Top 10 Fastest Running Backs in Nfl History

The 10 Fastest Running Backs in the NFL

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Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys. Jason Miller/Getty Images

Speed is one of the decisive factors in the NFL, and when a team has a running back who has that attribute, it is capable of lighting up the scoreboard in an instant.

While speed alone won't turn a running back into a superstar, a back who can take a hit, get to the outside and accelerate to full speed is a very dangerous commodity.

The NFL measures the speed of all its potential players at the annual combine and other settings prior to the draft every year. The 40-yard measurement is often criticized because players don't compete in shorts, tee-shirts and track shoes when they are playing football.

However, the 40-yard dash is still an effective way to measure a football player's speed.

Today's modern measurements can provide a player's speed during game conditions. The NFL offers Next Gen Stats on its website, and that offers a player's speed in game conditions.

For our purposes, we will use 40-times for consistency. Injured players like Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles are not included.

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All 40-times provided by NFL.com unless otherwise noted.

10. Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins

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The Dolphins have found themselves a top-drawer running back in Jay Ajayi, who exploded onto the scene with back-to-back games in Weeks 6 and 7 where he exceeded the 200-yard mark.

Ajayi has run for 725 yards and a robust 5.7 yards per carry average this season, and he adds tremendous first-step quickness and power to his overall speed.

Ajayi was timed at 4.57 in the 40-yard dash prior to the 2015 draft. Ajayi was a fifth-round draft pick, one of four the Dolphins had that season.

He appears to play even faster than his time because of his ability to change direction quickly, along with a fearless style that allows him to take on tacklers and defeat them at the point of impact.

9. Melvin Gordon, San Diego

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After a disappointing rookie season in 2015, Melvin Gordon has become one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL.

The former Wisconsin Badgers star has been one of the key reasons the San Diego Chargers have been much more competitive this year.

Gordon, who has 4.52 speed in the 40, has rushed for 838 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 3.9 yards per carry.

There is a distinct difference in Gordon's running style this year, as he is far more aggressive and willing to take on hard hitters than he was a year ago. His ability to make quick moves in the open field adds to the impact of his straight-line speed.

8. David Johnson, Arizona

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The Arizona Cardinals have struggled through much of the first half of the season, but don't blame running back David Johnson for their 4-4-1 record in the first half of the season.

He has been the Cardinals' best all-around player, and he has demonstrated his talent as a runner and a receiver on an every-game basis. Johnson has run for 760 yards with nine touchdowns, and he has also caught 40 passes for 453 yards.

Johnson is a savvy football player who is adept at using head fakes and power to get past tacklers. Of course, it also helps that he has 4.50 speed to run past them when he gets in the open field. Johnson may be the best all-around running back in the NFL this season.

7. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

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If Arizona's Johnson is not going to end up as the NFL's best all-around running back this year, LeSean McCoy is most likely to wrestle that title from him.

McCoy has excelled as a runner and a receiver throughout his career, and he is thriving in Buffalo this year just as he did earlier in his career in Philadelphia.

McCoy has run for 683 yards and six touchdowns with a 5.1 yards per carry average as the Bills go into their bye week. He has also caught 24 passes for 132 yards and a score as a receiver. Look for his receiving yardage to go up dramatically in the second half of the season.

McCoy ran a 4.48 in the 40 prior to getting drafted in 2009, and while he may have lost a fraction of that time, he is still explosively fast. More than his speed, it is McCoy's outstanding stop-and-go ability that makes him such a dangerous running back.

T5. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas

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Ezekiel Elliott has proved to be the running back that the Dallas Cowboys needed.

Owner Jerry Jones made Elliott the team's first-round draft pick last offseason and the No. 4 pick overall. He moved right into the starting lineup and is one of the primary reasons the Cowboys have gotten off to a surprising 8-1 start.

Elliott has been the hammer in the backfield, carrying the ball 198 times for 1,005 yards with nine touchdowns and eight runs of 20 yards or more.

At first glance, Elliott may not present the image of a fast runner because of his somewhat full face, but he motors on the football field and in the 40-yard dash. He was timed at 4.47 prior to last spring's draft.

Elliott can also change directions quickly and run with power, and his downhill style suits the surging Cowboys quite well.

T5. Matt Forte, New York Jets

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Matt Forte has been one of the most productive and consistent running backs throughout his nine-year career in the NFL.

Forte spent the first eight years of his career with the Chicago Bears, and while he may not have been in the class of the late Walter Payton and Gale Sayers, he has been a hard-working, fast and productive back every step of the way.

He has made an excellent adjustment to the New York Jets and has rushed for 732 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 23 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown.

Forte has the ability to glide past tacklers, and while it may not look like he is running fast, that is just an illusion. Forte ran the 40 in 4.46 when he came out of Tulane prior to the 2008 season, and he is still quite explosive.

4. Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland

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The weeks are starting to dwindle down for the Cleveland Browns. After dropping a 28-7 decision to the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night, the Browns are 0-10 and have just six chances left to avoid a winless season.

While many things have gone wrong for head coach Hue Jackson's team, Isaiah Crowell is not one of them. He has turned out to be a productive running back and one of the few assets the team can count on from week to week. Crowell has rushed for 551 yards and five touchdowns, and he has a 4.6 yards per carry average.

Crowell was timed as fast as 4.43 in the 40, according to NFL Draft Scout, and that has given him the ability to break long plays. He has an 85-yard TD run to his credit this season.

As dangerous as he is, Crowell can't carry the team on his shoulder pads, and that's why the Browns remain winless.

3. Tevin Coleman, Atlanta

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Tevin Coleman is just one of several weapons that the Atlanta Falcons have been counting on this season. Coleman is a complementary running back who combines with Devonta Freeman to give the Falcons the eighth-ranked running game in the NFL.

Coleman is a big factor for opposing defenses because of his eye-opening speed. When he gets in the open, he can run away from tacklers with ease, and opposing defensive coordinators must account for his explosiveness when they deploy their personnel.

While he did not play in Week 10 because of a hamstring issue, it is not expected to be a long-term injury.

Coleman has rushed for 234 yards and a touchdown and has a long run of 30 yards this season. Coleman was timed at 4.39 during his 2015 NFL pro day.

2. Mike Gillislee, Buffalo

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Similar to Atlanta's Coleman, Mike Gillislee is not the Buffalo Bills' No. 1 running back. However, when McCoy needs a break or can't play due to injury, the Bills can use a very dangerous and explosive running back in his place.

Gillislee has the look of a power runner at 5'11" and 219 pounds, but he is very fast when he gets into the open field. He was timed as fast as 4.38 in the 40, according to NFL Draft Scout.

Gillislee has carried the ball 42 times for 254 yards with four touchdowns this season, and he has a long run of 44 yards. His combination of speed and power should make him a valuable commodity in the NFL for several more years.

1. Lamar Miller, Houston

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The Houston Texans thought they were getting an upgrade at the running back position when they brought in Lamar Miller during the offseason.

Miller had burned the Texans for 185 yards when he was with the Dolphins last year, and the powerful Houston defense had no idea how to stop him.

Miller inherited the starting spot in the Houston backfield from the talented Arian Foster, who was often out of the lineup due to injuries.

Miller has been quite a pickup for the Texans, as he has rushed for 720 yards and two touchdowns with a 4.2 yards per carry average, and he has also caught 22 passes for 124 yards and a score.

Miller has all the skills needed to be one of the top backs in the NFL, and he also has the 4.34 speed needed to run away from the defense.

Top 10 Fastest Running Backs in Nfl History

Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2675287-the-10-fastest-running-backs-in-the-nfl

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