most impressive performance. Chris. I assume that you
carefully studied every minute of every hour of the exhaustive
coverage on NFL Network who had the most impressive
performance. Gosh, there's a lot. I mean there really is
first off. I mean, the school at Georgia, their defensive
freaks.
I mean, we heard about that and I think that's where you start
off. I mean, again, there are two defensive tackles.
Especially Jordan Davis, 340 pounds run in 47 or 48 flat,
whatever
the speed at the combine.
In general, was insane.
It was the fastest combine we ever had in the history of
the NFL. Are you kidding me with that guy, right there? Like,
are you kidding me at 3:40 running? That that's insane.
I mean that that to me is a guy that yes now
was obviously going to be a first round pick
but when you show that type of speed and athleticism that
changes everybody's perspective to. Now you go. Oh wait, this
guy can play on third downs and he can rush the passer. We
don't have to take them off the field and oh man, wait, he
isn't
able to shoot a gap and cause disruption as
Just going to be a big guy that kind of makes a mosh pit in
the middle of the offensive line and makes it hard for us to run
on. I mean, that's that's I mean you could see The Rock was
impressive. He said, holy,
holy crap, Batman, that was fast,
that to me, was probably the star of the show.
Let alone like Baylor.
How about Baylor, having the fastest DB in the combine,
the fastest, wide receiver in the combine. I mean that to me was
the funnest thing to watch. Mike the wide receivers in
dbe's, it was 143 after another.
Oh, and that was pretty cool. To see lots of rockets up
people's butts on this combine.
Well, let's start with Jordan Davis yenching. Him the Georgia
defensive tackle for .78. S fastest for any player over 330
pounds at the combine since 2006. Now I still have memories
of Bruce Campbell and how he blew
everyone away. Offensive tackle
had a really fast 40
the 40s not relevant to an offensive tackle
ever except when something really good is happening, or
when something really bad is happening. It doesn't matter
an offensive lineman.
But it is an indication not that you're going to see.
Jordan Davis chasing guys around in a straight line, but
that athleticism
rights and handy because you put that big guy in the middle
of the defensive line. And yes, he's got to be strong enough to
fend off blockers, but he has to be athletic enough to slip
through cracks and get after the quarterback and chase him
around
in the backfield. Chris Jones style, right? There you go.
So, speaking of memories of Chris Jones, when he ran
the 40, had a world where wardrobe malfunction when he ran the 40,
all those years ago. It didn't happen
to Jordan Davis. But so that that straight-line speed at
least has a little relevance to a guy who is going to be
charged with fighting that daylight and taking off after
a quarterback. Even if it's not going to be a straight line,
run to the quarterback.
No doubt. No doubt. I just shows he's got a versatility
right? He's just not going to be that guy that you just go.
All we can just go earn hold the guy up and go. You guys
can't move me and now I've messed up the pie that way
there's yeah, you're going to be able to play put
you know defense has to your point. We're going to go.
Hey, no, the hell was holding that guy up just get through
between the Hard in the tackle right there shoot that Gap and
get in the backfield and just blow the play up and cause
chaos. That that to me,
you know, is what he showed that he's going to be able to
be that guy as well as the guy that can hold people up and
cause that much. But and I would think that,
you know, hey, it seems like in a lot of mock draft, you looked
at and you know me, I'm at the very start of my evaluation
phase here of all this stuff. He was like towards the end of
the first round and most things I saw
in the 20s that type of performance. Since there are no
moving like that, that's going to move them up. Five ten
spots, at least there really is. And I would think when
all said and done, he's a little higher than that. A lot
of these mock drafts have them as of right now.
And there's a difference to between the final time because
that doesn't really matter. You're never going to run like
that on a football field, especially without pads on
but you could see the athleticism and how he moved.
I think that's the key, right? He's moving you're saying man.
That guy is flying it Howard. Out this right, right.
And and so that's what I think is particularly relevant. It's
the Vince Wilfork Factor. The really big guy who isn't just
a sack of potatoes. He's a guy that can make things happen.
Athletically will Forks, that way the best defensive tackles.
Are that way. Now, Aaron Donald isn't
that big but it's the combination of the strength,
and the speed, and the athleticism of Aaron Donald
with a body that you just can't move. That's the ultimate
combination cross.
Hundred percent move him
and he's going to move through and past you. And
he's going to be gone before you even realize what happened.
Yeah, exactly. I mean, it's just so easy for him. You watch
here the drills just the way he turns. I mean the body control,
you know for somebody that big legs aren't flailing all over
the place.
I mean, he's really
extremely athletic and then
you know, to all these things you're talking about, what
you're seeing here. What it means is yeah. It's
the underwear Olympics and all of that but
you know again to your point. Mike
now, it's like, hey, we're going to play
4-3 defense. Hey, you're the shade nose, tackle. Hey, you're
athletic enough. Let's put you at the three technique. I mean,
look at that. That was pretty damn good. Just in itself
falling down, you know, some was somersault over,
you know, a we want you to play three technique and be out here
a little bit on the outside edge of the guard cause chaos
there. Oh, wait. Hey, we're going to play a 3-4 defense.
Now willing to play nose tackle. Oh wait,
now we got another big guy. We're going to put him in nose
tackle. We want to make you, you know, the 3-4 defense to
end who lines up straight up. Over the offensive tackle, he's
going to be able to do all of that stuff and especially now
with the athleticism, it's going to open people's eyes to
this versatility, what they saw
and realizing that, you know, there's more potential than
probably in the way he was used in Georgia. And that's what's
going to excite people. People like this. They just there
ain't a lot of people on Earth, walking around it, at 3:40.
That can run for seven, eight,
and jump like Jordan Davis. Ken
you mentioned the Baylor, guys, Kalin Barn. Whoa! Be from
Georgia from Baylor generated. The second fastest for In
scouting combine history at four point two three seconds
1/100 of a second behind John Ross
from five years ago, the Bengals receiver
and 1/100 of a second ahead of Chris Johnson, the Titans
running back from 2008 and
with defensive backs, the 40 is extra relevant because it
speaks to recovery speed, exact guy runs past you. You've got
the ability to close ground, especially if the ball is in
the air and you've got a few extra seconds to try.
To catch up to him.
That's where it becomes very relevant to have that kind of
speed as a defensive back. Chris 100%. You know, first off
you're covering a bunch of guys that run 43 and 44.
So if you can run a ten faster than them, it course, they know
where they're going. You don't. So you got to be a little bit
faster. What is great speed? Do
it allows you to be.
Hey when I'm running 90% I'm still running for for for
and now because I'm not going 100%
you know, I can change directions. As in do things
like that. To where yeah, I'm protecting the go round, but
I'm not going 100% because I'm naturally really fast. And, you
know, now when that receiver puts the brakes on the run,
an outrider, a comeback,
they're able to,
you know, be more in control because they're not having to
worry about. Oh my gosh, I gotta get on my horse and fly
because this guy can run by me. No, they're in control. They
can stop. Now make a break on the football with their
explosives that way.
So that's wearing to your point. Mike. It is special and
you know, you go through it with DBS and the history of
the NFL. This is one thing this is where
you know, I drives me crazy every year
the greatest DBS in the history of football
are the fastest guys on their team for the most part. They're
4243 guys. You know, when you start getting a shutdown Corner
as you run what for 48 or 49, they don't really exist. 45
flat that does not happen.
Deion Sanders champ. Bailey's Darrelle Revis is the world all
those guys. They're all 4243 ish there in that range and
that's why it's really really important because we know
there's a lot of freaky.
Receivers in the NFL right now,
Texas, San Antonio cornerback. Tariq Woolen also put break.
Show 2 6 s yd 40. That was the fourth fastest 40-yard dash and
combine history. Do we have? He's 64. This kid went to my
ex, just kidding 65
pounds, right? That is amazing. And
the other, the reality though is and this is the caveat
when you look at the list of the fastest
Combine 40-yard dash has ever.
There are many Star players that jump off the page.
So again, it's just one piece, everything that happens. The
combine is just one piece. It's a fairly important piece. But
the fastest of the fast
for the most part they've had limitations on their ability
to play at the NFL level, which just underscores the fact that
when you're on a football field, number one, you have
pads on number two, you have other guys who are possibly
getting in your way, putting more of a premium on stopping
and starting and moving
through physical distraction as opposed to just being able to
do what you do best.
Which is run fast in a straight line and there's a frustration
factor that comes into play when you know, you're really
fast, but you can't show it because you got to get through
this guy.
Well, you know, if your receiver had to get off the Jam
at the line of scrimmage, your defensive back, you can you've
got to go this way and that way you can't show it off. Yeah,
like to show it off. You like to just go out and run the 40.
Say if I
can run the 40 in some 43, give us seven points,
but that's not how it works. No, that's why.
Again, it's just one piece of a broader puzzle,
but hey, it's always better to be fast than not fast. It's
a big piece, it really is. And yeah, there's some guys, Out
there, like you said, I mean John Ross he hasn't lived up to
it. No doubt. There's there's there's some of those guys,
you're right. You got to still be able to play this Sport and
be athletic and move in different body positions at all
that. But this still a tangible piece of evidence again, a lot
of the really, really fast guys, sometimes. Don't run of
the combine either the freakiest, guys don't have to
do it
anymore. So you can't forget that, you know,
speed is still real.
You know, you look at the top dbe's in the history of
football. Like we said Darryl Greene, Deion Sanders of
the fastest people ever, you know,
Joey Galloway at wide receiver.
Seaver, Randy Moss. You know, there's some of those guys.
They didn't, you know, Galway ran a 4-1 at the combine, you
know, before the laser times Moss. He wasn't
he wasn't at the combine because he was in trouble,
right? I mean, so it is a real thing. There's no doubt about
it, but there is got to be a combination of being able to
play football and not being a track star.
But you know, he again, you look at some of the greatest
players in the history of our sport,
you know, whether it's dbe's receivers and running backs,
you know, most of them have another gear
that a lot of the guys.
On the field don't have certainly. And that's where,
you know, you try to find this now and peace it a piece it
together. Wait, can this guy really play? Or is it really
just a straight line guy to your point that can't do much
off of that? And now you start to dig through it as he coached
the right way,
you know, can we teach them certain techniques to make better
and you see where it goes from there?
As you mentioned, it was the fastest ever
combine from the perspective of the 40-yard dash average speed
of four point seven One S 31 players with a sub for for that
was the most ever met. Man, the fastest running back. Receiver
offensive line, defensive line linebacker and defensive
back groups ever to the point where it makes me want to go
inspect the surface.
Like they put down some new special Turf down that one,
white stripe, but and I say I say that facetiously. I will
say this though. I haven't written about this at PFT,
but there is some suspicion from people within the broader
combine production bubble that those unofficial times that
were popping up on Thursday night. We're goosed a little
bit too.
Lower than maybe, they should have been
just to generate buzz and get people to tune in. What a shock
TV network trying to get people to tune in
but you saw some of those like there was a four-to-one.
Yeah. The first night of time quadrate the receiver from
Baylor, right? Right. Yeah, there was some, there was some,
but Mike, you know, to argue against that a little bit.
There was some of the other way to where guys were it said,
four, three two, and then they came back and corrected it and
it was like, know, you ran 427
actually even better than
the thing we put out there.
Definitely. I think we had her. What we had was a really fast
year. I know a lot of people with the conspiracy theorists
are out. I know I get it, but here's another piece of like,
real tangible evidence to tell you. This is a fat
fast class. You know, I know what, the Senior Bowl, you
know, with it. They they made them where, you know, what are
those damn things that keep track of how fast and your
heart monitor and all that?
If I'm forgetting the damn name, they use
whatever but their GPS tracking system. It's the zebra
Technologies, right? Sean. Payton on every year talking
about zebra Technologies, right? It's The device? Yeah,
right. So they were wet and I know
just through the Senior Bowl and they know Daniel Jeremiah,
who does a great job on the NFL Network through the combine. He
even said it, you know, some of these guys numbers that they
had to the Senior Bowl. We're like, whoa, this is really
fast. This guy in.
Practice ran 22 miles per hour today
when he ran after a receiver
or this guy caught the ball and he hit plus 20,
so there was numbers and people out there already thinking that
this combine was going to be like this, just to kind of
squash and here's your receiver. Who originally we
thought for two months? I mean, this guy is rolling.
I mean 40, he was still getting faster. I think that's what's
scary. And when you watch these receivers you were just like,
oh my gosh, is every guy going to run for three here. I mean,
it was just one guy with three rockets up their ass after
another. It was awesome. It really was, it was as fun as
I ever remember watching
the 40s, you know, Thursday, Friday, Saturday Sunday. It
really was, you know, this is bad news for.
What's that? Bad news for the guys already in the league? You
don't want the end.
In class. Good, right, right. Hey, I'm real different cutting
off season workouts. Rookies. Don't show up for offseason
workouts. Nobody's showing up. I mean, there is that
that push and pull because it's a zero-sum game. There's only
so many jobs in the NFL and if some of these guys, if too many
of these guys are good coming in. It's necessarily going to
force some of the older,
more expensive guys out. So
biggest losers this weekend
guys who have been in the NFL. That's a five plus years, right?
Wrap right?
No doubt about it. Yeah, we'll see where it goes will see what
these guys can turn into. But certainly some guys that have
some, you know, explosive elements. Even the running back
from Iowa State. He was phenomenal
guy that you look at and go, he's got some star potential,
maybe the next level was a lot of guys that really look
the part. And it looks like it's a class. That's got a little of
everything Mike. You know, from what I even hear what I see,
you know, you got some top-level stars
and it seems like there's pretty good day.
Up, throughout the draft, to, to where,
you know, this would be an important one for teams that,
you know, can are trying to build a team.