The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is right around the corner. It’s a great opportunity for teams to meet with prospects, interview them, and access their medical records to make informed decisions when the NFL Draft comes around in April.
However, to the fans watching at home, the most-talked-about event will be the 40-yard dash. It’s always fun to see which players put together the fastest runs, especially with current Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy having broken the record for the fastest time just two years ago.
Is Worthy’s record in jeopardy this year? Which draft prospects will put together the fastest times in Indianapolis? PFSN projects the five fastest 40-yard dash times in the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State | WR
Prior to 2025, Brenen Thompson had been a reserve at wide receiver for Texas and Oklahoma. Once he transferred to Mississippi State for his senior year, he was able to display more of his potential. He ended the season with 57 catches, seven touchdowns from scrimmage, and an SEC-leading 1,054 receiving yards.
Mississippi State reported that Thompson was clocked at running 23.7 miles per hour in the summer before the 2025 season. For reference, only one player in the entire NFL clocked the 23 mph mark during the regular season. His explosiveness off the snap and instant acceleration down the field make him a top contender for this year’s fastest 40-yard dash.
Barion Brown, LSU | WR
Barion Brown has been one of the fastest players in college football the last few years. Most notably, his top speed of 22.6 mph on a 100-yard kickoff return was the fastest in-game speed recorded of any college football player in 2023. For what it’s worth, Brown is also the only player on this list who had a 99 overall speed grade in EA Sports College Football 26.
Previously a standout at Kentucky, Brown transferred to LSU for 2025 and caught 53 passes for 523 yards and a touchdown. He’s never had a high-volume year of production, due mostly to his 10.7% career drop rate. However, he’s an elite athlete who should test well at the Combine and solidify himself as one of the fastest in this year’s draft.
Zachariah Branch, Georgia | WR
With a PFSN CFB WR Impact Score of 85.6, Zachariah Branch ranked No. 3 among the 370 eligible wide receivers in the FBS this past season. He’s an accomplished receiving threat underneath with experience as a return specialist, which makes him one of the most exciting wide receiver prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Branch has surpassed the 23 mph mark in workouts before, but it’s his in-game efficiency that has him highly regarded as a prospect. He figures to be a shoo-in to run well at the Combine. That, combined with his twitchiness as a route runner and agility after the catch, could see him drafted in the first two rounds come April.
Kendrick Law, Kentucky | WR
In his three years at Alabama, Kendrick Law hadn’t reached even 140 receiving yards in a single season. He transferred to Kentucky in 2025, which gave him a greater opportunity to showcase his abilities. His total of 540 receiving yards for the Wildcats doesn’t stand out as elite, but he showed more than enough on tape to earn a Combine invitation.
According to Law’s head coach at Alabama, Kalen DeBoer, the speedy receiver reached 23.6 mph in workouts during his time with the Crimson Tide. Law has elite breakaway speed after the catch, he has a career drop rate of just 3.4%, and his experience as a return and coverage defender on special teams makes up for his lack of production.
Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati | WR
Of the five players on this list, Jeff Caldwell is by far the biggest of the bunch at 6’5″ and 215 pounds. He was an FCS standout for Lindenwood before transferring to Cincinnati in 2025, where he caught 32 passes for 478 yards and six touchdowns. He’s less of a threat to run a 4.2 in the 40-yard dash and more of a player who could dominate in testing.
Caldwell projects as a Combine warrior; his reported broad jump of 11’9″ would have led all players at the 2025 Combine, and he’s been tested in the 22 mph range for in-game speed. As far as size-speed combinations go in the 2026 NFL Draft, Caldwell has the raw tools to be worth a Day 3 selection.
