We will finally have an answer to who the Fastest Man in the NFL is this summer. There is a lot of buzz for the first-ever 40-yard dash tournament style competition this June, as 24 NFL players vie to see who among them is the fastest player in the league. This competition will feature 12 offensive players and 12 defensive players, and fans can vote on who will face off in the first round at the end of the month.
The inaugural 40 Yards of Gold competition will be held on June 29. Every race is slated to be contested on this date, so we are sure to see at least 18 40-yard dashes during the event. The event will take place in Miami, but there has yet to be a decision regarding what station will broadcast the competition.
40 Yards of Gold Odds at BookMaker.eu
John Franklin III +558
Field +600
Ted Ginn Jr. +600
Kevin Snead +610
Terrell Sinkfield +610
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie +640
Alvin Kamara +800
Robby Anderson +816
Donte Jackson +816
Budda Baker +972
Tarik Cohen +1200
The favorite to win this event per the oddsmakers is John Franklin III. Franklin has yet to play a down in the NFL, but fans of the television series Last Chance U are familiar with him. He was a three-star prospect that signed with Florida State out of high school, and he was a part of the national championship winning 4x100m relay team while at FSU.
Franklin transferred from Florida State to East Mississippi Community College after 2014, and he was one of the players showcased on Last Chance U during that time. He failed to develop as a quarterback while at FSU or East Mississippi, so he switched positions and became a wide receiver at Auburn. Franklin has been trying to make it as a defensive back in the NFL, and his elite speed has teams willing to give him a chance in the hope that he develops.
Last year, Franklin ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the National Scouting Combine, and he posted a 4.4 at Florida Atlantic’s Pro Day. However, he claims he can run even faster than that, and both he and his trainer have said that Franklin has run a 4.19 40.
The field is an intriguing option here. Not only do you get 14 players if you decide to bet the field, you get two mystery athletes as well. There has yet to be word on who the mystery runners will be, but we know that Tyreek Hill will not be one of them. If someone like John Ross is one of the mystery runners, that is obviously great value, so try to read the tea leaves here.
In what now seems to be a marketing ploy, Ted Ginn Jr. made a lot of bold claims about his speed a few weeks ago. Ginn stated that he would race anyone in a 40-yard dash for $10,000, and it seems obvious that claim was meant to bolster hype for this event. Ginn was certainly one of the fastest players in the league once upon a time, but it’s hard to see him winning this event now. Although he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the combine and was clocked at 10.2 seconds in the 100 meters, he recently turned 34. The Ohio State standout has a lot of wear and tear, and I don’t think he’ll survive more than a handful of rounds.
There are other favorites I would avoid. Terrell Sinkfield was known for his speed at Minnesota, but he has bounced between 11 different teams during his time as a professional. He failed to break through in either the AAF or the CFL, and the latter league constantly makes room for speedy players with its longer and wider fields.
I would avoid Alvin Kamara too. Kamara is known as an electric running back, but he is more elusive than fast. He ran a 4.56 40 at the combine, and he is largely here for name value.
The two bets I’ll be making for this event are the field and Tarik Cohen. I’ve already expressed my reasons for betting the field, and I like getting 12-1 on Cohen too. He ran a 4.42 40 at the combine in 2017, but there is reason to suspect he is faster now. Cohen went to small North Carolina A&T, and he didn’t have the training facilities and advantages he does now. His speed is apparent to anyone that watches Chicago.
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