The 5 Fastest Running Backs of All Time

The All-Time Fastest Running Backs in the NFL - Our Rankings

Speed is a rare trait that NFL teams look for when adding talent to their rosters. The reason? It can’t be taught. You either have it or you don’t, and these five running backs certainly do.

Bo Jackson - was he the fastest running back in the NFL? Image credits: Pinterest

The Sporting Blog takes a look at the top fastest running backs of all time. There haven’t been many players at their position who can say they’re faster!

5. Darren McFadden

• He put together a 4.33 40-yard dash at his combine

• He had a strong 10-year career

• He joined the NFL after graduating from Arkansas

Darren McFadden was able to put together a 4.33 40-yard dash at his combine, which was second in his draft class, trailing only Chris Johnson, a fellow running back.

McFadden played three sports in high school and clearly utilised that speed across the board. He quickly became a star running back after attending Arkansas.

When he finally made the NFL, joining the Oakland Raiders, McFadden was a consistently strong running back with blink-and-you'll-miss-it speed.

He had a strong 10-year career in the league after being drafted fourth overall, and he would have gone much longer had injuries not caught up with him multiple times.

Regardless, McFadden remains one of the fastest running backs that we’ve ever seen, and this list is just getting started…

4. Dri Archer

• He played for the Kent State Golden Flashes during college

• He achieved a 4.26 40-yard dash at his combine

• Unfortunately, his career was cut short

This is a name that you might not have heard in years. Dri Archer came into the league as a speedster, and everybody knew it. He spent his collegiate football career with the Kent State Golden Flashes and garnered a ton of attention for his quickness on the gridiron.

When he got invited to the combine, everyone was excited to see his 40-yard dash. Suffice it to say, he did not disappoint. Archer flew through the drill with a speedy 4.26 time.

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It boosted his draft stock significantly despite attending a smaller college, and he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers after being selected in the third round.

Unfortunately, his NFL career never panned out as it should have. The speed was always there; the production didn’t follow. After a couple of seasons with the Steelers, they parted ways, and he played some time with both the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.

When that ended, he was entirely out of the league. Which is a true shame, considering his sheer speed, and given that, as well as achieving big as a running back, he was also a very effective receiver and returner. Archer will always be one of those guys you wish could have worked out. 

3. Raheem Mostert

• He has the fastest in-game recorded speed of all running backs in the Next Gen Stats era

• He’s reached a top speed of 23.09 miles per hour in a game

• He’s bounced around teams, but he’s always known for his game-breaking speed

You might not believe this, but Raheem Mostert is statistically one of the fastest running backs that the game has ever seen. As of right now, he has the fastest in-game recorded speed of all running backs in the Next Gen Stats era.

He reached a top speed of 23.09 miles per hour in a game, a record that’s held up against some stiff competition. Derrick Henry broke 22 miles per hour, Jahmyr Gibbs was at 22.34 mph, and Jonathan Taylor hit 22.38 this year.

All in all, this is a record that isn’t easily held, yet Mostert has captured and maintained it. He’s bounced around several different teams throughout his NFL career, yet everywhere he’s gone, he’s been known for his game-breaking speed.

When he left the San Francisco 49ers and later joined the Miami Dolphins, he still showcased that unbelievable speed. Mostert was, and still is, such a capable starting running back. However, because he's not a household name, many forget just how fast he’s been since entering the league.

2. Bo Jackson

• When Bo Jackson got going, it was tough to bring him down

• He supposedly ran a 4.12 40-yard dash at the National Invitational Camp in 1986

• We may never know his actual 40-yard dash time

Bo Jackson lands at number two on our list of the fastest running backs of all time. However, he could easily be number one. See, before the 40-yard dash became a regular part of the NFL Scouting Combine each year, times weren’t as well-known or recorded.

However, it’s been reported that Jackson ran a 4.12 40-yard dash at the National Invitational Camp in 1986. Reports later conflicted that, saying that he never even ran in the first place, while others claimed it was a 4.16 instead.

Bo Jackson himself has said on record that he ran a 4.13 electronically-timed 40-yard dash, which would easily be listed as the record for this drill even today.

During his official time, he stated that he didn’t have enough room to run the drill as he should have, so he pulled up early to avoid injury. As a result, his official attempt clocked in at a 4.3.

Now, we may never know his actual 40-yard dash time, but the majority of reporting on this day has him clocked between 3.9 and 4.3. Even if you pick the median of those two times, he would still be the record holder.

Aside from his drill times, it was obvious watching him out on the field that he was consistently faster than everybody else. When Bo Jackson got going, it was tough to bring him down. And if he got behind you, then forget about it. 

1. Chris Johnson

• During his NFL Draft in 2008, he ran a 4.24 mark at the 40-yard dash

• He rushed for 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2009

• He played for 10 years in the NFL

Outside of Bo Jackson, there shouldn’t be much debate that Chris Johnson is the fastest running back the NFL has ever seen. When he entered the NFL Draft back in 2008 out of East Carolina, he shocked the entire world by running a blazing 4.24 mark at the 40-yard dash.

This was a record for the category until it was broken in 2017. Johnson later had a ton of success throughout his career in the big leagues. Most notably, he rushed for 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2009. This was just one of his 10 great years in the NFL. Of those 10 strong seasons, he was able to break the 1,000-yard mark in six of them.

He achieved countless records before he eventually called it a career. To this day, Johnson is still considered one of the most dangerous running backs the game has seen, holding onto the legendary CJ2K nickname bestowed upon him.