At the NFL Combine, prospects who weigh 280 pounds run 40-yard dashes at unthinkably fast speeds.
At the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis Thursday, defensive linemen showed remarkable speed in their 40-yard dash times, considering their size.
Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern defensive end, clocked a 4.49 in football’s classic test of speed. Any combine prospect weighing 280 pounds, or more is thought to have the swiftest electronically timed 40. Since 2000, when the statistic of time for defensive tackles was officially kept, the fastest recorded was 4.67 seconds by Calijah Kancey, a former Pitt defensive tackle who is 6-foot-1 and 281 pounds.
Aaron Donald, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, co-owned the previous best time of 4.68 seconds, which was eclipsed by another Pitt alum.
Kancey’s credentials from his on-field performance are solid, even though impressive combine stats do not always guarantee a successful NFL career. He was named a unanimous All-American and awarded the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
He is on a mission to beat the narrative that, despite his relatively undersized stature, he can be a superstar NFL defensive tackle.
Owen Pappoe, Auburn: 4.39
Trenton Simpson, Clemson: 4.43
Yasir Abdullah, Louisville: 4.47
DJ Johnson, Oregon: 4.49
Dorian Williams, Tulane: 4.49
Dee Winters, TCU: 4.49
