Pure speed.
No one football drill at the NFL combine captivates fans more than the 40-yard dash. It doesn't really make any sense, seeing as how few times a professional football player actually runs that distance, but never the less it has become the most watched part of this made for TV event.
Here at the office we've discussed the rise of the NFL combine, trying to figure why these physical events have become so popular. To me, the reasoning is pretty simple. We marvel over great athletic ability, in part because we ourselves can't do it, and also because we recognize how rare it is.
Nothing illustrates that more than the 40. People are not only familiar with 40 times, but the range in which each position should post. We know that a 4.8 is bad for a wide receiver, yet solid for a linebacker. It has become second nature.
So, who were the fastest wide receivers at the NFL Combine?
5. Tre McBride, William & Mary (4.41)
2. Phillip Dorsett, Miami (4.33)
1. J.J. Nelson, UAB (4.28)
