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After a drama-filled Day 1 of the NFL combine -- thanks entirely to Andre Smith magically disappearing -- Sunday has been more about the important on-field stuff: a bunch of guys in tights running 40 yards at a pop. Because, as even casual fans know, the correlation between straight-line speed and NFL success is off the charts.Of course, that doesn't keep teams from falling in love with players who bust out sub-4.4 40s. Last year, Chris Johnson ran an impossibly fast 4.24 at the combine and parlayed that into a first-round pick courtesy of the Titans. This morning, wide receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey (Maryland) and Percy Harvin (Florida) turned in times of 4.32 and 4.37, respectively.
Even before making their way to Indianapolis, both players were considered no worse than second-rounders, but they probably made some money with their performances today. But again, speed can sometimes be overvalued, and whenever I see a 4.3-something next to a player's name, my thoughts immediately go back to the 2006 combine.
Then-Florida wideout Chad Jackson was one of the top draft-eligible pass catchers in a decidedly weak class. He showed up in Indy, ran a 4.38 and his stock shot up, even though he wasn't a great route runner and played in an offense that had a reputation for turning out some pretty mediocre NFL wide receivers.
In the end, the Patriots traded up to the top of the second round to take Jackson. Over two seasons, he played in 14 games and caught 13 passes (three touchdowns) for 152 yards before New England released him. That's not to say Heyward-Bey or Harvin are destined for failure, just to point out that running really fast in a straight line doesn't mean much when taken out of context.
There are other concerns about Harvin, however. "One of the questions is, they don't run a route tree at Florida and they use him in some creative ways," said NFL Network's Mike Mayock during today's television coverage. "So can he run the route tree, number one ... We know he can run fast, but like [co-host] Marshall [Faulk] said, how good is he at getting in and out of traditional intermediate cuts. And then, how do you use the kid? He's a little bit like a cross between Reggie Bush and a wide receiver so you have to find ways to get the ball in his hands."
I'm pretty sure the Bush/WR comment wasn't meant to be derogatory.
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