After posting a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine on Saturday, broadcast cameras captured former Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. shedding what appeared to be tears of joy.
“I’m so emotional, man,” Washington told NFL Network reporter Stacy Dales. “I’ve worked my whole life for this.”
The 6-foot-1, 223-pound ball carrier posted the quickest sprint of all the running backs who participated at the combine inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis — an impressive feat considering the position group averaged its fastest time since 2003, per the NFL Network.
.@RazorbackFB RB Mike Washington Jr. got emotional after running an incredible 4.33u. 🥲
These guys work so hard for this moment. @StaceyDales
2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aF5KlGmL9L— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026
His 4.33 was the fastest 40 by a running back since 2024, when eventual San Francisco 49ers fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo clocked the same time. It also beat the 4.36 time that Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, the draft’s consensus top running back prospect, posted Saturday.
Washington is coming off a breakout season with the Razorbacks. After transferring from New Mexico State, where he spent a year after three seasons at Buffalo, he posted a career-high 1,070 rushing yards, nine total touchdowns and 226 receiving yards.
Washington and the running backs contributed to a trend at this year’s combine, in which several position groups averaged record 40 times.
In addition to the running backs, defensive linemen (4.83 seconds), linebackers (4.55 seconds), defensive backs (4.44 seconds), and tight ends (4.63 seconds) all averaged their fastest times since 2003.
Ohio State safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. and Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq set records for their respective position groups.
What this means for Washington
Washington has been crushing the pre-draft process. He was terrific during Senior Bowl week and kept that momentum going in Indianapolis with the fastest 40-yard dash and big-time numbers in the vertical (39 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches). Washington is quick to gather his weight and cut against the grain, and you see the big-play ability — he led the SEC with 16 plays of 20-plus yards in 2025. And he is doing that at 223 pounds, with an impressive physique and power behind his pads (just ask Texas safety Michael Taaffe, who was put on his back by Washington on the Arkansas-Texas tape).
TALK TO ‘EM MIKE pic.twitter.com/xy83Gm3q9d
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) November 22, 2025
Love will be the first running back drafted, but Washington made a strong case in Indianapolis for why he should be a top-three back in April. — Dane Brugler, NFL Draft analyst
Another strong showing
Washington was impressive enough at the Senior Bowl for me to move him into my top 100 before the combine. I did wonder if I was out on a limb with that evaluation, but not any longer. Washington was one of the fastest players on the field in the Senior Bowl, and that comes after an extremely productive 2025 season that saw him top 1,000 yards with a yards after contact/carry number of 3.83.
It’s not a perfect picture. Washington had fumble issues in the past, including three last season. But a big guy with some wiggle and this type of speed makes for a tantalizing combination. He’s currently my RB4 in the 2026 draft, behind Love, Jadarian Price and Emmett Johnson. Though, to echo Brugler’s point above, who says that Washington hasn’t jumped into the top three after the combine? — Nick Baumgardner, Senior NFL Draft writer