Nine wide receivers post 40-yard dash times under 4.4 seconds at NFL combine, led by Tyquan Thornton

INDIANAPOLIS — In a stadium that celebrates speed with Indy cars in the concourse, the wide receivers at the NFL's scouting combine carved out a little history Thursday, the first night of on-field workouts.

Baylor's Tyquan Thornton led the way as nine wide receivers officially clocked sub-4.4-second times in the 40-yard dash inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Thornton's unofficial time of 4.21 was posted immediately after his run, which would have set a record for the combine, but all times are reviewed with the electronic timing equipment, and his official time was later determined to be 4.28, the fastest of the evening.

The group of pass catchers still left a contrail, as the nine sub-4.4 clockings were the most by the wide receivers at the combine in any year evaluated since 2006. The previous high had been eight wideouts under 4.4, set in 2007. Kansas State wide receiver Yamon Figurs ran the fastest 40 at the combine that year at 4.30.

Seven wide receivers cracked the 4.4 mark in 2019 — the same year current Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf ran the fastest recorded 40 in the event's history for a player 225 pounds or heavier.

Thornton had the only official time under 4.3, as Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr., who ran in the earlier group of receivers, had the next fastest official clocking at 4.31. Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin III, who had already turned heads for his work in practices in his week at the Senior Bowl, was next fastest at 4.32. Austin chose not to run his second 40 a bit later.

Cincinnati's Alec Pierce (4.33), SMU's Danny Gray (4.33), Rutgers' Bo Melton (4.34), North Dakota State's Christian Watson (4.36), Ohio State's Garrett Wilson (4.38) and Ohio State's Chris Olave were the others to