NFL Combine Odds & Picks: 40-Yard Dash, Bench Press, Vertical Jump & More

• It’s been two years since a record was set in any of the NFL Draft Combine drills
• Which of this year’s NFL Combine odds and props are offering the best chance to see that streak come to an end?
• The NFL Draft Combine gets underway Tuesday, February 28 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and runs through March 6

There’s always going to be heated debate as to whether the outcome of the NFL Draft Combine is a true indication that a player is going to become an NFL star and how much does their performance impact the NFL Draft odds? In point of fact, just as often as not, players turning heads at the combine leave coaches scratching their heads come training camp.

That’s not the objective here, though. Whether any of these NFL Draft Combine odds and prop wagers are going to be ultimately producing elite NFLers isn’t the issue. It’s about which events are worth a wager, and are any of these prospects capable of shattering a long-standing mark, or at least beating the set total in one of the NFL Draft Combine events? There are 319 of the top players in NCAA football who’ve been invited to participate, so it’s a deep field.

Some won’t be there, though. Alabama QB Bryce Young, favored to go first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, is skipping the combine. No QB to be selected first overall has attended the NFL Draft Combine since 2019.

The NFL Draft Combine gets underway Tuesday, February 28 at Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the Indianapolis Colts. All of the action is being broadcast by the NFL Network.

Let’s look at the betting lines on each event in the NFL Combine odds.

40-Yard Dash Time Record Odds

When wide receiver John Ross blasted to a record run of 4.22 seconds in 2017, it helped propel him to the Cincinnati Bengals with the ninth overall selection of the NFL Draft. Ross ran at such a pace that he finished the race with strained calves. That led to him missing some of the other measuring drills. The odds in 2023 of someone breaking that record heavily skewed to the “No” at -650 odds. If you think the record will be broken, you can get a great price of +400. Odds as of February 27 at DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Last year, Baylor cornerback Kalon Brown came ever so close to shattering the record. The future Carolina Panthers pick stopped the clock at 4.23 seconds in his 40-yard dash. It was the first time since Ross that anyone has run a 40 faster than 4.27 seconds at the combine.

There doesn’t appear to be anyone capable of bettering the Ross standard among this year’s class. Both running back Devon Achane of Texas A&M and Cincinnati wide receiver Tre Tucker have run under 4,30 seconds this year, but just barely. Take the “No” in the NFL Combine odds for this one.

Pick: No (-650)

Fastest 40-Yard Dash Time Odds

While Tucker’s recent 40 time of 4.29 seconds has been getting plenty of hype leading into the combine, the fact of the matter is that Achane has a consistent resume of going fast.

The Aggies RB is also a sprinter on the school’s track team. He is the owner of a verified 10.14-second time in the 100-meter dash. Achane has steadily run 40 times under 4.3 seconds in preparations for the NFL Draft Combine.

Who’ll have the fastest 40 yard dash at the 2023 NFL Combine?

A couple names to keep an eye on..

Jalin Hyatt
Devon Achane
Kelee Ringo
Jahmyr Gibbs
Keaton Mitchell
Trey Palmer
Darius Rush
Derius Davis
Tyler Scott

All are projected to run in the 4.3’s pic.twitter.com/C9iXkH79U0

— CFBLIVE247™ (@CFBLive247_) February 26, 2023

Derius Davis isn’t the first WR you think of when you think of TCU wideouts, but he might be the fastest. He’s also been clocked at 4.29 seconds in the 40.

Tucker’s Cincinnati teammate Tyler Scott ran a 4.26-second 40 as a freshman with the Bearcats. Former NFL RB Chris Johnson, whose 4.24-second 40 is the third-fastest in NFL Draft Combine history, thinks Scott could make a run at the Ross standard.

Pick: Under 4.275 seconds (-110)

Most Bench Press Reps Odds

Justin Earnest holds the longest-standing record in NFL Draft Combine history, but it didn’t vault him to NFL stardom. The Eastern Kentucky defensive tackle displayed an impressive combination of strength and stamina when he bench-pressed 225 pounds a record 51 times in 1999. He ended up playing one season in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints.

The bar is set much lower for this year’s participants. Total bench press numbers are set at 39.5 times for this prop.

Last year was a down year for bench pressing at the combine. Boston College guard Zion Johnson won with just 32 times. It didn’t impact his draft status, though. Johnson went 17th overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.

It was only the second time in five years that the bench press total went under 39.5. Twice in that span, two players topped out at 40+ presses.

Pick: Over 39.5 times (-105)

Highest Vertical Jump Odds

A record leap of 46 inches by North Carolina safety Gerald Sensabaugh was a launching pad to an eight-season NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys.

This mark was bettered in 2021 when Illinois WR Josh Imatorbhebhe reached 46.5 inches. However, that didn’t impress anyone much. Imatorbhebhe went undrafted.

Texas RB Bijan Robinson, the consensus top back in the 2023 NFL Draft, plans to do all on-field drills and testing at this week’s combine here in Indianapolis, per source. Texas pro day is March 9, just three days after the combine. But Robinson wants to compete.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 27, 2023

Last year’s winning leap was just 42 inches and was shared by Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall and Texas-San Antonio CB Tariq Woolen. In all, nine players leaped over 40 inches, including New York Jets’ sensational rookie RB Breece Hall. However, 43.5 inches was bettered in each of the three previous NFL Draft Combines.

Pick: Higher than 43.5 inches (-135)

Longest Broad Jump Odds

The broad jump is unique to the NFL Draft Combine odds. It hasn’t been an Olympic sport since 1912. Only Norway holds a national competition in the event. That means whenever someone sets a record in the broad jump at the NFL Draft Combine, they generally also get to lay claim to the world record for the event.

Longtime NFL DB Byron Jones set the current standard of 12’3″ in 2015. The total established for this year’s competition is 11’5″. That translates to 137 inches.

Last year’s winner was future Green Bay Packers WR Christian Watson of North Dakota State. He reached 136 inches. Four players were at 136 inches in 2021, including Kansas City Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney. In 2020, three players cleared 138 inches. One of them was Carolina Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn.

This isn’t a bumper crop of WRs like the 2022 draft class. The wideouts at the combine will be looking to impress and traditionally, this is an event in which WR do well.

Pick: Longer than 11’5″ (-125)

Fastest Shuttle Runs Odds

Winning the 20-yard shuttle can be a catapult to NFL stardom. Past winners of this event include Champ Bailey, Deion Branch and Brandin Cooks. Cooks (3.81 seconds) owns the fastest 20-yard shuttle time and the second-fastest (10.72) 60-yard shuttle time.

No one has gone under this year’s total bar of 3.88 seconds for the 20-yard shuttle since Boston College safety Justin Simmons did a 3.85 time in 2016.

Pittsburgh Panthers CB Avonte Maddox, with a 10.72-second time in 2018, was the last player to go under 10.81 seconds for the 60-yard shuttle.

Picks: Slower than 3.88-second 20-yard shuttle (-115); slower than 10.81-second 60-yard shuttle (-120)