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Speed is an important factor in the NFL. Taking the average speed and the fastest player stats as a parameter is an effective way for rookies to figure out a training goal.
The NFL has been famous for some of the fastest athletes on the planet and its Next Gen stats prove it. The dashboard has been tracking ball carrier speed since 2016 and it is a reliable source of information for determining a player’s top speed.
Let’s take a look at the latest data of NFL’s Next Gen Stats for the 2022 season and see who wins the title of fastest NFL player!
Key Takeaways
- This 2022 season, Devin Duverney is the fastest ball carrier with a speed of 21.6 mph – a breaking record of last year last year’s fastest speed of 21.52 mph by Melvin Gordon.
- Despite common belief, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is no longer the speediest player in the league. With regards to 2022 Next Gen Stats, Hill is not even in the top 20. He is, however, still the fastest player of all time since the tracking of Next Gen Stats.
- The fastest NFL player ever is Bob Hayes with the world record for running a 70-yard in 6.9 seconds.
Devin Duverney As The Fastest NFL Player In 2022
Devin Duvernay broke the record on a 103-yard kickoff return touchdown during the first quarter of a Baltimore-Miami faceoff. With a speed of 21.6 mph, he has outshined last year’s record of 21.52 mph by Melvin Gordon and earned himself the title of the fastest ball carrier this season so far. Devin Duverney was drafted by the Ravens in 2020. [1]
The Ravens wanted Duvernay. They had feared that the Patriots would select Devin Duverney over Devin Asiasi in the third round. Yet finally, the Ravens still got Duverney, and they have been obsessed about having him since then.
Duvernay has been one of Baltimore’s top weapons in the young season when making impacts as both a wide receiver and returner. The promising NFL player led the league in punt return average (13.9) and was also a dangerous kickoff returner.
Read more: WHO IS THE SHORTEST QUARTERBACK IN THE NFL?
Bob Hayes As The Fastest NFL Player Ever
The Next Gen Stats are the official documents from NFL for tracking NFL stats. Nevertheless, it was not until 2016 that this information dashboard was introduced. Therefore the speediest NFL player since 2016 that is ever recorded is Tyreek Hill. He achieved a top speed of 23.24 mph on a kickoff return against the Houston Texans in the 2016 season.
Yet Tyreek Hill is not the one with the speediest record in NFL history. The gold medal goes to the legendary Bob Hayes. He was a wide receiver for Dallas Cowboys (1965-1974) and the San Francisco 49ers (1975).
The player was so well known for his blazing speed that he was given the nickname “Bullet Bob”. Hayes earned an Olympic gold medalist sprinter before becoming an American football wide receiver in the NFL and spending 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He is the only athlete in history to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.
He was honored in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2001 and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in January 2009.
Top 10 Fastest NFL Players in 2022
Here are the top 10 fastest NFL players according to this year’s Next Gen Stats.
| No. | Player | Team | Position | Speed |
| 1 | Devin Duvernay | Baltimore Ravens | WR | 21.6 mph |
| 2 | Tariq Woolen | Seattle Seahawks | DB | 21.58 mph |
| 3 | Rashod Bateman | Baltimore Ravens | WR | 21.48 mph |
| 4 | Chase Claypool | Pittsburgh Steelers | WR | 21.46 mph |
| 5 | Saquon Barkley | New York Giants | RB | 21.11 mph |
| 6 | Tony Pollard | Dallas Cowboys | RB | 21.11 mph |
| 7 | Joe Mixon | Cincinnati Bengals | RB | 21.11 mph |
| 8 | Amon-Ra | Detroit Lions | WR | 21.09 mph |
| 9 | St. Brown Kavontae Turpin | Dallas Cowboys | WR | 21.09 mph |
| 10 | Michael Jackson | Seattle Seahawks | CB | 21.05 mph |
Top 10 Fastest NFL Players Ever
| No. | Player | Team | Position | Speed |
| 1 | Robert Hayes (Bob Hayes) | Dallas Cowboys (1965-1974)San Francisco 49ers (1975) | WR | 70-yard dash in 6.9 seconds. |
| 2 | Renaldo Nehemiah | San Francisco 49ers (1982-1984) | WR | 40-yard dash in 4.1 seconds |
| 3 | Bo Jackson | Los Angeles Raiders (1987–1990) | RB | 40-yard dash in 4.12 seconds |
| 4 | Darrell Green | Washington Redskins | CB | 40-yard dash in 4.15 seconds |
| 5 | Ike Taylor | Pittsburgh Steelers (2003–present) | CB | unofficially running a 40-yard dash in 4.18 seconds |
| 6 | Deion Sanders | Atlanta Falcons (1989–1993)San Francisco 49ers (1994)Dallas Cowboys (1995–1999)Washington Redskins (2000)Baltimore Ravens (2004–2005) | CB | 40-yard dash in 4.21 seconds |
| 7 | Willie Gault | Chicago Bears (1983-1987)Los Angeles Raiders (1988-1993) | WR | 100-yard dash in 10 seconds |
| 8 | Cliff Branch | Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders (1972-1985) | WR | 100 meters in 10.24 seconds |
| 9 | Chris Johnson | Tennessee Titans (2008–present) | RB | 40-yard dash in 4.24 seconds |
| 10 | Trindon Holliday | Dallas Cowboys | WR | 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds |
Read more: HOW FAST IS KYLER MURRAY IN THE 40-YARD DASH?
Wrapping Up
The NFL is home to many fast players, yet these are the 10 fastest players in the 2022 season and of all time. These guys hold the record for running the 40-yard dash at 4.3 at least and better – which isn’t an easy target to achieve.
The above list includes famous names such as young star-performer Devin Duverney, the speedy runner Tyreek Hill, and the running athlete Bo Jackson – a legendary that may never be beaten when it comes down to pure speed off the line of scrimmage.
References
- https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/
- https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/49ers/amon-ra-st-brown-among-fastest-2022-nfl-players-using-next-gen-stats
- https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/860/727/bob-hayes-versus-redskins_original.jpg?1302788545
