Athletic testing is an important part of the draft evaluation process for any team, but especially the Green Bay Packers, who crave athletic traits more than most.
As live workouts begin at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday, it’s time to add some data to the profiles of the hundreds of prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Green Bay’s scouting philosophy goes way back and is very consistent, meaning their benchmarks for testing different sports at different positions are well established.
Here are the numbers to keep an eye on this week when players take the court in Indianapolis:
quarterback
Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback the Packers drafted in 2005, averaged 4.75 carries and 1.65 10-yard dashes. These scores are above average, but nothing too unique.
Since Brian Gutekunst took over as general manager, all three quarterbacks he’s drafted have gone at least 9-6, which is the 72nd percentile mark. Back in the Ted Thompson era, the record was still no worse than 9-1, which was the 59th percentile mark. Please keep an eye on these results.
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Size also matters; the Packers haven’t drafted a quarterback weighing less than 217 pounds or with a hand smaller than 9.25 inches since 2005. Official measurements at the quarterback level are important.
run back
Green Bay’s 40 running backs drafted since 2010 have averaged a run time of 4.54 seconds and a 10-yard dash of 1.59. Just like quarterbacks, these aren’t elite numbers worth chasing.
However, their guards have an average jump distance of 10-2, which is the 82nd percentile, while all five players Gutekunst drafted have at least 36 inches of vertical height, which is the 78th percentile. The jump shows explosiveness, which is important for the Packers.
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They also generally prefer a heavier back, with an average weight of 220 pounds, or 80th percentile.
wide receiver
Since 2006, Green Bay has drafted receivers with a 40-catch average of 4.48 catches (80th percentile) and a 10-yard time of 1.57 seconds.
They drafted different styles of receivers but stayed away from truly smaller receivers. The lightest receiver in the draft is Jayden Reed at 187 pounds, and their average receiver has an arm length of 32 inches.
Speed is important, but when you see a guy like Brenen Thompson running at 170 pounds (or less) this week, don’t get your hopes up that he ends up in Green Bay.
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tight end
For tight ends, the average 40-yard time since 2010 is 4.7 seconds, which is an 81st percentile score, while the 10-yard time is 1.65 seconds.
Lately, with Gutekunst at the helm, they’ve gone after real aliens who are big and fast at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds while still running in 4.6-inch Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
offensive tackle
At offensive tackle, Packers rookies have averaged a 40-yard time of 5.15 seconds since 2009, but the 10-yard split is more important because a lineman is unlikely to run 40 yards in one go. The 10-yard average is 1.77, which is in the 83rd percentile, which shows how important it is to Green Bay.
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There were some differences in the testing benchmarks depending on whether we were looking for a lighter or heavier lineman.
For players weighing 311 pounds or less, the average 40-year-old weight is 5.05 and the 10-year-old average weight is 1.74. Above 311 pounds, the averages drop to 5.25 pounds and 1.81 pounds.
Those are pretty much the exact numbers Anthony Belton ran, putting him above the average offensive lineman regardless of weight, and he weighed in at 336 pounds.
Kent Lee Platte, who oversees Relative Athletic Score, confirmed that Belton’s speed would be classified as “elite” for players weighing over 330 pounds. This is a good indicator of how the offensive line’s athleticism changes based on size.
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center
The only interior offensive line position the Packers actually drafted was center. They move tackles and centers to draw defenders. The center Green Bay has selected since 2013 has averaged 5.13 yards per 40 and 1.79 yards per 10.
It’s hard to get into the specific importance of different drills at center because the team drafted Josh Myers in the second round, even though he only completed vertical drills and nothing else.
The average vertical for Packers centers in the draft was around 29.4 inches, which is the 73rd percentile, so it probably carries some weight.
defensive tackle
The defensive tackle’s speed numbers are 5.03 in 40 inches and 1.74 in 10 inches, but if you remove the nose tackle body type (330 pounds+), it’s 4.98 in 40 inches and 1.73 in 10 inches.
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For a “normal” defensive tackle drafted by the Packers, the average jump is about 9-2, which is the 81st percentile score.
While the sample size is small, with just three tackles, they naturally hold themselves to different standards, with a 40-yard average of 5.27 and a 10-yard split of 1.78.
Still, they all have at least 29 inches of vertical height, which is above average at defensive tackle regardless of height, so it’s even more impressive for a nose tackle and could be used as an indicator of the explosiveness the Packers are looking for.
Edge punching machine
This is one of the positions in the NFL where athleticism is most important to success, and the Packers take it seriously. We’re looking for a 40-yard average of 4.73, with a 10-yard split of 1.63. Both scores were 81% or higher.
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Additionally, the broad jump of 10 feet is an average score, or the 84th percentile, while the vertical jump average is just under 35 inches, or the 80th percentile.
Green Bay has typically shied away from smaller edge rushers, using one that weighs an average of 263 pounds and has arms as long as 33 inches. Big, fast and explosive is the name of the game.
defender
It’s a similar story at linebacker, where players drafted by the Packers since 2013 have averaged a 4.61 40 rating, including a 1.60 10-yard score, both of which represent grades of 82 percent or better.
The standard is higher (further?) in the long jump, with the average long jump being 10-2, which is the 86th percentile score.
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cornerback
The corner is arguably the biggest position on all stopwatches, where speed is of the essence. The Packers’ 40 corner pick averages are 4.46 (81st percentile) and the 10-yard score is 1.56.
The three-cone also comes into play here, as the change of direction is so important for the cornerback. The magic number is an average of 6.86, or a score of 83%.
Similar to receivers, Green Bay typically doesn’t take true small corners because they don’t trust those corners to hold up in run defense or resist general wear and tear.
The lightest corner they drafted recently is 183 pounds (Micah Robinson) and the average height is 193 pounds. The shortest corner is just under 5’10 ⅓” (Shemar Jean-Charles) and the average is just over 5’11 ½”. Check D’Angelo Ponds off your wish list.
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Safety
Finally at safety, the 40-yard seek time was 4.51 (80th percentile) and the 10-yard split was 1.58. The Packers also seem to place a heavy emphasis on the short shuttle, with an average time of 4.15 (85th percentile), and the long jump, with an average time of 10-5 (83rd percentile).
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers athletic benchmarks to know ahead of 2026 NFL Scouting Combine