Fastest 40-yard Dash Times in NFL Combine History: Top 10 linebackers

The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine will kick off this week, and the linebackers are getting ready to impress coaches, scouts, and general managers. The linebackers will participate in the Combine on Thursday, Feb. 2,7 with the defensive linemen and will go through various workouts, including the 40-yard dash.

Top linebackers like Jalon Walker from Georgia and Jay Higgins from Iowa have received Combine invites. It’s not clear if both will take part in the 40-yard dash, but if they do, it would not be a surprise if they have fast times since both were all over the field this past season.

But which linebackers have the best 40 times in Combine history? Here’s a look at the 10 fastest linebackers in NFL Combine history.

1. Shaquem Griffin, UCF – 4.38 (2018)

Shaquem Griffin received a lot of attention ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft as he had his left hand amputated at the age of 4 due to amniotic band syndrome. His work during the Combine — including the fastest 40-yard dash time for a linebacker in NFL history — led to the Seattle Seahawks selecting him in the fifth round.

Griffin played in 46 games in three seasons with the Seahawks and recorded 25 tackles and one sack while spending the majority of his time on special teams. He signed with the Miami Dolphins during the offseason in 2021 but was released in October of that year. Shaquem Griffin announced his retirement in August 2022.

T2. Owen Pappoe, Auburn – 4.39 (2023)

Owen Pappoe recorded the second-fastest 40 time for a linebacker and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. Ahead of the Combine, Pappoe told reporters, “(I’m going to) go out there and do what I do. People can look into my past and see what I’ve done and expect to see similar come tomorrow.”

Pappoe just finished his second season with Arizona. In his career, Pappoe has recorded 39 tackles and three passes defended in 32 games with two starts.

T2. Isaiah Simmons, Clemson – 4.39 (2020)

Isaiah Simmons was a top draft prospect heading into the Combine and impressed everyone with a 4.39 40-yard dash time. It led to him being selected by the Arizona Cardinals at No. 8 overall.

Simmons had an impressive rookie season, posting 54 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and two passes defended. He played for the Cardinals for three seasons before the New York Giants traded for him in August 2023. This past season, Simmons tallied 21 tackles and two passes defended in limited action.

4. Jon Alston, Stanford – 4.40 (2006)

Jon Alston had a solid career at Stanford and turned heads when he ran a 4.40 40. The St. Louis Rams selected him in the third round of the 2006 draft, and he played in the NFL for five seasons.

Alston retired from the NFL in 2011 and is now working in the entertainment industry. He has written and produced on shows like S.W.A.T. and All American and directed and written the film Red Butterfly.

T5. Two players with 4.42 40-yard dash

Troy Anderson, Montanta State (2022)

Devin White, LSU (2019)

Troy Anderson and Devin White showed off their speed at the Combine. Anderson was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round in 2022 and just finished his third season with the team. White was selected No. 5 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019 and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2020. He is now with the Houston Texans.

Top 10 40-yard dash times for linebackers in NFL Scouting Combine history

T7. Payton Wilson, N.C. State — 4.43 (2024)

T7. Trenton Simpson, Clemson — 4.43 (2023)

T7. Devin Bush, Michigan — 4.43 (2019)

T7. Gary Johnson, Texas — 4.43 (2019)