Professional football players are seemingly getting more and more athletic with each passing season. Even so, breaking records at the NFL Scouting Combine is no easy feat. Records are meant to be broken, though, and we saw Xavier Worthy break the Scouting Combine 40-yard dash record just last season with a 4.21-second performance in the most popular event at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Performances like that one help prospects shoot up draft boards, and there will certainly be some impressive measurements and showcases during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. So, which invitees have the best chance to break records this year?
Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas – 40-yard dash
Texas’ roster was full of athletic freaks, as we also considered Andrew Mukuba, Jaydon Blue, and Shemar Stewart for this list. This all comes on the heels of former Texas player Xavier Worthy breaking the 40-yard dash record last season. The Longhorns replaced Worthy in their offense with another speedster.
That was, of course, Isaiah Bond. The former Alabama product is perhaps best known for his 4th and 31 touchdown catch in one of the best Iron Bowl games ever, but he’ll make his money in the NFL because of his speed. He even has a chance to break his Texas predecessor’s 40-yard dash record, and he has even vocalized a desire to do so. Bond was often used as a deep-threat decoy for Texas, but he has the potential to be so much more. Despite underwhelming collegiate production, Bond has a chance to be drafted in the second round. After all, he has even more to his game than just his ability as a burner.
Brashard Smith, RB, SMU – 40-yard dash
Brashard Smith is a receiver-turned-running back, so you know he has killer speed. The 22.1 miles per hour he reached in a Week 10 game last season was among the fastest in-game times during the NCAA season. Because of this, he thrives as a pass-catching back, and he has great breakaway speed as a ball carrier.
Receivers have dominated the 40-yard dash in recent years, but running back Chris Johnson was once the record holder in that drill. If there is a running back who can break Worthy’s 40-yard dash record at this years NFL Scouting Combine, it is the SMU ball-carrier.
Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon – 40-yard dash
Another gridiron track star is Tez Johnson. The Oregon receiver, who is famous for being the adopted brother (and former teammate) of Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, doesn’t look like your average NFL player. A lot of teams will be hesitant to give him a shot because he is only 5-foot-9 and 156 pounds.
If he is drafted, he will become one of the smallest players in NFL history. One thing is for sure, though, and that is that Johnson can run. He’d ease a lot of concerns if he became the new 40-yard dash record holder. Johnson is a great route runner who is super twitchy and has great change-of-direction ability, so he should thrive in the 20-yard shuttle and the three-cone drill, too.
Arian Smith, WR, Georgia – 40-yard dash
Speed is clearly a strong suit in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Arian Smith might be the fastest of all of the prospects. Smith didn’t put up great numbers at Georgia, but he was a threat to take it the distance every time he did get his hands on the football. While he only had 68 career catches over five seasons with the Bulldogs, Smith averaged an impressive 19.9 yards per catch.
He was used almost exclusively as a long-range/big-play threat in his first three seasons. A 4.2-something 40-yard dash time seems inevitable for Smith; it is just a matter of whether or not he can eclipse 4.21 seconds for his sprint speed. The 40-yard dash will clearly be the most competitive at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina – Vertical
A non-40-yard dash record-breaking candidate is Nick Emmanwori. The South Carolina safety is one of the most explosive athletes in this draft class. He has the exact physical traits that you want out of a safety, and he’ll likely be drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft because of that.
Before the draft, Emmanwori has a chance to break the vertical jump record at the NFL Scouting Combine. Chris Conley jumped 45 inches high in 2016, and Emmanwori jumped 42 inches high in workouts with the Gamecocks last year. He has likely improved on that since then.
The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine begins on Thursday, February 27 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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