Tai Felton vs. CeeDee Lamb 40 time: Which WR comes out on top?

On Saturday, quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers participated in on-field workouts and physical testing at the 2025 NFL Combine. There, Tai Felton, a wide receiver for Maryland, did well for his draft stock by finishing third among all players at his position in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.37 seconds.

His 10-foot-10 broad leap and 39.5-inch vertical jump also ranked among the best for receivers in the draft class, and he also had a 1.51-second 10-yard split.

Felton's 40-yard time was faster than when star NFL receiver CeeDee Lamb took the same drill in 2020 before he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, Lamb's 40-yard time was considered to be a major disappointment prior to the 2020 draft.

The 25-year-old had to wait until the middle of the first round before being taken, in part because of his 4.51 40-yard sprint at the 2020 combine.

The 2020 draft was one of the strongest wide receiver classes in recent memory, which also had candidates like Jerry Jeudy, Michael Pittman, Tee Higgins, Brandon Aiyuk and Justin Jefferson. As a result, Lamb's 40-yard sprint time of 4.51 missed the top 10 for wide receivers that year.

Lamb's 40-time ranked 14th among all wide receivers, but the Cowboys still selected him in the first round because they understood that the receiver's strength at Oklahoma wasn't about being a straight-line speedster.

It's also important to note that Lamb, who has been among the best at his position in the league since his arrival in 2020, is another proof that the 40-yard dash isn't a reliable indicator which players will turn to a superstar in the NFL.

In addition to finishing as the league leader in catches in 2023, Lamb already has four Pro Bowl selections. He caught 101 passes for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns in 15 regular-season games for Dallas in 2024.

As an NFL prospect hoping to make a significant impact if he gets drafted by an NFL team next month, Tai Felton could think of Lamb's individual achievements and NFL performance as a benchmark for wide receiver excellence.

A look at Tai Felton's stats in college

During the 2024 season, Tai Felton was especially successful for Maryland in the passing game, leading the Big Ten in both receiving yards (1,124 yards) and 96 receptions. In addition, he had nine receiving touchdowns, which tied him for third place.

Felton also set a single-season program record for Maryland with 96 receptions. His achievements earned him a spot on the First-Team All-Big Ten during his last season.

Felton had 172 catches, 2,207 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns throughout his four years in college. Overall, he is seen as a productive wide receiver with a high ability to regularly catch passes and accumulate yards. These are attributes that are valuable in the NFL.