Jordan Love has been saying nice things about Packers' first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden. (Alas, the only picture available was of a missed connection, but let's take Love's word for it.) Golden was Green Bay's first selection that early at the position since Javon Walker in 2002.
Golden helped his draft stock by running a 4.29 40 at the combine, having me curious about how other fast wideouts selected early have fared in the NFL. In general, the results aren't encouraging. Various reasons, with some fast guys being used as one-dimensional deep threats in the pros; tough to make a big fantasy impact that way. And looking at the list, it seems (in retrospect) that plenty of guys were overdrafted based on NFL teams getting excited about that speed, anticipating it would translate into success that just didn't happen.
I looked at all the guys since 2000 who ran a sub-4.35 at the combine, then were selected in the first three rounds. That gave me a list of 45 wideouts, with Golden the 46th.
Of those 45 previous guys, just 10 had a top-10 fantasy season at some point in their careers. Two more made it into the top 20. But just over half of them (23) never ranked in the top 40, and seven more didn't make it into the top 25. A couple of those guys (Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell) have just a year under their belts; Worthy can already be called a success story. But roughly half the list didn't amount to much in the NFL, and we can fairly say they were selected too early. Timed speed is just a small component of NFL success, even for those players drafted in the first three rounds.
Four wide receivers ran sub-4.35 40s at Indianapolis this year, but only Golden was selected in the first three rounds. (The others: fourth-rounders Chimere Dike, Dont'e Thornton and Jaylin Lane, drafted by the Titans, Raiders and Commanders, respectively. There have been some positive reports so far on Thornton, intriguing with the Raiders in need of wide receiver weapons. But not a great history, even for the earlier picks.)
Table shows draft year, round selected, combine 40 times and stats from their best NFL seasons, sorted by fantasy ranks. Three guys from last year made the list: Worthy, Mitchell and PPR's No. 4 wideout last season, Jacksonville's Brian Thomas.
| FAST 40S, WRS DRAFTED ROUNDS 1-3, 2001-PRESENT | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft | Rd | 40 | Player | Year | No-Rec-TD | Rk |
| 2007 | 1 | 4.35 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 2012 | 122-1964-5 | 1 |
| 2002 | 1 | 4.35 | Javon Walker, G.B. | 2004 | 89-1382-12 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 | 4.33 | Brian Thomas, Jac. | 2024 | 87-1282-10 | 4 |
| 2001 | 1 | 4.31 | Santana Moss, Was. | 2005 | 84-1483-9 | 6 |
| 2019 | 2 | 4.33 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 2020 | 83-1303-10 | 7 |
| 2019 | 3 | 4.35 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 2024 | 82-1096-13 | 7 |
| 2001 | 2 | 4.33 | Chris Chambers, Mia. | 2005 | 82-1118-11 | 8 |
| 2009 | 3 | 4.33 | Mike Wallace, Pitt. | 2011 | 72-1193-8 | 9 |
| 2014 | 1 | 4.33 | Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 2016 | 78-1173-8 | 10 |
| 2008 | 2 | 4.35 | DeSean Jackson, Phil. | 2009 | 62-1156-12 | 10 |
| 2018 | 2 | 4.34 | DJ Chark, Jac. | 2019 | 73-1008-8 | 18 |
| 2014 | 3 | 4.34 | John Brown, Buff. | 2019 | 72-1060-6 | 20 |
| 2002 | 1 | 4.22 | Donte Stallworth, N.O. | 2005 | 70-945-7 | 23 |
| 2017 | 2 | 4.31 | Curtis Samuel, Car. | 2020 | 77-851-5 | 24 |
| 2007 | 3 | 4.35 | Mike Sims-Walker, Jac. | 2009 | 63-869-7 | 24 |
| 2013 | 1 | 4.28 | Tavon Austin, St.L. | 2015 | 52-473-10 | 27 |
| 2009 | 1 | 4.30 | Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oak. | 2011 | 64-975-4 | 28 |
| 2013 | 3 | 4.27 | Marquise Goodwin, S.F. | 2017 | 56-962-2 | 31 |
| 2016 | 1 | 4.32 | Will Fuller, Hou. | 2020 | 53-879-8 | 32 |
| 2024 | 1 | 4.21 | Xavier Worthy, K.C. | 2024 | 59-638-9 | 33 |
| 2014 | 3 | 4.34 | Donte Moncrief, Ind. | 2015 | 64-733-6 | 37 |
| 2014 | 2 | 4.33 | Paul Richardson, Sea. | 2017 | 44-703-6 | 39 |
| 2015 | 3 | 4.35 | Chris Conley, Jac. | 2019 | 47-775-5 | 44 |
| 2019 | 2 | 4.33 | Mecole Hardman, K.C. | 2021 | 59-693-2 | 47 |
| 2019 | 2 | 4.31 | Parris Campbell, Ind. | 2022 | 63-623-3 | 48 |
| 2008 | 3 | 4.35 | Andre Caldwell, Cin. | 2009 | 51-432-3 | 65 |
| 2015 | 1 | 4.33 | Phillip Dorsett, N.E. | 2019 | 29-397-5 | 71 |
| 2009 | 3 | 4.31 | Deon Butler, Sea. | 2010 | 36-385-4 | 74 |
| 2017 | 1 | 4.22 | John Ross, Cin. | 2019 | 28-506-3 | 74 |
| 2010 | 2 | 4.28 | Arrelious Benn, T.B. | 2011 | 30-441-3 | 81 |
| 2007 | 3 | 4.32 | Jason Hill, S.F. | 2008 | 30-317-2 | 84 |
| 2020 | 1 | 4.27 | Henry Ruggs, L.V. | 2021 | 24-469-2 | 86 |
| 2003 | 2 | 4.34 | Tyrone Calico, Ten. | 2003 | 18-297-4 | 86 |
| 2012 | 3 | 4.34 | T.J. Graham, Buff. | 2012 | 31-322-1 | 88 |
| 2002 | 2 | 4.32 | Tim Carter, NYG | 2006 | 22-253-3 | 90 |
| 2012 | 2 | 4.28 | Stephen Hill, NYJ | 2012 | 21-252-3 | 97 |
| 2022 | 2 | 4.28 | Tyquan Thornton, N.E. | 2022 | 22-247-3 | 98 |
| 2006 | 2 | 4.32 | Chad Jackson, N.E. | 2006 | 13-152-3 | 105 |
| 2024 | 2 | 4.34 | Adonai Mitchell, Ind. | 2024 | 23-312-0 | 110 |
| 2019 | 2 | 4.31 | Andy Isabella, Ari. | 2020 | 21-224-2 | 114 |
| 2015 | 1 | 4.35 | Kevin White, Chi. | 2016 | 19-187-0 | 123 |
| 2022 | 3 | 4.31 | Velus Jones, Chi. | 2022 | 7-107-2 | 126 |
| 2007 | 3 | 4.30 | Yamon Figurs, Balt. | 2007 | 1-36-2 | 142 |
| 2006 | 3 | 4.34 | Willie Reid, Pitt. | 2007 | 4-54-0 | 157 |
| 2022 | 3 | 4.33 | Danny Gray, S.F. | 2022 | 1-10-0 | 206 |
| 2025 | 1 | 4.29 | Matthew Golden, G.B. | ? | ? | ? |
--Andy Richardson