There is nothing more seductive in the NFL than speed. Speed causes scouts to drool, makes fans look at each other in disbelief and keeps defensive coordinators from getting any sleep.  

In the NFL, speed isn't just a commodity, it's the greatest natural resource.

Determining the fastest players in the NFL in a given season is tricky enough, and you're really just splitting hairs when comparing 40-yard dash times over a 20-year period. 

It takes more than a blistering NFL combine performance to really stand out. Can the player do it in pads, with 21 other guys on the field? It's not enough to best fast, you've got to be football fast. 

Click ahead for the 10 fastest players in the NFL over the last 20 years. 

DeSean Jackson

Because the second digit in his NFL Combine 40-yard dash time is a "3," DeSean Jackson is often overlooked in these discussions. Sometimes even electronic stopwatches can lie.

Just ask any fan of the New York Giants about Jackson's speed, or rather don't, because they can get a bit cross and cranky when reminded of that punt return. 

More than a few diminutive receivers have come into the NFL with great long speed, but Jackson has the exceptional balance, burst and vision to succeed in making the most of his wheels. He doesn't just "make plays" in space, he carves up defenses from the inside.

And, when all else fails, Jackson can simply outrun the secondary on a fly route. 

Devin Hester

Devin Hester is another player whose speed is not defined by a 40-yard dash time. In fact, the number most indicative of his speed might not even exist in reality. 

According to GameSpot.com, the makers of Madden NFL '08 decided to bestow Hester with the mythical 100 speed rating. The very first 100 speed rating in the video game franchise's storied history.

Virtual reality may be an arbitrary standard for the purposes of this list, but Hester's resume as a return man doesn't lie. He holds the NFL record for most punts returned for a touchdown in a career with 14 and the most overall return touchdowns with 20. 

For those that still aren't sold, this highlight reel should silence your doubt.

Mike Vick

There's little room to argue against Mike Vick being both the fastest and best running quarterback in NFL, but how does he compare to other position groups?

While his official 40-yard dash time of 4.33 seconds isn't elite compared to the likes of Bo Jackson, Vick testimonials sing a far different tune. 

Dan Reeves, Vick's first coach in Atlanta, told Steve Serby of the New York Post that Vick was the "fastest guy on the field." Andy Reid, Vick's coach in Philadelphia, told Bob Glauber of Newsday that a 50-year old Vick would still be faster than everyone else. 

Of course, it's best to see these things for yourself. Here's perhaps the most jaw-dropping play of Vick's career, the 46-yard touchdown run to beat the Minnesota Vikings in overtime. 

Michael Bennett

A first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings, injuries robbed Bennett of much of his career. Still, he was one of the league's preeminent burners during his short stay at the top.

According to Dion Caputi of the National Football Post (h/t Yahoo), Bennett was timed as fast as 4.13 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day. While the real time was probably in the 4.2 range, Bennett's track career confirms his elite wheels, with All-Athletics.com claiming his personal best in the 100-meters was a wind-aided time of 10 seconds flat. 

Bennett's NFL career sputtered out after a Pro Bowl campaign in 2003. He finished with just under 5,000 yards from scrimmage, along with 19 touchdowns. 

Joey Galloway

Before the passing game exploded in the NFL and two-wide receiver formations were prevalent, Joey Galloway was the prototype for the speedy No. 2 receiver. He could fly, and his job was to stretch the field vertically.

Internet lore has Galloway posting sub-4.2 second 40-yard dash times. While those times are unverifiable, Galloway told ESPN's Highly Questionable in February he can still run a 4.3 40. At the age of 43. 

While we don't know exactly how fast Galloway was, we do know he was fast enough for this last. He topped 10,000 yards receiving for his career, averaging 15.6 yards per reception. 

Trindon Holliday

Everyone on this list is, of course, here because they're fast. What makes Trindon Holliday unique is that he alone among his peers made it to the NFL solely because of his speed.

At 5'5" and 165 pounds, Holliday doesn't have the size to play offense or defense. Instead, he's existed in the NFL almost exclusively as a return man. 

His numbers are modest, having appeared in only 33 games over four NFL seasons. Still, his speed is undeniable, as evidenced by his four return touchdowns, two of which went for 105 yards. 

As a track star, Holliday qualified for the 2007 World Championships in the 100-meter dash but turned down the opportunity to focus on football at LSU. 

Chris Johnson

The owner of the fastest electronically timed 40-yard dash in NFL combine history at 4.24 seconds, Chris Johnson's place on this list is well-earned. 

Johnson's fleet feet were on full display during his sophomore season with the Tennessee Titans, when he became only the sixth player in NFL history to run for more than 2,000 yards in a season. While CJ2K has failed to reach those heights again—much to the chagrin of fantasy football owners—the performance was enough to cement his legacy as one of the game's most explosive players.

Until someone beats his mark, we'll be hearing Johnson's name come up every year at the NFL combine.

Darrell Green

Darrell Green is the owner of perhaps the best speed-related anecdote in NFL history.

Straight from the man himself, Green went out and ran a 40-yard dash in celebration of his 50th birthday. His time? A humble 4.43 seconds. 

That time would've bested all but two corners competing in the 2015 NFL combine. During his playing days, only a decade earlier, Green was significantly faster, running the 40 in 4.2 seconds at the age of 40, according to this clip taken from NFL Films. 

There may be a very small handful of players in NFL history faster than Green, but it seems unlikely any of them were more committed to the business of being fast than the Hall of Famer. 

Randy Moss

Randy Moss' athleticism is legendary, with reports claiming he clocked a 4.25 second 40-yard dash as a freshman at Florida State.

What made Moss unique, however, was his ability to turn the phrase "take the top off of the defense" into a two-dimensional statement. Moss could get in behind the secondary, or, at an impossibly graceful 6'4", he could simply go up over them to make a catch.

Such is the awe he inspires in fellow football players that current New Orleans Saints wideout Brandin Cooks recently told CBS Sports Radio's Jim Rome that he thinks Moss could still put up 100 yards receiving in a game. 

Deion Sanders

It's one of the great and unanswerable sports debates: who was the better athlete, Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson? The two-sport stars will forever be linked, driven in part by the mythology behind their athletic accomplishments.

Jackson does not qualify for this particular list, so Sanders earns top billing alone. A quick Google search puts his time in the 40-yard dash at the 1989 NFL combine anywhere between 4.19 and 4.27 seconds. While there is no reliable data, we know this: It was ridiculously fast.

Whether in the return game or from an interception, any time Sanders got his hands on the ball spelled trouble for the opposition. The fact the prevailing image of Sanders in the NFL is of him high-stepping into the end zone is a testament to his explosiveness. 

Sanders wrapped up his Hall of Fame career with eight All-Pro nominations, one Defensive Player of the Year award and two Super Bowl rings.