Chris Johnson’s 40-yard dash NFL Combine record is still safe as of Friday, but University of Georgia running back Keith Marshall made it interesting nonetheless. On a day when all eyes were on Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott and Alabama’s Derrick Henry, Marshall stole a little bit of the thunder with a 4.31-second 40-yard dash.
.@FootballUGA's Keith Marshall with the fastest 40 of the day: 4.29u. https://t.co/V2og5F26Av
— NFL (@NFL) February 26, 2016
Marshall also had the fourth best day at the bench press, putting up 225 pounds 25 times, good enough to finish the day ranked fourth. Strong and crazy fast is usually a pretty good recipe for a running back. Marshall wasn’t even projected to be drafted before the combine and according to some rating organizations, was the 526th-ranked player entering the draft. I’ve got to feel like that will change a little after Friday.
Elliott didn’t do much in the bench press, he put up the 14th best broad jump at 9-feet, 10 inches and ran a 4.47 40, not hurting his first round stock.
While Marshall obviously helped himself the most out of the running back group, Derrick Henry probably removed all doubt that he should be a first-round pick with his day. Henry opened the combine with a shock that could have hurt him, topping 247 pounds on the scale. He was easily the heaviest back at the combine and a has put on a good nine pounds at least since the season. Henry and his agent were probably sweating a little at that point. Then the drills happened and all was right with the world.
Henry, at 6-foot-3 and currently 247 pounds, put down a 4.54 40-yard dash, the 11th fastest of the running back group, he completed 22 reps in the bench press and and finished the day tied for second in the broad jump, hitting a mark of 10 feet, 10 inches. You could say he did alright.
“Watching him (Henry) test today, you could see not only his size, but his athleticism,” former St. Louis Rams running back and current NFL Network analyst Marshall Faulk said. “Today for Derrick Henry was about proving he wasn’t just another Alabama running back. We saw a guy that was explosive, that tested well on and off the field and ran well… He caught the ball pretty well today for a guy that didn’t catch a lot of balls at Alabama.”
Sit back, and watch the Heisman Trophy winner go to work.@KingHenry_2 (@AlabamaFTBL) runs 4.54u 40. #NFLCombine https://t.co/OLw0jF9BkQ
— NFL (@NFL) February 26, 2016
Another guy to keep your eye on after day one of the combine is Daniel Lasco from California. Lasco only played in a handful of games due to injuries but wowed scouts Friday with an 11-foot, three inch broad jump, a 4.45 40-yard dash and 23 bench press reps. Lasco is 6 feet tall and 209 pounds and doesn’t have a lot of wear and tear on him after a shortened college career.
Medicals become a factor
Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch had an interesting day Friday as multiple old injuries showed up on his medical exam, causing NFL clubs to need a little extra time with the potential first-round pick and request a couple of MRIs.
“I had an issue with my left knee and my right knee and an issue with my AC joint,” Lynch told reporters. “When I hurt my AC joint back in my redshirt sophomore year, against Cincinnati I didn’t realize… I had a small fracture in my clavicle. That popped up on the X-Ray, but it was healed. There just some pieces of bone floating around in there. So it spooked a team or two, I think…. I didn’t miss a game or a practice or a single throw because of it. None of those injuries bother me today. I’m 100 percent, so I’m more than willing to do whatever they need me to do.”
Paxton Lynch said issues with both knees and AC joint showed up in medicals. "I think it spooked a few teams." pic.twitter.com/8FLRK6dAl1
— NFL Draft (@NFLDraft) February 26, 2016
Lynch wasn’t the only player to make news with his medical exam. Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the Fiesta Bowl and reportedly multiple teams feel he won’t even be able to play in 2016.
Looking more and more like Jaylon Smith might not play at all in 2016. Too bad he played in that meaningless exhibition game.
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) February 26, 2016
Smith tore the MCL and ACL in his left knee will be re-checked by teams in April. According to the NFL Network, Smith walked “gingerly” but without crutches Friday.
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