If you’ve watched a single Oregon Ducks game over the last two seasons, you’ve seen it. That blur in the number 15 jersey catching a bubble screen, making three defenders miss in a phone booth, and then hitting a gear that makes high-level DBs look like they’re running in sand. People started calling him a "human joystick" for a reason. So, when the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine rolled around, the hype for the Tez Johnson 40 time was through the roof.
The expectation? Something in the low 4.3s. Maybe even a 4.2 if the wind was right.
The reality? A bit of a gut punch for the "speed is everything" crowd.
What was the official Tez Johnson 40 time?
When the dust settled at Lucas Oil Stadium in March 2025, the clocks stopped at an official 4.51 seconds.
To be honest, that number sent a shockwave through the draft community. On his first attempt, he actually clocked a 4.55. He managed to shave it down on the second try, but 4.51 isn't exactly the "burner" status people projected for a guy who looks like a lightning bolt on Saturdays.
Now, context is everything in the NFL. A 4.51 is fast for a human. It's not particularly fast for a wide receiver who weighed in at a featherweight 154 pounds. In fact, that's where the concern really started to brew among scouts. Usually, if you’re that small—we’re talking 0th percentile for weight—you have to be an absolute jet to justify the durability risk.
For comparison, Jayden Higgins, an Iowa State wideout who is six inches taller and about 60 pounds heavier, ran faster than Tez. That’s a tough pill to swallow if you’re an NFL GM looking for an elite deep threat.
The "Game Speed" vs. "Track Speed" Paradox
After the combine, everyone expected Tez to try and redeem himself at the Oregon Pro Day. He didn't. He basically told the world, "Look at the tape."
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"You can watch my tape and see that can't nobody catch me," Johnson told reporters during the Ducks' Pro Day in March 2025. "I don't think the 40 really defines you as a football player. It just shows that you can run a fast time."
He's kinda right. But also, he's kinda wrong.
NFL teams love the 40-yard dash because it's a sterile, controlled environment. No pads. No defenders. Just raw acceleration and top-end velocity. But football isn't played in a straight line on a track.
Why the 40 time is misleading here
While the 4.51 was a letdown, his other metrics were actually insane. Check out these numbers from his Combine workout:
- Three-Cone Drill: 6.65 seconds (The fastest among all WRs at the 2025 Combine).
- Short Shuttle: 4.15 seconds.
- 10-Yard Split: 1.53 seconds.
That 6.65 in the three-cone is the real story. It proves that while his long-distance "drag racing" speed might be average for the NFL, his "stop-and-start" agility is elite. He moves laterally better than almost anyone in the 2025 class.
If you're a slot receiver, which is where Tez will live in the pros, that three-cone time matters way more than a 40-yard dash. You’re rarely running 40 yards in a straight line. You're running five yards, banking a hard 90-degree turn, and accelerating into a window.
The Tank Dell Comparison
Ever since Tez broke out at Oregon, the Tank Dell comparisons have been everywhere. It makes sense. Both are undersized, both are incredibly twitchy, and both were highly productive in high-octane college offenses.
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When Tank Dell came out, people worried about his weight too. But Tank had that specific "it" factor—the ability to create three yards of separation in the blink of an eye. Tez has that same DNA.
His 2024 season was proof. Even with a mid-season injury that sidelined him for a couple of games, he still put up nearly 900 yards and 10 touchdowns. The year before, playing alongside Bo Nix, he was a 1,000-yard receiver. The production is there. The "un-catchability" on film is there.
Does the 40 time actually hurt his draft stock?
Look, we have to be real here. It didn't help.
Being 154 pounds and running a 4.51 is a historical outlier. Since 2003, no receiver under 170 pounds has run a slower 40 at the combine. That is a stat that will make some "old school" scouts cross his name off the board entirely. They’ll see a guy who might get jammed at the line and won't have the pure wheels to recover.
However, the modern NFL is changing. Teams are more willing to use "positionless" players and creative slot targets. Think about guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown. He ran a 4.61. Now, he's one of the best in the league because he’s a technician and he’s quick.
Tez Johnson is a technician. His route running is seasoned. He understands how to manipulate a defender's hips and find the soft spots in zone coverage.
What's next for Tez?
The 40 time is written in stone now. It’s a 4.51. It’s part of his bio forever.
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But as he heads into the NFL, the focus shifts from "how fast is he?" to "how do we use him?" A creative offensive coordinator—someone like Ben Johnson in Detroit or Mike McDaniel in Miami—would probably have a field day with him. You put him in motion, you get him the ball on the move, and you let that 6.65 agility do the work.
The biggest hurdle isn't the speed; it's the frame. He needs to prove he can take a hit from a 220-pound NFL linebacker and get back up. He's already expressed confidence, telling scouts he'll win them a Super Bowl.
If you're looking for actionable insights on how to view his prospect profile, stop focusing on the 40. Start looking at the 10-yard split and the shuttle times. Those are the numbers that translate to the "scary" player we saw at Autzen Stadium.
Final takeaway for draft fans:
- Don't panic about the 4.51. It's "fast enough" for the slot.
- Value the three-cone drill (6.65) as the primary indicator of his NFL success.
- Watch his Senior Bowl 1-on-1 reps to see how he handles physical coverage.
The stopwatch might say one thing, but the 100 yards of turf usually say another. Tez Johnson is going to be a fascinating case study in game speed versus testing speed for years to come.
To get a better sense of how he might fit into your favorite team's offense, watch his 2024 highlights against Big Ten competition. Pay attention specifically to his yards after catch (YAC) and how quickly he reaches top speed after the catch, rather than just his top-end velocity.