The 40 yard dash is one of the eight key metrics we test for at that Youth1 Athletic Competency Test (Y1ACT). The staff at Giants.com break down why it's the most important drill at any combine.
JOHN SCHMEELK: Fact - The events at the combine are not the most important part of the weekend. Medical evaluations, measurements and interviews are far more important. Of the events, however, the 40 yard dash is the most important. In order to be a good cornerback in the NFL you have to have a certain level of speed. Offensively, you also have to have a certain level of speed to be a special player at running back or wide receiver. If you run below a certain level at those positions, it can make it very difficult to be successful in the NFL.
DAN SALOMONE: Fact - What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the NFL Scouting Combine? The 40-yard dash. Look, the importance of any given drill depends on the position. But I’ll go ahead with “fact” here because it’s what gets everyone to tune in. I know I’ll be making my way over to Lucas Oil Stadium to watch it.
LANCE MEDOW: Fiction - For certain positions, the 40-yard dash is useful such as running backs, wide receivers and corners. Observing how fast those players run can translate over to the football field but how much are you really going to learn from an offensive lineman running as fast as he can in a straight line. The 40-yard dash is the most well-known drill and probably best fit for television but that doesn’t make it the most important. While that event doesn’t apply to everyone, the bench press and broad jump do. Strength relates to every position in football and those two drills, in particular, test the upper and lower body. Scouts and team executives can take a lot more away from those measurements as opposed to the 40-yard dash.
Want to see how your 40 yard dash time stacks up against the rest of the country? Take a Y1ACT when it comes to a town near you!
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