On-field workouts for the 2023 NFL Combine start today. Here is a look at the average 40-yard dash time by position over the last decade. Cornerbacks have clocked in at the fastest average time at 4.50 seconds, with wide receivers (4.51 seconds) and safeties (4.55 seconds) right behind them.

Data Source(s) and Tools:

This visualization was made by Keegan Abdoo of the NFL’s Next Gen Stats team using the ggplot and gganimate packages in R. The data source is the official measurements from the NFL combine, which we have tracked going back to 2003.

It’s an interesting animation, but not having an easy way to see the results without manually pausing, and worse yet the final frame resetting to the beginning of the animation makes it challenging to interpret the data. It would have been really nice to have the results listed in order.

And am I missing something or should ED actually be DE?

I think the ED is shorthand for EDGE.

Depending on the scheme edge rushers can be lined up at outside linebacker or defensive end.

My old man used to say that cornerbacks are just wide receivers that couldn’t catch.

With 40 times like that I’m grudgingly starting to believe him.

Sorry, what is this saying? Why is it animated? What on earth is it?

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It’s animated because it shows in real time how long it takes professional football players to run 40 yards. The animation time equals the sprint time, pretty cool.

such an earnest response to a painfully aloof comment, kudos

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