Texas WR Isaiah Bond, potential Bears target, vows to break NFL combine's 40-yard dash record

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy stunned the NFL and significantly boosted his draft stock by running the 40-yard dash in a record-setting 4.21 seconds last year at the scouting combine. Now, another Texas product is out to beat that.

Isaiah Bond, currently projected to go in the second or third round, said Friday he will beat Worthy's time when he gets his shot Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“I’m going to break the record, for sure," Bond said. "I anticipate running 4.20, or possibly if I’m feeling great, I might run 4.1.”

That's quite a claim considering he's never been timed quite that fast, but Bond said he has clocked a 4.23 while training for the combine.

“I’ve been one of the fastest my whole life," Bond said. "So I’m just going to go out there and trust my training and put on a show.”

Worthy's phenomenal 40-yard dash helped propel him into the first round, where the Chiefs drafted him No. 28 overall. He caught 59 passes for 638 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie.

Bond is an intriguing prospect for the Bears and new coach Ben Johnson, but not if he surges like that. The Bears have more pressing needs than wide receiver to address with the Nos. 10, 39 and 41 picks, but their third-round selection at No. 72 overall could go several different directions.

NFL.com's three-round mock draft has Bond going No. 69 overall to the Patriots.

He began his career at Alabama before transferring to Texas when Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban retired. Over the 2023 and '24 seasons, he totaled 82 catches, 1,208 yards and nine touchdown receptions, plus a rushing touchdown.