present)
Teams: New England Patriots
Career highlights: Three-time Super Bowl champion (2015, 2018, 2019), two-time Pro Bowl (2010, 2016), three-time NFL All-Pro (2010, 2013, 2016), All-Big East (2009)
Bottom line: The undisputed winner on this list with three Super Bowl victories, Devin McCourty has spent his entire career with the New England Patriots.
In 11 seasons with the Patriots, McCourty has started every game he's ever played in, only missed five total games and never more than two in any given season.
New Orleans Saints: Marshon Lattimore
High school: Glenville High School (Cleveland, Ohio)
College: Ohio State
Position: Cornerback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.36 seconds (2017)
Height/weight: 6-foot, 192 pounds
NFL career: 4 seasons (2017-present)
Teams: New Orleans Saints
Career highlights: Two-time Pro Bowl (2017, 2019), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2017), Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team (2017), CFP national champion (2014), All-Big Ten (2016)
Bottom line: In four seasons, Marshon Lattimore has established himself as one of the NFL's best defensive players after the Saints picked him No. 11 overall in 2017.
Lattimore has been especially sharp in the postseason, where he has six pass deflections and two interceptions in five starts over his first three seasons.
New York Giants: Brandon Williams
High school: Royal High School (Pattison, Texas)
College: Texas A&M
Position: Cornerback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.37 seconds (2016)
Height/weight: 6-foot, 200 pounds
NFL career: 5 seasons (2016-present)
Teams: Arizona Cardinals (2016-19), New York Giants (2020-present)
Career highlights: Under Armour All-American (2011), Rivals No. 16 overall (2011), ESPN No. 7 running back (2011)
Bottom line: Brandon Williams didn't even play cornerback until his senior year at Texas A&M. He was a running back before head coach Kevin Sumlin made the switch.
Because of Williams' size and athleticism, he was projected as a sixth or seventh-round pick, but his draft stock shot up after he ran a 4.37-second 40 at the combine, and the Cardinals took him in the third round.
New York Jets: Denzel Mims
High school: Daingerfield High School (Daingerfield, Texas)
College: Baylor
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.38 seconds (2020)
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 210 pounds
NFL career: 1 season (2020-present)
Team: New York Jets
Career highlights: All-Big 12 (2019)
Bottom line: Denzel Mims had one of the more underrated careers for a wide receiver in Big 12 history, including two 1,000-plus yard receiving seasons.
Mims still wasn't being looked at as a surefire draft pick even after all that, but he blew the doors off with his performance at the NFL scouting combine in 2020, running a 4.38-second 40 and knocking out 16 reps on the 225-pound bench press.
Philadelphia Eagles: DeSean Jackson
High school: Long Beach Polytechnic High School (Long Beach, California)
College: Cal
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.33 seconds (2008)
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 175 pounds
NFL career: 13 seasons (2008-present)
Teams: Philadelphia Eagles (2008-13, 2019-present), Washington Football Team (2014-16), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017-18)
Career highlights: NFL All-Pro (2009), three-time Pro Bowl (2009, 2010, 2013), two-time FBS All-American (2006, 2007), two-time All-Pac-10 (2006, 2007)
Bottom line: DeSean Jackson has been an NFL mainstay for over a decade now. And his speed is a big reason why.
Jackson isn't built like your prototypical wideout — he's only 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds — but that's mattered little.
His 24 career touchdowns of 60-plus yards are an NFL record.
San Francisco 49ers: Raheem Mostert
High school: New Smyrna Beach High School (New Smyrna Beach, Florida)
College: Purdue
Position: Running back
40-yard dash time (year): 4.32 seconds (2015)
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 205 pounds
NFL career: 6 seasons (2015-present)
Teams: Miami Dolphins (2015), Baltimore Ravens (2015), Cleveland Browns (2015), Chicago Bears (2016), San Francisco 49ers (2016-present)
Career highlights: Big Ten 60-meter champion (2014), Big Ten 200-meter champion (2014), NFL.com Fastest Player in College Football (2015), 49ers single-game postseason rushing record (2020)
Bottom line: Raheem Mostert's NFL career is a study in determination. He was cut by four teams over the course of a single year before finding a home with the 49ers.
That's where Mostert's world-class speed was finally put on display for everyone to see, including a franchise-record 220 rushing yards in the 2020 NFC championship game against the Green Bay Packers.
Seattle Seahawks: D.K. Metcalf
High school: Oxford High School (Oxford, Mississippi)
College: Ole Miss
Position: Wide receiver
40-yard dash time (year): 4.33 seconds (2019)
Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 205 pounds
NFL career: 2 seasons (2019-present)
Teams: Seattle Seahawks
Career highlights: NFL record receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game (2020)
Bottom line: D.K. Metcalf struggled with injuries throughout his college career, but that did little to impact his stock in the NFL draft — mainly because he ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
Metcalf took the NFL by storm as a rookie and set the league record for receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game with 160 against the Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Minkah Fitzpatrick
High school: St. Peter's Preparatory School (Jersey City, New Jersey)
College: Alabama
Position: Free safety
40-yard dash time (year): 4.46 seconds
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
NFL career: 3 seasons (2018-present)
Teams: Miami Dolphins (2018-19), Pittsburgh Steelers (2019-present)
Career highlights: NFL All-Pro (2019), Pro Bowl (2019), two-time CFP national champion (2015, 2017), two-time FBS All-American (2016, 2017), Bednarik Award winner (2017), Thorpe Award winner (2017)
Bottom line: One of the reasons Minkah Fitzpatrick was able to essentially force his exit from the Miami Dolphins after less than two seasons is his elite speed.
Fitzpatrick joined the Steelers in 2019, and his career took off like a rocket. He made his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jamel Dean
High school: Cocoa High School (Cocoa, Florida)
College: Auburn
Position: Cornerback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.30 seconds (2019)
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 206 pounds
NFL career: 2 seasons (2019-present)
Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Career highlights: Most pass deflections by a rookie (2019)
Bottom line: You cannot teach the kind of speed that cornerback Jamel Dean possesses, and it's already made him into a valuable asset in the NFL.
After a fairly nondescript career at Auburn, Dean jumped onto draft boards in a big way when he ran a 4.30-second 40 at the NFL scouting combine.
That speed combined with his size was a big reason he set the Tampa Bay rookie record with 17 pass deflections in 2019.
Tennessee Titans: Johnathan Joseph
High school: Northwestern High School (Rock Hill, South Carolina)
College: South Carolina
Position: Cornerback
40-yard dash time (year): 4.31 seconds (2006)
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 185 pounds
NFL career: 15 seasons (2006-present)
Teams: Cincinnati Bengals (2006-10), Houston Texans (2011-19), Tennessee Titans (2020-present)
Career highlights: NFL All-Pro (2011), two-time Pro Bowl (2011, 2012)
Bottom line: Johnathan Joseph is the oldest player on this list at the age of 36 — you just don't see many cornerbacks who knock off 15 seasons in the NFL.
The Coffeyville Community College and South Carolina star is a great example of you can't hit what you can't catch, which helps explain his longevity in the league.
Washington Football Team: Troy Apke
High school: Mount Lebanon High School (Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania)
College: Penn State
Position: Free safety
40-yard dash time (year): 4.34 seconds (2018)
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
NFL career: 3 seasons (2018-present)
Teams: Washington Football Team
Career highlights: NFLPA Collegiate Bowl MVP (2018)
Bottom line: Troy Apke was a full-time starter in just one season at Penn State, quite literally running himself into the NFL draft with a 4.34-second 40 at the NFL scouting combine.
Just like in college, Apke has gone from big-time special teams contributor to full-time starter in three seasons in the NFL.