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The Ultimate 2025 Guide: What Is A GOOD 40-Yard Dash Time? (By Position & Level)

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The 40-yard dash remains the single most scrutinized and talked-about metric in American football, a lightning-fast trial that can instantly rewrite a player's draft stock and future earnings. As of the December 2025 football season, a "good" 40-yard dash time is a highly contextual number, but the benchmark for elite speed is currently set below the 4.30-second mark, a standard recently highlighted by the electric performances at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. This deep dive will break down precisely what a good time is across all levels, from high school recruits dreaming of a scholarship to NFL hopefuls competing for a first-round pick, using the freshest data and positional averages to give you the most accurate picture of football speed. The measurement is simple: 40 yards, or 36.58 meters, run from a three-point stance. However, the interpretation is complex, as a blazing time for an offensive lineman is pedestrian for a cornerback. The gold standard is always the official, laser-timed result from the NFL Scouting Combine, which eliminates the inconsistency of hand-timing often used at local pro days or high school camps, which can be inflated by as much as 0.2 to 0.4 seconds. Understanding this distinction is the first step in decoding the true meaning of a "good" 40-yard dash time.

The Elite Speed Benchmark: NFL Combine Records and 2025 Standouts

The NFL Combine is where legends are made and draft boards are shuffled. The times recorded here are the undisputed, official benchmarks for elite football speed.

The All-Time Fastest 40-Yard Dash Record

The current, official record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine belongs to wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who blazed a stunning 4.21 seconds in 2024. This monumental time broke the previous record of 4.22 seconds, which had been held by John Ross since 2017. Worthy’s performance solidified the 4.2x range as the pinnacle of straight-line football speed.

Top Times from the 2025 NFL Combine

The 2025 Combine continued the trend of incredible speed, with several athletes posting times that immediately caught the attention of every NFL general manager. * Maxwell Hairston (Cornerback, Kentucky): The fastest time of the 2025 Combine was recorded by Hairston, who clocked an incredible 4.28 seconds. This time immediately cemented him as an elite speed prospect at the defensive back position. * Matthew Golden (Wide Receiver, Texas): Hot on his heels was Golden, who ran a blistering 4.29 seconds. * Darien Porter (Cornerback, Iowa State): Porter also broke the 4.30 barrier, running a 4.30 seconds. A time in the 4.20s is considered historic and an immediate game-changer for a player's draft stock. A time in the low 4.30s is considered elite and places a player among the top speedsters in the entire draft class.

Positional Benchmarks: What is a Good Time for *Your* Position?

Speed is relative. What’s considered a good time is entirely dependent on the position you play. The following benchmarks are based on the latest NFL Combine data, primarily from the 2023 and 2025 events, representing the modern standard for professional football.
Position Elite Time (Top 5%) Good/Above Average Time NFL Average Time (Approx.)
Wide Receiver (WR) Sub 4.35 4.40 - 4.45 4.49
Cornerback (CB) Sub 4.35 4.40 - 4.45 4.50
Running Back (RB) Sub 4.40 4.45 - 4.50 4.51
Safety (S) Sub 4.45 4.50 - 4.55 4.57
Quarterback (QB) Sub 4.50 4.55 - 4.65 4.59
Linebacker (LB) Sub 4.60 4.65 - 4.75 4.72
Tight End (TE) Sub 4.60 4.65 - 4.75 4.67
Defensive Line (DL) Sub 4.75 4.80 - 4.95 4.89
Offensive Line (OL) Sub 5.00 5.05 - 5.20 5.20

Key Positional Takeaways:

* Speed Positions (WR, CB, RB): A time below 4.40 seconds is absolutely elite and separates a player from the pack. The average is consistently in the mid-4.4s to low-4.5s. * Quarterback (QB): The average QB time has been rising, with the 2023 Combine average at 4.59 seconds. A sub-4.50 time for a QB is considered exceptional and signals true dual-threat ability. * Linemen (OL/DL): The priority here is size and power, but speed is increasingly valued. A defensive lineman running sub-4.80 is a massive asset, as evidenced by the 2025 group averaging 4.89 seconds. For offensive linemen, anything under 5.00 seconds is a rare and highly sought-after trait.

Decoding the 40: Why Split Times Are More Important Than the Final Number

The final 40-yard time is just the headline; scouts and coaches are increasingly focused on the split times, particularly the 10-yard split and the 20-yard split. These segments reveal crucial information about an athlete's acceleration and top-end speed.

The Critical Role of the 10-Yard Split

The first 10 yards is a pure measure of acceleration and initial explosiveness, which is arguably the most important element of football speed. In most football plays, a player rarely runs a full 40 yards. They need to burst off the line, change direction, or close on a ball carrier within the first 10-20 yards. * Elite 10-Yard Split: Under 1.50 seconds. This is the benchmark for explosive athletes at any skill position. * Good 10-Yard Split: 1.50 - 1.60 seconds. * Lineman 10-Yard Split Target: Under 1.70 seconds. For example, a player running a 4.45 with a 1.48 split is often considered more explosive and "football fast" than a player who runs a 4.40 but has a slower 1.55 split. The former wins the race off the line of scrimmage.

The 20-Yard Split and Top-End Speed

The 20-yard split is the midpoint, showing how well an athlete maintains acceleration. The segment from 20 to 40 yards (the 20-40 split) is a measure of an athlete's top-end speed and speed endurance. Top track coaches often look for an athlete to run the 0-20 yard segment in around 2.70 seconds and the 10-40 yard segment in approximately 3.00 seconds for an elite performance. A massive difference between the 20-yard and 40-yard times indicates poor top-end speed, while a player who runs a slow 10-yard split but a fast 20-40 split is a "build-up speed" athlete.

High School and Collegiate Benchmarks: What is a Good 40 Time for Recruits?

The 40-yard dash is a key evaluation tool for college recruiters. However, most high school times are hand-timed, which means they are almost always faster than the official laser-timed results used at the Combine. Recruiters typically add 0.2 to 0.4 seconds to a hand-timed result to estimate the laser-timed equivalent.

High School Football (Varsity Level)

For a high school athlete looking to be recruited by Division I programs, the following laser-timed benchmarks are crucial: * Elite Recruit (Skill Positions): Sub 4.50 seconds (This is extremely rare and translates to a hand-time in the 4.3s). * Highly Recruitable (Skill Positions): 4.50 - 4.70 seconds. * Good Varsity Time (Skill Positions): 4.70 - 4.90 seconds. * Average Varsity Time: Low to mid-5 seconds. A high school wide receiver running a 4.7-5.0 seconds is generally considered the average range. A time under 5.0 seconds is the general threshold for being considered "fast" at the high school level.

Collegiate Football (Non-Combine)

In the college ranks, a player is generally considered to have NFL-caliber speed if they can consistently hit the following marks in a laser-timed setting: * Skill Positions (WR, CB, RB): 4.40 - 4.55 seconds. * Linebackers/Tight Ends: 4.60 - 4.75 seconds. Achieving a time in the low 4.4s in a college pro day setting will guarantee a player a significant look from NFL scouts, regardless of their position. The pursuit of shaving off those crucial hundredths of a second is why specialized training for the 40-yard dash, focusing on technique, acceleration, and maximum velocity, is a multi-million dollar industry for draft prospects. The difference between a 4.50 and a 4.40 can literally equate to millions of dollars in a professional contract.
The Ultimate 2025 Guide: What Is a GOOD 40-Yard Dash Time? (By Position & Level)
40 yard dash good time
40 yard dash good time

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