Is the 40-yard dash becoming obsolete at the NFL combine? - ESPN

FLORIDA STATE DEFENSIVE tackle Braden Fiske couldn't hide his excitement.

The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder had just recorded the fastest 40 time for his position group at this year's NFL combine — a blazing 4.78 second run that left Fiske so impressed, he couldn't help but belt out an audible «Oh yeah!» upon crossing the finish line for everyone watching at home to hear.

Fiske's satisfaction with his 40 time is nothing new to veteran combine watchers who have witnessed a generation of players celebrating great performances in one of the event's legacy drills, which now includes Texas wideout Xavier Worthy's record-breaking run on Saturday.

For the past 20 years, the 40-yard dash has become synonymous with the combine.

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If combine drills were a musical group, the 40 would be Mick Jagger, Beyoncé or Harry Styles. Its popularity has expanded beyond the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where the combine is held annually. It's featured in video games, created viral memes and even inspired a 46-year-old Tom Brady to turn back the clock and try it again after his infamous first attempt 24 years prior.

As the combine has grown into one of the NFL's most marketed offseason events over the past two decades, the 40-yard dash has provided a stage to showcase athletic evolution, with each crop of the league's newcomers coming in bigger and faster than ever.

All of this is remarkable, considering the drill has all but lost its utility to front office personnel and data analysts around the league in the modern era.

The 40 is no longer the most effective way