On-field drills kick off Thursday at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Before the first group of players take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, NFL.com's Eric Edholm broke down the players he believes could run the fastest 40-yard dash this year.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy currently holds the all-time record with his 4.21 40-yard dash in 2024. Last year's crop of prospects did not break the 4.28-second mark.

Over 300 prospects were invited to this year's combine. Here are the 21 players Edholm thinks could finish with the fastest 40-time this year, including a few that could challenge Worthy's record.

Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State

"Thompson was a high-school sprinter who won the 3A 200-meter title (21.27 seconds) and finished second in the 100 (10.40) as a junior, reportedly running 40 times in the 4.3 range back then... He's got to be the favorite, or one of a small handful, heading into this year's event."

Chris Hilton Jr., WR, LSU

"Hilton was a highly recruited high school prospect (and three-time Louisiana state high-jump champ) who never quite developed as expected in college, even while averaging 19 yards per catch, but he's been a hot name on the postseason draft circuit. At the East-West Shrine Bowl, Hilton was clocked at 22.13 mph during practice, according to Zebra Technologies, and he's built like a burner."

Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia

"Branch was Nevada's Gatorade Player of the Year for track and field as a sophomore, running a scalding 10.33-second 100-meter dash, and he ran track briefly at USC as a freshman... Branch can fly, and you can't overlook him in Indy."

Barion Brown, WR, LSU

"A true gamebreaker, Brown was a back-to-back Tennessee high school state champ in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, with his 100 time of 10.49 seconds in 2021 the third-fastest TSSAA state meet time since 1985...Brown also was consistently one of the fastest players at Senior Bowl practices, registering a max speed of 20.35 mph on Day 1. This dude has some gas."

Aaron Anderson, WR, LSU

"The third Tiger to make this list, Anderson can't go overlooked. The track star in sprints and relays improved his speed steadily throughout high school, with an impressive 10.77-second 100-meter dash."

Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama

"Don't sleep on Jackson, who ran an absurd 4.21-second 40 time in high school and also tied the state record in the 100-meter with an equally ridiculous time of 10.25 seconds. He didn't make a ton of plays on the ball and was never used on returns in college, but makeup speed is one of Jackson's hallmarks in coverage. He can still roll, making him a fun and worthy combatant for this event."

Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

"He broke the 11-second threshold in the 100-meter in high school, was the first leg of a good relay team and appears to have a chance to get into the 4.3s at the combine. Terrell has a smaller, lighter build but can absolutely stay with college football's speed merchants step for step most times."

Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia

"Everette is a well-proportioned athlete with speed that could place him in the 4.3-second range. That speed was on display when covering deep receivers ably, and though he didn't have a ton of chances with the ball in his hands in college, Everette did tease his straight-line juice on a 30-yard INT return vs. Bama in the SEC Championship Game."

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

"With a best time of 10.76 seconds in the 100-meter during high school, he demands respect, and Love kept his jets fueled for the Irish, with his 98-yard TD run against Indiana in the 2024 playoffs first displaying his rare speed to the nation."

Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest

"Claiborne appears to have more build-up speed than rare get-off, but don't underestimate this man's jets. As a high school sprinter, he won the 2021 Virginia Class AA 100-meter dash title and was the runner-up in the 200-meter."

Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

"Nicknamed "Glitch," Cisse is known for his makeup speed in coverage. He boasts some very respectable high school times in the 100 and 200, with times around 11 and 22 seconds, respectively."

Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

"You don't often see true safeties on this list, but it's worth mentioning that Thieneman ran a laser-timed 4.36-second 40 in high school, which is pretty remarkable. Now, he's beefed up to 205 pounds, and Thieneman might not have that elite gas anymore, but breaking 4.4 wouldn't be shocking."

Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State

"Another taller prospect, the leggy 6-foot-3 Hurst stood tall with a good performance at the Senior Bowl and appears to be a prospect very much on the rise. He hit a smoking 20.33 mph in Mobile. Cracking the 4.4 mark in the 40 would be tremendous for his physique, but he's a candidate to put up some freaky numbers in other events, too."

D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

"The undersized Ponds is a terrific football player with some wheels. He recorded personal-best marks of 10.47 seconds (100) and 21.54 seconds (200) in high school and reportedly ran in the low 4.4 range in prior testing, making a time in the 4.3 range entirely possible with proper combine training."

Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State

"His track background and elite straight-line burst give him a puncher's chance to finish near the top of his position and perhaps on the overall 40 leaderboard."

Malik Benson, WR, Oregon

"He's a sub-4.4 candidate for sure, with some promising speed benchmarks to his name. In high school, Benson ran a 10.44-second 100-meter dash and was a long jump champion, hitting nearly 25 feet."

Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma

"Burks said he hit 22.3 mph during speed testing at Purdue before transferring to Oklahoma... He's a straight-line blur, and even with Burks adding some weight over the past year plus, he remains a factor here."

Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU

"It's hard to ignore the speed of Thomas, who reportedly ran a 4.39-second 40 and an 11.08-second 100 in high school. That speed translated at Mississippi State and LSU, where he posted three career returns for touchdowns (two kickoffs, one punt). Can't forget this dude, even with so many of his teammates also competing."

Eric Rivers, WR, Georgia Tech

"The high school all-state track star didn't have blazing times in the 100-meter compared with others on the list, but the DB-turned-receiver might have found an extra gear since then, averaging 18.8 yards per catch in a breakout season at FIU in 2024."

Desmond Reid, RB, Pittsburgh

"It remains to be seen if Reid's build-up speed can translate to the 40, but he reportedly hit 21.4 mph on a 56-yard TD catch in 2024 and boasted 10.7-second speed in the 100-meter in high school. Reid absolutely can move."

Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State

"One of the more interesting backgrounds among the 40 candidates has to be Abney, who was a competitive roller skater as a youth who still holds the national 300-meter inline record for 13-year-olds. He also ran the 100 in high school, routinely clocking times in the low 11-second range."