Ja’Marr Chase ran an unofficial 40 time of 4.38 seconds at his LSU pro day. The 2021 NFL combine was cancelled so Chase was not able to get an official 40 time.
Video of Ja’Marr Chase’s 40 time can be seen here. This 40 yard dash time is noticeably faster than other successful NFL receivers like Stefon Diggs and Cooper Kupp.
The difference between official 40 times and unofficial 40 times is the way in which they are timed.
Unofficial 40 times are 40-yard dashes that are recorded anywhere outside of the NFL combine. These drills are usually measured via a handheld timer.
Due to human error these handheld timers are not very accurate and can lead to inaccurate results. For this reason, unofficial 40 times are used as a ballpark of a player’s speed rather than their actual speed.
Official 40 times on the other hand are the more legitimate measurement. This is because these times are recorded via electronic timing. This timing is done via lasers that the football players run through to start and finish the drill.
This creates a very accurate reading of how fast the player runs the forty-yard dash.
For this reason, official 40 times are considered much more legitimate than the unofficial times.
Ja’Marr Chase’s speed on the field
Now that you know that Ja’Marr Chase ran an unofficial 4.38 40-yard dash you may be wondering how he utilizes this speed on the field.
Below we will break down some ways Ja’Marrs 4.38 speed helps elevate his game.
Go routes
Go Routes were Ja’Marr Chases bread and butter in his rookie season. He consistently beat defenders with these routes deep down the sideline.
Chase would often get a good release and then use his speed to increase the separation between himself and the cornerback.
By the time the year was finished Chase had accumulated 608 yards on go routes. Without great top-end speed these kinds of numbers aren’t possible.
Not to mention these go routes led to a lot of the touchdowns Chase scored in his rookie season.
Yards after the catch
Another way in which Chase uses his speed on the football field is after catching the ball. Many receivers have the ability to get open yet fail to gain many yards after each reception.
This is not the case with Chase who routinely turns short throws into huge plays. This is especially common on slant routes when Chase is able to use his 4.3 speed to get to the sideline.
On this route, the ball is caught after only travelling ten or so yards. Several times Chase took these short throws and turned them into touchdowns of over fifty yards.
Without top-end speed this is not possible as the players you need to outrun in the secondary are quite fast themselves.
