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The race for the title of fastest player in the NFL is a tight one. This season presents gems that can easily steal the lead.
The Pro Bowl no longer holds the "NFL's Fastest Man" competition, and so the next-best way to determine it is through NFL's Next Gen Stats.
According to the stats, the fastest player in the NFL is San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert.
Mostert is the NFL's fastest player
Raheem Mostert started the season setting new standards of speed.
In the first quarter of San Francisco's Week 1 game against the Arizona Cardinals, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found Mostert shooting past Arizona rookie linebacker Isaiah Simmons. Mostert ran it in for a 76-yard touchdown.
Competing with the wind, Mostert reached a top speed of 22.73 miles per hour, the fastest speed achieved by an NFL ball-carrier since 2018.
In Week 2 against the New York Jets, Mostert one-upped himself and recorded the fastest speed in the NFL in the last five years. On his 80-yard touchdown run, Mostert reached 23.09 miles per hour.
As irony would have it, the fastest time from the 2019 season was 49ers running back Matt Brieda (22.09 mph), who was Mostert's teammate but now plays for the Miami Dolphins.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf should be mentioned for his speed after he chased down Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker when Baker was returning an interception. Metcalf reached 22.63 mph.
Unfortunately, Mostert's 2020 season was cursed with injuries. Ankle and knee injuries have cost him eight games. He struggled to keep up the same energy from the first couple of weeks due to his injuries.
The most recent hit was a head injury during the game the Washington Football Team in Week 14.
Mostert managed to rush 104 times for 521 yards, two touchdowns and caught 16 of 29 targets for 156 yards and a score.
Mostert will not return to the field in time for their season finale game against the Seattle Seahawks (11-4) on Sunday.
The holder for the third-fastest speed is Arizona Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake.
Drake reached 22.11 mph on his 69-yard touchdown run against the Dallas Cowboys on "Monday Night Football." A play that didn't come a moment too soon since fans were beginning to question Drake's offense.
Published 01 Jan 2021, 13:45 IST