Speed plays an outsized role in assessing an NFL prospect. This is especially true when it comes to wide receivers.
Several pass-catchers have seen their fortunes rise and fall thanks to their 40-yard dash times. For some, a stunning number can set unfair expectations. For others, a slower-than-expected 40 can cost them millions of dollars when their draft stock slides accordingly.
John Ross, for example, was never able to live up to the top-10 draft pick status the Cincinnati Bengals bestowed upon him after setting the NFL Combine record by blazing a 4.22s 40-yard dash. Cooper Kupp, however, didn’t test well enough to shake his “big fish, small pond” vibes after eviscerating the competition at Eastern Washington and slid to the third round of the 2017 Draft.
