Derrick Henry is regarded as one of the strongest and most powerful backs in the league but how fast is he? This running back is known for breaking off massive touchdown runs yet many fans do not know his 40 time.
Derrick Henry ran the 40 yard dash in 4.54 seconds at the 2016 NFL combine. This is an official 40 time as it was measured at the combine using lasers to measure the time as opposed to stopwatches.
When Derrick Henry ran his forty-yard dash he was six foot three inches tall and weighed two hundred and forty-two pounds. This is an incredible forty yard dash time for someone of his size.
Though there were several running backs that ran faster forty times than Henry did none of them was near Henry’s height and weight.
You can check out Tyreek Hill’s or Lamar Jackson’s 40 times to get a frame of reference.
This combination of speed and power is incredibly rare and is why Henry has been so successful at the NFL level.
Pre Draft Strengths And Weaknesses
Like all prospects coming into the draft, scouts will have several strengths and weaknesses they see in the player. It can be interesting to look over these old prospect profiles to see what the scouts got right and wrong.
Pre Draft Strengths
“Can Be A Violent Runner Without Even Trying”
One of the most accurate pre-draft takes about Derrick Henry is his ability to be casually violent on the football field.
We have all seen the clips in which it seems that Henry is jogging through the defensive backfield only to casually throw a defender to the ground when he is in arms reach.
This is simply Derrick Henry showing off his elite level of strength at the running back position.
“Gives run-support cornerbacks bad dreams”
Another deadly accurate take regarding Derrick Henry in the NFL is the nightmares he gives to cornerbacks trying to stop the run.
On most plays, the defense is going to have a linebacker or defensive lineman attempt to make the tackle on Henry. But on some occasions he will run outside the formation and find himself one on one with a corner.
Henry’s viral clip of throwing Josh Norman to the ground with a stiff arm is a perfect example of this taking place.
“Long strides from second to third level cut into reaction time for safeties”
Henry often finds himself getting caught in the backfield but his ability to outrun defenders in the secondary is what really sets him apart.
Oftentimes running backs will reach the third level and be caught by a safety or cornerback shortly after. Henry on the other hand often strides right past the defenders on his way to scoring a large touchdown.
This is largely due to the long strides he takes once he has reached full speed.
Pre Draft Weaknesses
“With almost 400 touches this year, scouts are concerned about his workload”
The concerns of Derrick Henry’s workload were talked about each year as he continued to get tons of touches.
It wasn’t until the 2021 NFL season that Henry final had a major injury. In the grand scheme of his career this weakness has not been true.
But if Henry struggles to stay healthy after his first major injury then there may be cause for concern.
“Tall, long-strider who takes time to build up his speed”
Though Henry breaks off tons of long runs due to his speed he is often caught in his own backfield. His slow first few steps result in a large amount of negative or zero yard gains.
As the game wears on these tend to get less frequent but early on they can greatly slow down the offense.
