There is no doubt that Derrick Henry is one of the strongest and most powerful running backs in the league, but what is his 40 time?
In the 2016 NFL combine, Derrick Henry ran a 40 yard dash time of 4.54 seconds. This is an official time as the time was measured using lasers and not stopwatches.
Derrick Henry weighed two hundred and forty-two pounds and stood six feet three inches tall when he ran his forty-yard dash, an incredible time for someone of his size.
While there were several running backs who could run forty times faster than Henry, none of them were close to Henry’s height and weight.
For a frame of reference, you can look at Tyreek Hill’s or Lamar Jackson’s 40 times.
As a result of Henry’s combination of speed and power, he has been so successful in the NFL.
Pre Draft Strengths And Weaknesses
It can be interesting to look over these old prospect profiles to see what scouts got right and wrong about the prospect.
Pre-Draft Strengths
“Can Be A Violent Runner Without Even Trying”
Derrick Henry’s casual violence on the football field was one of the most accurate pre–draft assessments.
While in arms reach, Henry casually throws a defender to the ground while jogging through the defensive backfield.
In this video, Derrick Henry shows off his elite level of strength as a running back.
“Gives run-support cornerbacks horrible dreams”
In the NFL, Derrick Henry gives cornerbacks nightmares when trying to stop the run.
Henry is usually tackled by a linebacker or defensive lineman, but on occasion he will run outside the formation and find himself one-on-one with the corner.
Josh Norman’s viral video clip of Henry throwing him to the ground with a stiff arm illustrates the point perfectly.
“Long strides from second to third level cut into reaction time for safety”
In the backfield, Henry often gets caught, but his ability to outrun defenders in the secondary sets him apart.
While most running backs are caught by a safety or cornerback shortly after reaching the third level, Henry often strides right past his defenders and scores a huge touchdown.
He achieves this by taking long strides once he has reached full speed.
Pre Draft Weaknesses
“With almost 400 touches this year, scouts are concerned about his workload”
Every year, Derrick Henry’s workload was discussed as he continued to receive lots of touches.
In the grand scheme of Henry’s career, this weakness has not been an issue until the 2021 NFL season.
Henry’s health may be in question if he struggles to stay healthy after his first major injury.
“Tall, long-strider who takes time to build up his speed”
Henry is capable of breaking off tons of long runs because of his speed, but he often gets caught in his own backfield. His slow first few steps result in a lot of negative yardage.
Early in the game, these tend to slow down the offense, but as the game progresses they become less frequent.