Who is the fastest player in the NFL? Here’s where Tyreek Hill and Lamar Jackson rank in 2021
There is just something exciting about watching a player with incredible speed fly across the pitch.
Whether it’s using that speed to cross the sideline, cut through the middle of defense, and score or destroy a covering unit on special teams, these big games with breakaway speed always add another. level of excitement at the game.
And there are several players in the league who can carve out defenses with their speed. Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, nicknamed Cheetah, is often considered the fastest, but he certainly didn’t escape the title as other talents like 49ers running back Raheem Mostert, quarterback have shown. Ravens back Lamar Jackson and Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III. they too can overtake just about anyone.
Is there a way to find out who is the fastest player in the league? Sporting News is examining to see which players have published the strongest cases.
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Who is the fastest player in the NFL?
There are always several different ways to draw a conclusion about the fastest player in the league, and each will likely bring a different outcome.
Some guys just take this visual test, where their speed seems to be on a different level than other players. But our eyes aren’t perfect, and it’s incredibly subjective, so we won’t be using this method.
What about the fastest times posted in a match? There is a lot going on in the action of the game. Players have to travel routes, dodge tacklers, carry a soccer ball, or catch the ball. We can also take a look at the 40-meter run times, where players are encouraged to run in a straight line as fast as possible. But even then, some players might not have their best day. Another might have an adrenaline rush.
There’s no perfect way to decide who is the fastest player in the league, but we’ll present the available data to see who might come closest to that description.
Top 10 fastest players in 2021
NFL Next-Gen Stats tracks the fastest players in contact with the ball since 2016. This, like any other method, remains a flawed method as it does not include defenders – such as safeties and corners – chasing after a ball carrier to make a tackle. Still, it gives us a good look at which players have recorded the fastest times trying to avoid being tackled.
Here are the players who have recorded the fastest times so far this season.
| Player | Team | Maximum speed (mph) | The week | Play event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melvin gordon | Broncos | 21.52 | 1 | TD 70 yards rushing |
| Sammy Watkins | Ravens | 21.05 | 1 | 49-meter reception |
| Devin Duvernay | Ravens | 21.01 | 1 | 30 yard kick return |
| Khalil Herbert | Bear | 20.88 | 1 | Return of the kick-off on 50 yards |
| David Montgomery | Bear | 20.80 | 1 | 41 yard run |
| Joe mixon | Bengals | 20.66 | 1 | 19 yard rush |
| Brandin cooks | Texans | 20.62 | 1 | 52-meter reception |
| Henri ruggs | Raiders | 20.62 | 1 | Reception of 37 meters |
| Isaiah McKenzie | Invoices | 20.52 | 1 | 75-yard kickoff return |
| Anthony schwartz | brown | 20.43 | 1 | 17 meter rush |
Top 10 best times in 2020
The 2021 season is still ongoing. So let’s see who were the fastest regular season players last year. One player seems to stand out from the crowd.
| Player | Team | Maximum speed (mph) | The week | Play event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahim mostert | 49ers | 23.09 | 2 | TD 80 yards rushing |
| Rahim mostert | 49ers | 22.73 | 1 | TD on receiving 76 yards |
| Kenya drake | Cardinals | 22.11 | 6 | TD 69 yards rushing |
| Jonathan taylor | Foals | 22.05 | 17 | 29 yard run |
| Tyreek Hill | Chefs | 21.91 | 14 | TD on receiving 44 yards |
| Nyheim Hines | Foals | 21.85 | 13 | Return of the kick-off from 19 yards |
| Nelson agholar | Raiders | 21.72 | 17 | Receiving 57 yards |
| Trevon Diggs | Cowboys | 21.72 | 8 | Interception at 0 yard |
| Michael davis | Chargers | 21.68 | 4 | 78-yard TD interception |
| DK Metcalf | Seahawks | 21.66 | 7 | 6 meter reception |
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Who has the fastest time in a regular season game?
Perhaps it comes as little surprise that the fastest time ever recorded by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, which dates back to the start of the 2016 season, belongs to Hill. He returned a 27-yard kickoff and was clocked at 23.24 mph.
Hill and Mostert share the top four, while Hill is first and third and Mostert is second and fourth. Mostert is the only other player to register a speed above 23 mph. Xavier Rhodes is the only defensive player to make the top 10.
| Year | Player | Team | Maximum speed (mph) | The week | Play event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Tyreek Hill | Chefs | 23.24 | 2 | 27-yard kickoff return |
| 2020 | Rahim mostert | 49ers | 23.09 | 2 | TD 80 yards rushing |
| 2016 | Tyreek Hill | Chefs | 22.77 | 12 | 86-yard kickoff return |
| 2020 | Rahim mostert | 49ers | 22.73 | 1 | TD on receiving 76 yards |
| 2016 | DeSean Jackson | Redskins | 22.6 | 13 | Reception of 59 meters |
| 2016 | Stefon Diggs | Vikings | 22.5 | 2 | Reception of 44 meters |
| 2016 | Xavier rhodes | Vikings | 22.4 | 11 | Intercept 100 yards TD |
| 2016 | Brandin cooks | Saints | 22.4 | 15 | TD on receiving 45 yards |
| 2016 | Mike Wallace | Ravens | 22.34 | 6 | Reception of 70 meters |
| 2019 | Matt Breida | 49ers | 22.3 | 5 | 83 yards rushing TD |
The fastest 40 times
Before each NFL Draft, players are assessed on their ability to sprint straight for 40 yards.
Here are the fastest players followed at the NFL Combine, according to Stathead, since 2000. The times for 2021 are college Pro Days, as the 2021 NFL Combine has been canceled and is courtesy of the NFL Draft Bible.
| Year | Player | Team | Pos | 40YD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Donte Stallworth | Saints | WR | 4.22 |
| 2017 | Jean Ross | Bengals | WR | 4.22 |
| 2008 | Chris Johnson | Titans | RB | 4.24 |
| 2014 | Dri Archer | Steelers | WR | 4.26 |
| 2013 | Marquise Goodwin | Invoices | WR | 4.27 |
| 2005 | Stanford routt | Raiders | CB | 4.27 |
| 2020 | Henri Ruggs III | Raiders | WR | 4.27 |
| 2021 | Anthony schwartz | brown | WR | 4.27 |
| 2015 | JJ Nelson | Cardinals | WR | 4.28 |
| 2010 | Jacoby Ford | Raiders | WR | 4.28 |
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What is Lamar Jackson’s 40th time?
Jackson didn’t run the 40-yard sprint at the NFL Combine before the 2018 NFL Draft, but on a Speed Day in Louisville he was timed at a 4.34-second 40-yard sprint. According to Stathead, the time would have been the third fastest time recorded by a quarterback since 2000, behind only Robert Griffin III and Michael Vick, both of whom clocked 4.33.
What is the Tyreek Hill 40 weather?
Hill was not at the NFL combine in 2016 due to a domestic violence arrest. Hill ran at the West Alabama Pro Day and ran a 4.29 second dash for 40 yards. That would match him for the 15th fastest time, by Stathead, and 11th fastest among wide receivers.
