Slow in this case is a relative term as each of these guys could blow my doors off and lap me in a kiddie pool, but nonetheless the 2016 wide receiver draft class made some noise with the numbers they laid down Saturday and not in the way they wanted.
The group that ran the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine did not include top-rated wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, but it’s unlikely he would have helped. The average of the group was 4.56, the second lowest average since 2011 and is tied for the second lowest since 2003.
Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris chimed on on the day’s results.
Some slow Wrs coming in the league today lol
— Chris Harris (@ChrisHarrisJr) February 27, 2016
Harris ran a 4.48 40 at the combine back in 2011 just to save you the trouble of looking it up.
That’s not to say some good times weren’t put down Saturday. Notre Dame’s Will Fuller clocked in a 4.32 time and TCU’s Kolby Listenbee was timed at 4.39. In all 10 players put up tims of 4.49 or less, but nobody with any danger of being taken in the first round. In fact, the cut-off guy who may sneak into the first, TCU’s Josh Doctson, laid down a 4.50.
Hello SPEED!@NDFootball WR Will Fuller runs a 4.33u 40! #NFLCombine https://t.co/a3ZL4Bbu6I
— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2016
The other potential first-rounders? As I already said Treadwell won’t run until his pro day at Ole Miss, but he’s probably in that 4.5 range. Ohio State’s Michael Thomas, the No. 2 wideout on most draft boards put down a 4.57.
The guys who really helped themselves where Charone Peake from Clemson and Jordan Payton from UCLA.
Payton is a slot guy in the NFL and a fantastic route-runner with flypaper hands. Unless he put up some insanely slow 40 time, he’d still end up drafted somewhere in the middle of the draft and enjoy a nice little Julian Edleman-style career. Only something happened on the way to the fifth or sixth round, Payton put down a 4.47 40-yard dash and he did it twice. The book on Payton coming into the combine is that he was a “quick guy but not a fast guy.” They need to throw out that book.
#Speed Saturday!!!@JordanPayton with the 4.47 official in Indy… pic.twitter.com/c0kBbqAxd9
— Sal Alosi (@Coach_Alosi) February 27, 2016
Peake was injured a lot at Clemson until just this last season when he caught 50 balls for 716 yards and five touchdowns. At 6-foot-2, 209 pounds Peake is an NFL prototype and has a nice little resume as Clemson receivers have continually broken out in the NFL over the last few years (DeAndre Hopkins, Sammie Watkins and Martavis Bryant). Peake’s 4.45 40 time moves him into the second round for sure.
Charone Peake has a chance to be a dude on the next level. Big, fast and athletic. Higher ceiling than his college numbers might indicate.
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) February 27, 2016
Former Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller moved to wide receiver this year and did himself a favor. His 4.50 40 was one of the best of the day. He’s still a raw talent at wideout and really that’s what will hurt his draft position. Still, my bet is he goes somewhere in the third round.
The slowest wide receiver time of the day belonged to De’Runnya Wilson from Mississippi State, who put up a 4.85. While you’d think that would hurt him, don’t expect him to fall too far. Speed was never his game. At 6-foot-5 and 224 pounds, Wilson is a red zone and third down target that uses his basketball skills to beat defenders to the ball. He’s a glorified tight end and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him make that move in a training camp this summer.
Falling for Dak Prescott
On a day when quarterbacks are graded on their ability to complete passes against no one, the pre combine love fest for North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz and California’s Jared Goff continued. But another guy was invited to the party Saturday and you may remember that I think he’s the best quarterback coming out in the draft, Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott.
There goes @15_DakP (@HailStateFB)! #NFLCombine https://t.co/fqIReWLi2d
— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2016
Prescott was one of the top performers in every drill ran at the combine, especially the already-mentioned passes against air where he showed accuracy at every range. What Prescott has going for him is all these great things he did at the combine Saturday are backed up by three years of game film against top-tier opposition. He was the best quarterback in the best conference in college football for the last two seasons. That might be important.
Dak Prescott is impressive. Throwing on the field right now. I think some team takes him in middle round to develop into Cam-like QB.
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) February 27, 2016
“Want to give your comments about this article? You can either leave them here or you can join us on theGet More Sports Forum and talk about this article and many more! Brag about your favorite team, argue about an athlete’s performance or tell us about a game you saw. Join a new community of sports fans who live and breathe sports and sports entertainment. It’s free! Join now!”
