As the calendar flips toward the next phase of the pre-draft process, all eyes in college football turn to the NFL Scouting Combine. With the 2026 draft cycle heating up, the combine represents a pivotal checkpoint for prospects looking to solidify, or skyrocket, their stock ahead of the NFL Draft.
For Arkansas Razorbacks fans, there’s one name that makes this year’s speed discussions especially intriguing: quarterback Taylen Green.
The 40-Yard Dash: The Crown Jewel Drill
At 6-foot-6 and around 225 pounds, Green doesn’t look like your typical track athlete. But turn on the tape from his time at Boise State Broncos and later with Arkansas, and you’ll see a long-striding playmaker who can erase angles in a hurry. In the open field, he glides.
That rare combination of length, fluidity, and acceleration has helped Green develop into one of the more dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in college football over the past few seasons. When he tucks the ball and takes off, there’s always the threat he can go the distance.
While the combine features a wide array of evaluations; throwing sessions, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, interviews, and medical checks, nothing captures attention quite like the 40-yard dash. It’s the headline number. The one that trends. The one that can change narratives in seconds.
And when it comes to quarterbacks, history shows that blazing speed can redefine how a player is perceived.
Some of the fastest official quarterback 40 times in combine history include:
- Michael Vick – 4.33 seconds
- Reggie McNeal – 4.35 seconds
- Robert Griffin III – 4.41 seconds
- Anthony Richardson – 4.43 seconds
That’s elite company. Those names represent some of the most explosive athletes to ever play the position at the professional level.
So where does Taylen Green fit in?
Could Taylen Green Break the Record?
Let’s have some fun with it.
In EA Sports College Football 26, Green is tied for the fastest speed rating in the game at 91 overall, alongside Haynes King of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. While video game ratings aren’t official timing systems, they do reflect a broader perception: Green is fast. Really fast.
To break Vick’s 4.33 mark, Green would need a near-perfect run: explosive first 10 yards, clean transitions, and elite top-end burst. A realistic projection, based on his frame and play speed, might put him somewhere in the 4.38 to 4.45 range, still exceptional for a quarterback of his size.
But if he truly posts something even close to the range of 4.3s, that would turn heads across every front office in the league. This could arguably be even more impressive than Vick's time for Green to do that at his size.
If Green chooses to fully participate in drills, and it would benefit him to do so, a blazing 40 time could dramatically elevate his draft profile. NFL franchises are constantly searching for the next dynamic dual-threat quarterback who can stress defenses both inside and outside the pocket.
Green has already drawn stylistic comparisons to Lamar Jackson because of his open-field running ability and ability to make defenders miss in space. Pair that with his towering frame and arm talent, and teams may envision developing him in the mold of Jackson or even Michael Vick of quarterbacks who force defensive coordinators to account for every blade of grass.
Speed doesn’t guarantee success at the next level. But it absolutely changes conversations and would make Green the talk of Indianapolis with the new conversation arising of how high he could climb draft boards.