There is no place for the tortoise in the NFL.
An old Aesop fable, ‘The Tortoise and the Hare,’ is a lovely story about how slow and steady wins the race and the issues that too much confidence can create. In the story, the hare is a cocky individual, ultimately undone by that arrogant nature.
While overconfidence can sometimes be a problem in the NFL, players aren’t going to allow themselves to become the modern version of that classic.
The league is built on speed and strength, bringing together some of the most athletic specimens on the face of the earth. With around 300 players gathering at the NFL combine every year, it’s only natural for players to try and win the race – against the clock.
Competition reigns supreme at the pre-draft workout, where fast times can send a player flying up the draft boards. It’s only natural that slow times would have the opposite effect.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
While the likes of Xavier Worthy and John Ross III challenge speed limits and radar guns for their wheels on the field, other players just want to avoid the fate of being the rotten egg, as the kids would say.
Here’s a breakdown of the slowest official 40 times, overall and by position, on record at the NFL combine since 2000.
Slowest NFL combine 40-yard dash time
Regis Crawford has the honor of being the slowest runner in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He never played a snap in the league and while Crawford’s official time is 6.05, the offensive lineman also turned in a 6.07, according to NFL.com, which is the slowest single run in combine history.
The slowest runners all have a common link of being offensive line prospects. Most were undrafted, but Orlando Brown Jr. turned into a Pro Bowl tackle with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here’s a look at the official top-10 slowest 40 times at the NFL combine since 2000, according to Pro Football Reference.
Regis Crawford, OG, Arizona State, undrafted, 2004: 6.05
Isaiah Thompson, OG, Houston, undrafted, 2011: 6.00
Char-Ron Dorsey, OT, Florida State, Dallas Cowboys, 7th round pick No. 242, 2001: 5.99
Palauni Ma Sun, OG, Oregon, undrafted, 2007: 5.86
Orlando Brown Jr., OT, Oklahoma, Baltimore Ravens, 3rd round pick No. 83, 2018: 5.85
Jonathan Gray, OT, Texas Tech, undrafted, 2000: 5.85
Kurt Sigler, C, Eastern Washington, undrafted, 2004: 5.84
Damien Mama, OG, USC, undrafted, 2017: 5.84
Gus Felder, OG, Penn State, undrafted, 2003: 5.83
Shannon Snell, OG, Florida, undrafted, 2004: 5.82
Slowest quarterback NFL combine 40-yard dash time
Ryan Mallett owns the slowest 40 time for a quarterback at the NFL combine, turning in a 5.37. The quarterback he once backed up for the New England Patriots, Tom Brady, also famously checks in on this list with a time of 5.28.
While Brady was, by far, the most successful quarterback on this list, 40 times for quarterbacks didn’t end up having much of an impact on their ability to be drafted.
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas, New England Patriots, 3rd round pick No. 74, 2011: 5.37
Chris Redman, Louisville, Baltimore Ravens, 3rd round pick No. 75, 2000: 5.37
Toby Korrodi, Central Missouri State, undrafted: 2007: 5.37
Tom Brady, Michigan, New England Patriots, 6th round pick No. 199, 2000: 5.28
Jared Lorenzen, Kentucky, undrafted, 2004: 5.28
Slowest running back NFL combine 40-yard dash time
NFL teams are clearly not fond of slower running backs. Only one player on this list, Kenny Hilliard, managed to get picked in the NFL draft. The Houston Texans took a chance on him in the seventh round, but he never appeared in a regular season game.
Dicenzo Miller, despite posting over 1,000 scrimmage yards during his final two seasons at Mississippi State, never found an NFL home. However, he remains in the history books for his 4.93 time in the 40-yard dash, the slowest by any running back since 2000.
Dicenzo Miller, Mississippi State, undrafted, 2002: 4.93
Destry Wright, Jackson State, undrafted, 2000: 4.84
Jerome Smith, Syracuse, undrafted, 2014: 4.84
Duron Croson, Fort Valley State, undrafted, 2004: 4.83
John Clay, Wisconsin, undrafted, 2011: 4.83
Kenny Hilliard, LSU, Houston Texans, 7th round pick No. 235, 2015: 4.83
Dmitri Flowers, Oklahoma, undrafted, 2018: 4.83
Slowest wide receiver NFL combine 40-yard dash time
Just like running backs, NFL teams aren’t running to the podium to draft slower receivers.
De’Runnya Wilson made sure his fellow Mississippi State alum had company on these lists, turning in an official 4.85 at the combine in 2016. A teammate of Dak Prescott’s, Wilson went undrafted and spent time on the Chicago Bears’ practice squad. Wilson was also known for his basketball skills, earning the title of Alabama Mr. Basketball in 2013.
De’Runnya Wilson, Mississippi State, undrafted, 2016: 4.85
Wendell Montgomery, Wyoming, undrafted, 2000: 4.81
DeVontres Dukes, South Florida, undrafted, 2021: 4.81**
Tavares Martin, Washington State, undrafted, 2018: 4.80
Nate Poole, Marshall, undrafted, 2001: 4.79
Ernest Wilford, Virginia Tech, Jacksonville Jaguars, 4th round pick No. 120, 2004: 4.79
Dukes’ time is courtesy of his pro day since the NFL combine was canceled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Slowest tight end NFL combine 40-yard dash time
Tight ends have evolved over the years, making the position interesting to look at from a 40-yard dash perspective. Some have elected to pass on running at the combine entirely, especially in recent years.
Scooter Harrington has the slowest time for a tight end on record, checking in at 5.19. He, just like mostly everyone else with a slow time, went undrafted. Harrington would join the Bears as an undrafted free agent but didn’t make the roster and never landed with another team.
Scooter Harrington, Stanford, undrafted, 2021: 5.19**
J.C. Chalk, Clemson, undrafted, 2021: 5.18**
Giles Amos, Arkansas State, undrafted, 2021: 5.14**
Dauntae’ Finger, North Carolina, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7th round pick No. 205, 2001: 5.09
Anthony Pudewell, Nevada, undrafted, 2007: 5.07
Harrington, Chalk and Amos’ times are courtesy of their pro days since the NFL combine was canceled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.