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While this year's class of running backs didn't exactly come close to breaking Chris Johnson's record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, it is one of the strongest overall classes in recent memory. For a position that has rapidly alternated between over- and under-valued during the past decade in the NFL, it's impossible to tell whether there will even be a running back taken in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
That doesn't mean there aren't players worthy of being taken in the first round, it's just difficult to predict what an NFL team will do when it comes to the position. This year also features an exceptionally strong free agent class at the position.
Whatever the case, the running backs were still plenty impressive at the combine, even if those who are noted speedsters didn't post record-breaking times or anything of the sort. Michigan State's Jeremy Langford posted the fastest 40-yard dash of all running backs at the combine, completing the drill in 4.42 seconds. He was the only running back to dip below 4.5 seconds, though there were plenty in that range.
That includes Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon, widely considered the top running back alongside Todd Gurley of Georgia. Gordon ran a 4.52 40, while Gurley was unable to participate due to the fact that he's rehabbing a torn ACL. All in all, a decent showing from Gordon was likely all he needed to stay at the top and he turned one in.
Here's the full results for the running back position overall:
| Player | School | Height | Weight | Arm | Hand | 10 Yard | 40 | Bench | Vertical | Broad | 3-Cone | S. Shuttle | 60 Yard Shuttle |
| Ameer Abdullah | Nebraska | 5'9 | 205 | 30 | 8 5/8 | 1.61 | 4.60 | 24 | 42.5" | 10'10" | 6.79 | 3.95 | 11.18 |
| Jay Ajayi | Boise State | 6'0 | 221 | 32 | 10 | 1.62 | 4.57 | 19 | 39" | 10'1" | 7.10 | 4.10 | 11.10 |
| Javorius Allen | Southern Cal | 6'0 | 221 | 31 3/4 | 9 3/8 | 1.61 | 4.53 | 11 | 35.5" | 10'1" | 6.96 | 4.28 | |
| Cameron Artis-Payne | Auburn | 5'10 | 212 | 29 5/8 | 8 7/8 | 1.62 | 4.53 | 36.5" | 9'10" | 7.13 | |||
| Dominique Brown | Louisville | 6'2 | 234 | 32 3/8 | 9 1/2 | 17 | |||||||
| Malcolm Brown | Texas | 5'11 | 224 | 32 3/4 | 10 1/4 | 1.65 | 4.62 | 19 | 34.5" | 9'9" | 6.86 | 4.15 | 11.32 |
| Michael Burton | Rutgers | 5'11 | 242 | 29 1/4 | 9 1/2 | 4.74 | 25 | 33" | 9'7" | 7.20 | 4.34 | 11.62 | |
| B.J. Catalon | Texas Christian | 5'7 | 186 | 30 | 9 | 1.69 | 4.57 | 36" | 9'6" | 6.90 | 4.15 | ||
| David Cobb | Minnesota | 5'11 | 229 | 31 5/8 | 9 3/8 | 4.81** | 17 | 38.5" | 10'1" | ||||
| Tevin Coleman | Indiana | 5'11 | 206 | 32 | 8 5/8 | 22 | |||||||
| John Crockett | North Dakota State | 6'0 | 217 | 31 | 9 3/4 | 1.63 | 4.62 | 15 | 40" | 10'5" | 7.15 | 4.25 | |
| Mike Davis | South Carolina | 5'9 | 217 | 30 1/4 | 9 3/8 | 1.58 | 4.61 | 17 | 34" | 9'8" | 7.00 | 4.18 | 11.65 |
| Michael Dyer | Louisville | 5'8 | 218 | 30 5/8 | 9 1/2 | 1.69 | 4.58 | 26 | 34" | 10' | |||
| Jahwan Edwards | Ball State | 5'9 | 220 | 31 5/8 | 8 7/8 | 1.75 | 4.80 | 16 | 35.5" | 9'9" | 7.63 | 4.50 | 12.40 |
| Jalston Fowler | Alabama | 5'11 | 254 | 32 3/4 | 10 1/2 | 1.77 | 4.94 | 23 | 33.5" | 9'6" | 7.56 | 4.40 | |
| Melvin Gordon | Wisconsin | 6'1 | 215 | 32 3/8 | 9 3/4 | 1.63 | 4.52 | 19 | 35" | 10'6' | 7.04 | 4.07 | 11.00 |
| Todd Gurley | Georgia | 6'1 | 222 | 32 1/2 | 10 | 17 | |||||||
| Dee Hart | Colorado State | 5'7 | 199 | 29 3/4 | 9 | 1.74 | 4.80 | 33" | 9'5" | 7.20 | 4.38 | ||
| Braylon Heard | Kentucky | 5'10 | 198 | 30 1/4 | 9 | 1.65 | 4.63 | 19 | 30.5" | 9'8" | 7.19 | 4.40 | |
| Kenny Hilliard | LSU | 6'0 | 226 | 31 1/4 | 9 1/4 | 1.72 | 4.83 | 27" | 9'3' | 7.17 | 4.40 | ||
| Joey Iosefa | Hawaii | 6'0 | 247 | 31 3/4 | 10 1/4 | 1.77 | 5.02 | 30 | 31.5" | 9'2" | 7.24 | 4.33 | |
| David Johnson | Northern Iowa | 6'1 | 224 | 31 1/4 | 9 5/8 | 1.58 | 4.50 | 25 | 41.5" | 10'7" | 6.82 | 4.27 | |
| Duke Johnson | Miami (FL) | 5'9 | 207 | 30 3/8 | 9 1/4 | 1.61 | 4.54 | 33.5" | 10'1" | ||||
| Gus Johnson | Stephen F. Austin | 5'10 | 215 | 29 5/8 | 9 1/8 | 1.63 | 4.70 | 26 | 36.5" | 10' | 7.09 | 4.13 | 11.76 |
| Matt Jones | Florida | 6'2 | 231 | 32 | 8 5/8 | 1.66 | 4.61 | 20 | 31.5" | 9'4' | |||
| Jeremy Langford | Michigan State | 6'0 | 208 | 31 1/2 | 8 3/4 | 1.56 | 4.42 | 34.5" | 9'10" | 7.22 | 4.32 | ||
| Terrence Magee | LSU | 5'8 | 213 | 30 | 9 | 22 | 37" | 9'7" | 7.52 | 4.37 | |||
| Marcus Murphy | Missouri | 5'8 | 193 | 31 | 8 5/8 | 1.69 | 4.61 | 11 | 29" | 9'1" | 4.40 | ||
| Thomas Rawls | Central Michigan | 5'9 | 215 | 30 3/4 | 9 1/2 | 1.72 | 4.65 | 15 | 35.5" | 9'8" | |||
| Josh Robinson | Mississippi State | 5'8 | 217 | 29 3/4 | 10 1/8 | 1.67 | 4.70 | 21 | 32" | 9'5" | |||
| Ross Scheuerman | Lafayette | 6'0 | 204 | 30 | 8 3/4 | 1.66 | 4.62 | 15 | 33" | 10'1" | 7.08 | 4.11 | 11.40 |
| Tyler Varga | Yale | 5'11 | 222 | 30 3/8 | 10 5/8 | 23 | |||||||
| Karlos Williams | Florida State | 6'1 | 230 | 33 | 9 3/4 | 1.61 | 4.48 | 16 | 33.5" | 9'9" | 7.16 | 4.46 | |
| Trey Williams | Texas A&M | 5'7 | 195 | 29 7/8 | 8 1/4 | 1.61 | 4.49 | 18 | 33.5" | 9'11" | 6.84 | 4.12 | 11.45 |
| T.J. Yeldon | Alabama | 6'1 | 226 | 31 5/8 | 9 | 1.70 | 4.61 | 22 | 36" | 9'9' | 7.19 | 4.22 | |
| Zach Zenner | South Dakota State | 5'11 | 223 | 32 | 9 5/8 | 1.64 | 4.60 | 25 | 41" | 10'1" | 7.08 | 4.14 | 11.69 |