WRs from Senior Bowl Top Speeds

[Jake0]

This is kinda interesting. Chark has a much faster 40 than the top 2 but doesn't reach their top speed in game with pads on, etc. He had a few long passes caught in the game but never got to run clean I suppose. All 3 arm lengths are about the same and Chark benched more than both of them, so he should in theory carry the pads easier.

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/top-plays/fastest-ball-carriers/2017/all

Tyreek Hill hitting over 23mph on a kickoff return sounds about right. Fournette being the fastest guy in 2017 at over 22mph shows you can still be really fast even though you're a 4.5 guy but strong. Derrick Henry almost hit 22mph as well.

Ball carriers will only hit their top end speed really on big plays so this isn't going to get every player, but a decent comparison point. Tre'Quan's top speed would have been faster than anyone reached in the nfl in 2017 on this list.

 

[Aven8]

But but, Washington only ran a 4.5.......

The dude is a stud.

 

[cnuball21]

This is kinda interesting. Chark has a much faster 40 than the top 2 but doesn't reach their top speed in game with pads on, etc. He had a few long passes caught in the game but never got to run clean I suppose. All 3 arm lengths are about the same and Chark benched more than both of them, so he should in theory carry the pads easier.

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/top-plays/fastest-ball-carriers/2017/all

Tyreek Hill hitting over 23mph on a kickoff return sounds about right. Fournette being the fastest guy in 2017 at over 22mph shows you can still be really fast even though you're a 4.5 guy but strong. Derrick Henry almost hit 22mph as well.

Ball carriers will only hit their top end speed really on big plays so this isn't going to get every player, but a decent comparison point. Tre'Quan's top speed would have been faster than anyone reached in the nfl in 2017 on this list.

Game speed...tape don't lie.

 

[beware_d-ware]

There was an interesting metric I saw a while back, can't remember where, where they measured "the flying 20" - the last 20 yards of the 40 yard dash. A lot of a fast 40 is just getting off the blocks quick (and that's why the 10 yard split is so useful for seeing short-area burst), but the flying 20 measured people's speeds once they were upright and running.

There were some surprising results. I remember Percy Harvin having one of their highest scores ever, for example, so while his Combine said "4.41", he was actually the fastest man in football once he hit the open field. If you saw him in his prime with the Vikings, it was tough to disagree with that. And that would back up some of what we see on tape with guys like Leonard Fournette and James Washington - a 4.5 is average speed in the NFL, but once those guys get running, they're almost never caught from behind.

 

[bpfred]

This is kinda interesting. Chark has a much faster 40 than the top 2 but doesn't reach their top speed in game with pads on, etc. He had a few long passes caught in the game but never got to run clean I suppose. All 3 arm lengths are about the same and Chark benched more than both of them, so he should in theory carry the pads easier.

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/top-plays/fastest-ball-carriers/2017/all

Tyreek Hill hitting over 23mph on a kickoff return sounds about right. Fournette being the fastest guy in 2017 at over 22mph shows you can still be really fast even though you're a 4.5 guy but strong. Derrick Henry almost hit 22mph as well.

Ball carriers will only hit their top end speed really on big plays so this isn't going to get every player, but a decent comparison point. Tre'Quan's top speed would have been faster than anyone reached in the nfl in 2017 on this list.

You have to be careful comparing 40 times between players. A lot of the 40 time is dependent on technique--to the point that some people say it's ALL technique. I don't think all of it is, but a lot is.

Some of these guys have been sprinting in track for years, and their technique is better than other guys who spent a month or two working with a trainer to learn technique.

That's one of the reasons Deion Sanders, who reportedly ran a 4.2, had trouble with Jerry Rice, who ran a 4.6. Sanders would talk about Rice running like a deer the entire game. Rice had unbelievable conditioning, and route running technique as well. A lot of fans think Rice wasn't fast, because of his 40. He was fast, and you rarely saw him get caught from behind.

 

[bpfred]

There was an interesting metric I saw a while back, can't remember where, where they measured "the flying 20" - the last 20 yards of the 40 yard dash. A lot of a fast 40 is just getting off the blocks quick (and that's why the 10 yard split is so useful for seeing short-area burst), but the flying 20 measured people's speeds once they were upright and running.

There were some surprising results. I remember Percy Harvin having one of their highest scores ever, for example, so while his Combine said "4.41", he was actually the fastest man in football once he hit the open field. If you saw him in his prime with the Vikings, it was tough to disagree with that. And that would back up some of what we see on tape with guys like Leonard Fournette and James Washington - a 4.5 is average speed in the NFL, but once those guys get running, they're almost never caught from behind.

This is a great post. It also helps describe why most NFL evaluators place more emphasis on 'game speed' displayed on tape, over timed 40s.

 

[LittleD]

There is a thing called "track speed" and another called "football speed". The tape doesn't lie and
if the particular WR can't create separation on routes, it doesn't matter what speed he has.

 

[Dylan88Wilson]

Jaleel Scott is going to be a monster. 6’5”, 215 lbs, very solid route runner, phenomenal hands, completely unstoppable with the ball in the air and, according to this, has one of the fastest game speeds. I’m still trying to figure out why he’s not going in the 1st round.

 

[Jake0]

There was an interesting metric I saw a while back, can't remember where, where they measured "the flying 20" - the last 20 yards of the 40 yard dash. A lot of a fast 40 is just getting off the blocks quick (and that's why the 10 yard split is so useful for seeing short-area burst), but the flying 20 measured people's speeds once they were upright and running.

There were some surprising results. I remember Percy Harvin having one of their highest scores ever, for example, so while his Combine said "4.41", he was actually the fastest man in football once he hit the open field. If you saw him in his prime with the Vikings, it was tough to disagree with that. And that would back up some of what we see on tape with guys like Leonard Fournette and James Washington - a 4.5 is average speed in the NFL, but once those guys get running, they're almost never caught from behind.

Makes sense, top speed doesn't really have anything to do with the initial burst. Burst does matter for WRs that are making a lot of cuts though. I just did a quick check on Washington/Chark and it took both of them 1.8 seconds to go from 20-40. Washington's was from his pro day though.

 

[Jake0]

Jaleel Scott is going to be a monster. 6’5”, 215 lbs, very solid route runner, phenomenal hands, completely unstoppable with the ball in the air and, according to this, has one of the fastest game speeds. I’m still trying to figure out why he’s not going in the 1st round.

This does only compare senior bowl WRs so it's not a complete comparison, but you can compare the speed to other NFL talent with the ball carrier metric.

 

[btcutter]

But but, Washington only ran a 4.5.......

The dude is a stud.

Reminds me of TO the way he runs with violence and purpose. Doesn't get caught from behind. We be lucky to get him.

 

[cnuball21]

Jaleel Scott is going to be a monster. 6’5”, 215 lbs, very solid route runner, phenomenal hands, completely unstoppable with the ball in the air and, according to this, has one of the fastest game speeds. I’m still trying to figure out why he’s not going in the 1st round.

Great size and ball skills, but the knock appears to be slow out the gate and average quickness.

I think he'll have some wow catches but not sure how well he'll create separation.

 

[CATCH17]

But but, Washington only ran a 4.5.......

The dude is a stud.

I like him. I just think he takes some time to develop because of the offense he played in at OSU.

 

[phildadon86]

I like him. I just think he takes some time to develop because of the offense he played in at OSU.

Id rather have Gallup but that's just me

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Game speed...tape don't lie.

Yet I watched the tape and predicted on threads that Washington would run a slow (relatively speaking) 40, which he did.

 

[Leadbelly]

Jaleel Scott is going to be a monster. 6’5”, 215 lbs, very solid route runner, phenomenal hands, completely unstoppable with the ball in the air and, according to this, has one of the fastest game speeds. I’m still trying to figure out why he’s not going in the 1st round.

I think it's...

1. Short-to-medium route separation concerns
2. Makes insane catches look easy but the easy catches get bobbled.
3. He didn't catch well at the combine. When the ball velocity increases some guys start dropping more catches.
4. Slow to adjust from community college and NM St is not pro style. Might be just a red zone and go route guy for a few years. Not someone who is going to pick up route adjustments anytime soon.
5. Inconsistent game to game. Blows up vs Arkansas; Invisible vs Arkansas State.

But I like him too. When I first saw the Arkansas game I thought I was looking at the second coming of Calvin Johnson and why is no one talking about him. But then I watched more vs lesser competition where he should be dominating but wasn't. Still a work in progress.

 

[Aven8]

I like him. I just think he takes some time to develop because of the offense he played in at OSU.

I'm not so sure. The dude has produced every single season he has played. No, 500 yard seasons, and then a 1,100 yard season. His numbers have improved every year. He is arguably the best WR to ever play at OSU. Not most talented (that's Blackmon IMO) but best and well rounded. I'm not even a fan of OSU, but every time I watched him he was a stud.

292 yards in one game, and 172 against our own Awuzi in the bowl game. Awesome.

 

[DFWJC]

This is kinda interesting. Chark has a much faster 40 than the top 2 but doesn't reach their top speed in game with pads on, etc. He had a few long passes caught in the game but never got to run clean I suppose. All 3 arm lengths are about the same and Chark benched more than both of them, so he should in theory carry the pads easier.

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/top-plays/fastest-ball-carriers/2017/all

Tyreek Hill hitting over 23mph on a kickoff return sounds about right. Fournette being the fastest guy in 2017 at over 22mph shows you can still be really fast even though you're a 4.5 guy but strong. Derrick Henry almost hit 22mph as well.

Ball carriers will only hit their top end speed really on big plays so this isn't going to get every player, but a decent comparison point. Tre'Quan's top speed would have been faster than anyone reached in the nfl in 2017 on this list.

This is very dependent on a player having a long open field runway.
Or also if the player has no need to open full throttle because nobody can think of catching them.
Either way, they would be not running at their max speed.

Having said that, its always been true that so e run faster in pads than others

 

[cnuball21]

Yet I watched the tape and predicted on threads that Washington would run a slow (relatively speaking) 40, which he did.

And after he ran a slow 40 I didn't really care too much...still arguably the best deep threat in the draft.

 

[Aven8]

Just read that Washington jumped 39" and ran a 4.43 at his pro day last month. Big improvement over the combine.

My bet is the Cowboys love this kid.