Matt Breida was the fastest NFL player in 2018 based on the fastest ball carrier metric from Next Gen Stats, reaching a season-leading 22.09 mph on a 33-yard run for the San Francisco 49ers. Dalvin Cook finished second at 22.07 mph, while Devin McCourty ranked third at 22.05 mph.
This ranking measures the highest speed reached while a player possessed the football during a regular-season play. It is based on NFL Next Gen Stats tracking, not 40-yard dash times, and it includes rushing attempts, receptions, returns and interception returns. For broader historical context, compare these results with the fastest NFL players ever.
Table of Contents
Fastest NFL Players in 2018: Key Facts
- Fastest ball carrier: Matt Breida, 22.09 mph.
- Margin at the top: Breida led Dalvin Cook by 0.02 mph.
- Fastest player listed at wide receiver: Tyreek Hill, 21.95 mph.
- Fastest defensive-position player: Devin McCourty, 22.05 mph.
- Top-10 cutoff: Tyreek Hill ranked 10th at 21.78 mph.
- Official table scope: The complete Next Gen Stats table contains 20 plays by 18 players.
How the 2018 NFL Ball-Carrier Speed Ranking Works
This is an objective ranking of the highest ball-carrier speeds recorded by NFL Next Gen Stats during the 2018 regular season. Preseason and postseason plays are excluded. The individual analysis counts down the top 10, while the complete table near the bottom includes all 20 plays displayed on the official leaderboard.
Every play is ranked separately, so a player can appear more than once. Tyreek Hill and Robert Foster each appear twice in the complete top 20. Next Gen Stats officially places Phillip Lindsay fifth and Saquon Barkley sixth even though both display as 21.91 mph. It also publishes separate positions for the ties at 21.74 and 21.48 mph, so this article follows the official order instead of creating shared ranks.
Top speed is useful, but it does not settle every football argument. Longer plays provide more room to accelerate, while running backs often have to clear traffic before reaching open field. This list captures the highest gear each player reached with the ball, not who had the quickest first step, the fastest 40-yard dash or the best overall season.
Fastest NFL Ball Carriers of the 2018 Season
10. Tyreek Hill: 21.78 mph
Team: Kansas City Chiefs; Play: 91-yard punt return touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.
Hill fielded the punt, found the right sideline and accelerated away for a 91-yard touchdown. The 21.78 mph return secured the final top-10 position and was the first of his two entries from the same season-opening game.
9. Dede Westbrook: 21.80 mph
Team: Jacksonville Jaguars; Play: 74-yard punt return touchdown against Washington in Week 15.
Westbrook broke through the initial coverage and raced down the sideline for a 74-yard score. His 21.80 mph sprint was one of two punt return touchdowns inside the top 10.
8. Minkah Fitzpatrick: 21.85 mph
Team: Miami Dolphins; Play: 50-yard interception return touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15.
Fitzpatrick intercepted Kirk Cousins and returned the ball 50 yards for Miami’s opening touchdown. He reached 21.85 mph, giving the Dolphins two consecutive entries on the leaderboard from the same game.
7. Kalen Ballage: 21.87 mph
Team: Miami Dolphins; Play: 75-yard rushing touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15.
Ballage burst through the middle and separated from the secondary for a 75-yard touchdown. His 21.87 mph speed was the fastest by a Miami offensive player in 2018 and placed him one spot ahead of Fitzpatrick’s pick-six from the same game.
6. Saquon Barkley: 21.91 mph
Team: New York Giants; Play: 78-yard rushing touchdown against Washington in Week 14.
Barkley cut through the line and pulled away for a 78-yard touchdown during his record-setting rookie season. Next Gen Stats ranks the play sixth, one position behind Lindsay despite both entries displaying a speed of 21.91 mph.
5. Phillip Lindsay: 21.91 mph
Team: Denver Broncos; Play: 32-yard rush against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12.
Lindsay accelerated through the crease for a 32-yard gain and reached 21.91 mph. The undrafted rookie needed less runway than most players in the top 10, and Next Gen Stats gives his play the fifth position in the published order.
4. Tyreek Hill: 21.95 mph
Team: Kansas City Chiefs; Play: 58-yard touchdown reception against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.
Hill turned a short catch into a 58-yard touchdown and reached 21.95 mph. Combined with his 91-yard punt return score, the play gave him two top-10 speeds and two long touchdowns in the season opener.
3. Devin McCourty: 22.05 mph
Team: New England Patriots; Play: 84-yard interception return touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8.
McCourty intercepted Derek Anderson and sprinted 84 yards for the clinching touchdown. At 22.05 mph, the veteran safety was the fastest defensive-position player on the entire 2018 leaderboard.
2. Dalvin Cook: 22.07 mph
Team: Minnesota Vikings; Play: 70-yard rush against the Detroit Lions in Week 9.
Cook escaped through the middle and accelerated downfield for a 70-yard gain. His 22.07 mph mark led the league until Week 12 and ultimately finished only 0.02 mph behind Breida.
1. Matt Breida: 22.09 mph
Team: San Francisco 49ers; Play: 33-yard rush against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12.
Breida took the handoff on a zone run, cut back toward the left sideline and reached 22.09 mph before being forced out after a 33-yard gain. The play did not end in a touchdown and was shorter than every other top-three entry, but it produced the fastest ball-carrier speed of the 2018 regular season.
Only 0.04 mph separated Breida from McCourty in third place. Breida’s ability to reach the top speed on a 33-yard run made the result especially notable because he had less distance to accelerate than Cook or McCourty.
What the 2018 Speed Leaderboard Reveals
- Only 0.02 mph separated the top two. Breida’s 22.09 narrowly beat Cook’s 22.07.
- Three plays reached at least 22 mph. Breida, Cook and McCourty were the only players to clear that threshold.
- The top 10 spanned only 0.31 mph. Hill’s 21.78 mph punt return was less than one-third of a mile per hour behind Breida.
- Seven of the 10 fastest plays ended in touchdowns. The group included three offensive scores, two interception returns and two punt returns, with Hill’s receiving and return touchdowns counted separately.
- Hill recorded two top-10 plays in one game. His 58-yard reception and 91-yard punt return both produced touchdowns against the Chargers in Week 1.
- Running backs occupied five of the first seven positions. Breida, Cook, Lindsay, Barkley and Ballage demonstrated how quickly elite backs can separate after reaching open field.
Breida won the single-play speed race, while Cook, Barkley and Lindsay paired elite top speed with significant offensive roles. For a broader evaluation of production, longevity and all-around ability, see the best running backs of all time.
Complete Top 20 Fastest NFL Ball Carriers of 2018
The official Next Gen Stats table contains 20 plays by 18 players. It includes the player’s position, top speed, week and play type. The published ranks are preserved where multiple plays display the same speed.
| RK | Player | Team | Pos | Speed (MPH) | Wk | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Breida | SF | RB | 22.09 | 12 | 33-yard rush |
| 2 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | RB | 22.07 | 9 | 70-yard rush |
| 3 | Devin McCourty | NE | FS | 22.05 | 8 | 84-yard interception TD |
| 4 | Tyreek Hill | KC | WR | 21.95 | 1 | 58-yard reception TD |
| 5 | Phillip Lindsay | DEN | RB | 21.91 | 12 | 32-yard rush |
| 6 | Saquon Barkley | NYG | RB | 21.91 | 14 | 78-yard rush TD |
| 7 | Kalen Ballage | MIA | RB | 21.87 | 15 | 75-yard rush TD |
| 8 | Minkah Fitzpatrick | MIA | S | 21.85 | 15 | 50-yard interception TD |
| 9 | Dede Westbrook | JAX | WR | 21.80 | 15 | 74-yard punt return TD |
| 10 | Tyreek Hill | KC | WR | 21.78 | 1 | 91-yard punt return TD |
| 11 | Derrick Henry | TEN | RB | 21.74 | 14 | 54-yard rush TD |
| 12 | Albert Wilson | MIA | WR | 21.74 | 3 | 74-yard reception TD |
| 13 | Robert Foster | BUF | WR | 21.62 | 14 | 12-yard reception |
| 14 | Jakeem Grant | MIA | WR | 21.58 | 5 | 71-yard punt return TD |
| 15 | Curtis Samuel | CAR | WR | 21.56 | 12 | 25-yard rush |
| 16 | Alex Erickson | CIN | WR | 21.52 | 15 | 77-yard kickoff return |
| 17 | Robby Anderson | NYJ | WR | 21.50 | 5 | 76-yard reception TD |
| 18 | Antonio Callaway | CLE | WR | 21.48 | 2 | 47-yard reception TD |
| 19 | Robert Foster | BUF | WR | 21.48 | 10 | 47-yard reception |
| 20 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | RB | 21.48 | 9 | 3-yard rush* |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the fastest NFL ball carrier in 2018?
Matt Breida was the fastest NFL ball carrier of the 2018 regular season at 22.09 mph. He reached that speed on a 33-yard run against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12.
How close was Matt Breida to Dalvin Cook?
Breida led Cook by just 0.02 mph. Cook reached 22.07 mph on a 70-yard run against the Detroit Lions, while Breida reached 22.09 mph three weeks later.
Who was the fastest defensive player in 2018?
Devin McCourty was the fastest player listed at a defensive position, reaching 22.05 mph on an 84-yard interception return touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.
Why do tied displayed speeds have different ranks?
Next Gen Stats publishes every play at a separate sequential position even when the displayed speeds match. This article preserves the official order, including Lindsay ahead of Barkley at 21.91 mph.
Sources and Data Notes
Data scope: NFL regular-season plays from the 2018 season. Preseason and postseason plays are excluded. Each play is ranked by maximum ball-carrier speed. Displayed ranks follow the official Next Gen Stats leaderboard, including separate published positions for plays that display the same speed. The asterisk on Tevin Coleman’s three-yard run indicates a penalty on the play. Last reviewed: August 6, 2026.
- NFL Next Gen Stats 2018 fastest ball-carrier leaderboard.
- NFL coverage of Matt Breida’s 33-yard run and the 22.09 mph Next Gen Stats measurement.
Matt Breida Won the 2018 Speed Race by 0.02 mph
Matt Breida led the fastest NFL ball carriers of 2018 at 22.09 mph, narrowly beating Dalvin Cook at 22.07 and Devin McCourty at 22.05. Breida delivered the fastest single moment, while Tyreek Hill was the only player with two entries in the top 10.
The gap between Breida and the final top-10 entry was only 0.31 mph. Across the expanded top 20, just 0.61 mph separated Breida from Antonio Callaway, Robert Foster and Tevin Coleman at 21.48. The top of the leaderboard was exceptionally close, but Breida’s Week 12 run gave San Francisco the season’s speed crown.
Fastest NFL Players by Year
Compare the fastest NFL ball carriers from every season tracked in this series:
- Fastest NFL Players in 2025
- Fastest NFL Players in 2024
- Fastest NFL Players in 2023
- Fastest NFL Players in 2022
- Fastest NFL Players in 2021
- Fastest NFL Players in 2020
- Fastest NFL Players in 2019
- Fastest NFL Players in 2018 (current page)
