John Ross Runs 4.30 40 Yard Dash In Training

As such If you’ve heard one thing about John Ross, you know he’s fast.

The Washington standout has become the draft’s consensus top deep threat. He’s drawn lofty comparisons to DeSean Jackson throughout the process.

According to the MMQB’s Emily Kaplan, Ross reportedly ran a 4.30 laser timed 40-yard dash in his preparations for the NFL Scouting Combine.

If true, that mark puts him in a good position to potentially threaten Chris Johnson’s combine record of 4.24 set back in 2008.

Timing Methodology

The combine notoriously uses semi-automatic timing for the forty, with a hand-timed start and an electronic finish. This typically results in a faster time than automatic timing, with an estimated difference between .14 and .24 seconds.

The event, however, reportedly experimented with FAT (fully automatic timing) in 2012 and 2013. Instead, they opted against using the more accurate data with the fear that the slower times wouldn’t sit well with players, fans, and agents.

Predictive Value and Implications

Of course, there are too many factors at play to extrapolate Ross’ combine performance from his preparations.  He’ll have to deal with travel, endless interviews, fatigue from other drills, and nerves at the combine. 

What separates him from the countless other supposed deep-threats in the draft every year is how he uses it. Ross is extremely smooth and crafty in his route running and tracks the football like a dog chasing a frisbee. That’s what differentiates the DeSean Jacksons and TY Hiltons of the world from the Devin Smith and Darrius Heyward-Bey’s.

If Ross does run the fastest time at this year’s combine, Adidas will reward him with a $100,000 prize. If he shocks the world and bests Johnson’s time, that figure jumps to $1 million.