With the start of the NFL Combine, it is only right to look back at the best of the best.
The Combine is a place for NFL prospects to show and impress scouts and general managers. Not all of the things that these prospects are being tested on relate to how they translate into the pros. This is more to see how much of an athlete each prospect is.
Let’s start with everyone’s favorite test: the 40-yard dash.
John Ross, WR, 2017 | 4.22 seconds
With a blazing time of 4.22 seconds, Ross surpassed Chris Johnson’s 4.24 record. Keep in mind that this record is from 1999 to today, since that is when they started electric timing. Ross ended up being a first-round pick after being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bench Press: Stephen Paea, DT, 2011 | 49 reps
Paea had an impressive 49 reps to lead all position and players. It is worth noting that there are unconfirmed reports that Justin Ernest did 51 reps in 1999. Paea was select in the second round by the Chicago Bears.
Vertical Jump: Chris Conley, WR, 2015 and Donald Washington, CB, 2009 | 45 inches
There is a tie for this record as both Conley and Washington jumped an incredible height of 45 inches. But once again, there is a little bit of controversy here as Gerald Sensabaugh had a vertical jump of 46 inches in 2005. However, this was a year before they changed how they measure the jump. Conley and Wilson both went to the Chiefs during their drafts, in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.
Broad Jump: Byron Jones, DB, 2015 | 12 feet, 3 inches
In 2015, Jones didn’t just set the Combine record, but also the World record with his incredible jump of 12 feet, three inches. The next closest jump at the combine is a solid six inches behind Jones, who was selected in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys.
Three-Cone Drill: J.T. Thomas, CB, 2018 | 6.28 seconds
Thomas set the record with a time of 6.28 seconds. Jeffery Maehl, Buster Skrine, Scott Long, and Dane Sanzenbacher fill up the second through fifth spots in the record books. Thomas was an undrafted rookie free agent who signed with the Eagles.
20-Yard Shuttle: Brandin Cooks, WR, 2014 and Jason Allen, CB, 2006 | 3.81 seconds
Both Cooks and Allen share the record with a time of 3.81 seconds. Once again, there are players may have had better times, but those would have come before 2006 and the equipment change. Cooks was selected in the first round by the New Orleans Saints; Allen was also drafted in the first round, but he landed with the Miami Dolphins.
60-Yard Shuttle: Shelton Gibson, WR, 2017 | 10.71 seconds
With the record of 10.71 seconds, Gibson is fast. He was able to just pass Cooks who ran a 10.72 seconds shuttle. Gibson was select in the fifth round by the Eagles.
The Combine isn’t just a great resource for team officials, but also a nice event that lets you see how your favorite player stacks up against the other prospects entering the draft.
Believe it or not, most of the important information the team gathers from the Combine may never reach the public. The teams rely on the individual meeting and medicals during the combine.
