2016 Combine

[Schneed10]

40 times don't tell you anything you can't already see by watching tape. When good scouts watch tape they can see who plays fast enough. They're not looking for who can reach a higher top speed in a straight line, they're looking for guys who get to spots faster than anybody else.

Let's say you're at the combine and you're expecting a LB to run a 4.9 and he runs a 4.6. All that should tell you is that maybe you need to go back and watch the guy's tape again. If he's faster than you thought at getting to spots, maybe you bump him up on your board. But if he's slow getting to the spots then you discount the 40 time as track-generated nonsense and leave him nice and low on your board.

In other words, the 40 time shouldn't be telling you anything you don't (or couldn't) already know.

"I'm looking for football players."
- Scot McCloughan

So you watch football games to find football players. The combine is stupid.