Jadaveon Clowney of South Carolina impressed those who watched him perform at the NFL Combine yesterday. His 40-yard dash time of 4.53 led all defensive lineman in this class. Yet, his time comes up short of the all-time fastest set by Manny Lawson of NC State, when he ran a 4.43 in 2006. Lawson was a first round draft pick of San Francisco in 2006 and had a decent career, including two good seasons before tearing his ACL. The question…have you ever heard of Lawson?
I know fans get excited about the NFL Combine, but should they get overly hyped over good numbers or bummed about bad numbers at this event? I don’t think so. The NFL Combine is one small step in a process that starts after the player’s season in December or January and lasts until team makes their final roster cuts to 53 just before the season begins.