Analysis
3/5/23
4 min read
2023 NFL Combine: Cornerbacks Dominate Top 10-Fastest 40 Times
The 40-yard dash is the most anticipated event at the NFL Scouting Combine each year, and this past week the prospects lived up to the hype.
The fastest 40s are always dominated by running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs. This year, the defensive backs out-ran the field, with cornerbacks making up more than half of the 10 fastest times.
2023 NFL Combine's 10-Fastest Players
Tied-7. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
Combine 40: 4.36 seconds
Gibbs (scouting report) could be a first-round pick, and his 40-yard dash time will only help his case. After transferring from Georgia Tech, he totaled 1,370 receiving and rushing yards for the Crimson Tide in 2022. He is the 17th overall player and second-best running back on The 33rd Team's big board.
Tied-7. Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina
Combine 40: 4.36
Rush impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl in January and continued that momentum into the combine. His 40-yard dash time should leave NFL teams with zero questions about his ability to cover down the field. Rush isn't talked about as much as his teammate, Cam Smith (scouting report), but his strong combine and Senior Bowl performances have put him on the map.
Tied-7. Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
Combine 40: 4.36
Ringo (scouting report) came into the week as one of the most highly anticipated workouts of the combine given his track-and-field background. As a junior in high school, he had Arizona's top times in the 100 meters (10.43) and 200 meters (21.18). He also won the AIA Division III state titles in both of those events in 2019. The 26th overall player and fourth cornerback on The 33rd Team's big board backed up his high school numbers at the combine.
Tied-7. Derius Davis, WR, TCU
Combine 40: 4.36
Davis (scouting report) was a well-known name coming into the combine, but his 40-yard dash time should garner recognition. He set career highs in receptions and receiving yards in 2022, helping TCU reach the College Football National Championship. He is the 150th overall player and 33rd wide receiver on The 33rd Team's big board.
Tied-5. Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Miss. State
Combine 40: 4.35
Forbes (scouting report) had some of the most eye-popping numbers this season. He was one of only 10 Division I players with at least six interceptions, one of two with three pick-sixes, and he finished with the most interception return yards (174) in D-I. Forbes is the 19th overall player and second cornerback on The 33rd Team's big board.
Tied-5. Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
Combine 40: 4.35
Between Jakorian Bennett and Banks (scouting report), the Terrapins might have had the fastest pair of cornerbacks in college football this past season. Banks was just a hair behind Bennett at a 4.35, but that's more than enough speed to keep his name firmly in first-round consideration. Banks ranks as the 50th overall player and eighth cornerback on The 33rd Team's big board.
4. Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska
Combine 40: 4.33
Palmer (scouting report) was one of the few bright spots for a struggling Nebraska team in 2022. His 1,043 receiving yards this past season easily eclipsed his previous career high of 344. He is 117th overall and the 19th best receiver in the draft, according to The 33rd Team's scouting department.
3. Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M
Combine 40: 4.32
Achane (scouting report) was expected to be one of the fastest players at the combine, and he lived up to the hype. The former Texas A&M running back set career highs in carries and rushing yards in 2022. Her is the 113th overall prospect and eighth-best running back ranked by The 33rd Team's scouting department.
2. Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
Combine 40: 4.30
Bennett (scouting report) is the faster half of Maryland's speedy cornerback duo. He had two consecutive productive seasons with the Terrapins before deciding to enter the draft. Bennett is The 33rd Team scouting department's 87th overall player and 10th-best cornerback.
4.27u 😳😳😳@UMichFootball DB DJ Turner II is turning heads.
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/qm1YCrVoWX— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2023
1. DJ Turner, CB, Michigan
Combine 40: 4.26
Turner (scouting report) was the only player to run in the 4.2s this year. He started for two seasons with the Wolverines, helping the team reach the College Football Playoff in 2021 and 2022. He is the 89th overall player and the 11th cornerback on The 33rd Team's big board.
