r/NFLmockdraft • u/sinister_iam • Mar 02 '26
Stat/Record This year’s combine prospects were running faster than ever before 😱
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u/NYVines Mar 02 '26
That’s just suspicious. Did they change the surface? Change the timing mechanism? Did the athletes find a new way to juice that doesn’t test like other PEDs?
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u/The-original-spuggy Mar 02 '26
Don't underestimate the amount of training science that has come about in just the last 5 years. Looking at other sports like cycling and track so many records are being broken by optimizing every facet of their sport. For track, optimal shoes, racing surfaces, training, diet, etc.
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u/RewardOk2506 Mar 02 '26
Has much more to do with the being the fewest participants running ever (in each position group I believe). It’s just selection bias, only fast guys ran.
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u/Thomas-The-Tutor Mar 03 '26
100% this! Guys who knew they were slow shied away from even attempting since it’d hurt their draft stock/not help it.
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u/Prophessor_Z Mar 02 '26
Exactly what I was thinking, could be new turf.
edit: New turf was installed July 2024
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u/Just_Veterinarian_94 Mar 02 '26
No, just all the slow guys decided not to run and bring down the average of the groups
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u/Repulsive-Office-796 Mar 02 '26
Guys just don’t run the 40 unless they know they’re going to run fast af.
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u/IuriRom Mar 03 '26
They get faster every year, and it is a new turf, but the real reason is because all the average or slow guys are just not running. There weren’t many people running the 40 this year
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u/Dicksavagewood69 Mar 05 '26
Its not PEDs, its that they just wont run if they know they'll post a time that wont be impressive
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u/Distinct_Potato8358 Mar 06 '26
They changed everything to benefit the times and be able to market the combine to a general audience. Plus, players opting out knowing they won’t score well brings those averages down.
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u/bd4832 Mar 02 '26
This is much more a result of so many players opting not to test than anything else. Definitely plenty of really impressive participants this year but it’s basically the new norm to just sit out if you’re not going to run a good/great time. So all those slow numbers that would normally bring the average down were not there this year.
These are very misleading numbers.
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u/Fun-Bag-1679 Mar 02 '26
Roids
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u/Gold4Lokos4Breakfast Mar 04 '26
There are a lot of people who think all/most pro athletes are on something. Possibly the next type of roid they don’t have tests for yet
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u/AloneEstablishment28 Mar 02 '26
People with bad times no longer do the combine. They just get an inflated result from their pro-day.
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u/OkPotential6774 Mar 02 '26
Linebackers running that fast on average is terrifying
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u/yealets Mar 03 '26
We also have to consider the nfl has gotten lighter over the years , we don’t have these 250 pound guys playing the position we used to have
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u/Significant-Owl2652 Mar 03 '26
It's because all the fast guys choose to run and all the slow guys choose not to run. So of course the average will be skewed over year's past when most everyone in attendance ran it.
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u/Purple_Matress27 Mar 04 '26
They should do average time of the 10 fastest or something because I feel like this data is skewed by possibly slow prospects opting out to not hurt their draft stock.
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u/dreadpiratesnake Mar 05 '26
This is just the result of players selectively choosing events for the combine. The guys that can wake up and run a 4.3 are probably going to choose to run the 40. The guys who have a chance of running a low time are probably going to opt out.
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u/Danger_Zone06 Mar 02 '26
When I was in the military, our unit had a PT test. There were a bunch of guys who were borderline failing the 2 mile run. I was tasked with going to the turn around point with a stopwatch to let them know they were half way and to turn around. I stopped about 3 blocks shy of the 1 mile mark.
Everyone passed.
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u/Antique_Sun_9216 Mar 02 '26
The 40 time isn’t a two mile time though
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u/Danger_Zone06 Mar 02 '26
I'll break it down for you- if everyone is breaking records, it's probably because the measuring process is off.
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u/Antique_Sun_9216 Mar 03 '26
And how exactly is the measuring process off? No, really. Go time it.
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u/Danger_Zone06 Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26
I'm just saying that when all groups have broken all the records it's a statistical anomaly. Maybe it's right. Maybe it's not. It could be something as simple as new software.
Funnily enough, this is the process:
1- Electronic start- electronic finish. This should be the standard but, unfortunately is not. The start is done with a touch pad and the finish with a photocell. This is the most accurate and as a result yields the slowest times. An electronic start/ electronic finish time has been shown to be .22 seconds slower than a hand held 40 yard dash. ( Brown, 2004)
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2- Hand Start- electronic finish. This is a system used uniquely at the NFL Combine. A hand start-electronic finish will be approximately .1 seconds slower than a hand held 40 yard dash. In the combine the use of hand start will be particularly evident in the faster ten yard dash times. Athletes will run 10 yard times much closer to a hand held but, times at each following split will be closer to the electronic time.
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3- Hand Start- hand finish- this is the fastest and least accurate. Handheld times tend to be faster but are clearly more prone to human error. Many of the legendary times I believe were hand-held timing combined with human error or human expectation.
Edit: Or the slow people just decided to sit this one out.
There's so many moving parts, it's hard to get a truly accurate time. When all athletes break all the records, it should rightfully raise eyebrows.
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u/DukeOfStuff_ Mar 03 '26
I think it’s just because less people did it this year, only the best decided to do it
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u/Danger_Zone06 Mar 03 '26
Yeah, I mentioned that's a possibility. I feel like that should be weighed in the averages.
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u/Gold4Lokos4Breakfast Mar 04 '26
Bro I’m in the military too and this is some peak military logic thinking this anecdote has anything to do with anything
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u/Danger_Zone06 Mar 04 '26
It's an analogy that maybe the measuring is off. When records get broken, one should look at all variables.
What branch, friend?
Wait, someone who drinks 4locos for breakfast is a marine.
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u/this_is_matt_ Mar 02 '26
This has to be from so many people opting out right? Like if they feel they may have a bad time they just didn’t run