Back in 2008, a running back out of East Carolina announced his presence on the NFL scene with a blazing 4.24 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine. While many have speculated as to whether Texas WR Marquise Goodwin can best Chris Johnson’s 2008 time, an offensive tackle has momentarily stolen the show in what is probably the most popular drill every year in Indianapolis.
Arkansas Pine-Bluff offensive tackle Terron Armstead, listed at 6-5, 306lbs, posted an unofficial 4.65 in the 40-yard dash on Saturday. Armstead was a track star in high school and college, and scouts had him slotted as a potential Day 2 or 3 pick in April’s draft coming into this weekend’s combine.
While an offensive lineman’s forty time may not correlate to on-field performance as much as a skill position player’s does, it is a strong indicator of pure athleticism. That’s a trait that plenty of scouts emphasize in their evaluations of offensive lineman, particularly when assessing their abilities in pass-protection and run-blocking out on the edges.
The combine provides players from smaller schools like Armstead with an opportunity to get noticed, and Armstead certainly accomplished that today.
UPDATE: NFL Network reports that Armstead’s official time was a 4.71. Oklahoma offensive tackle Lane Johnson (6-7, 303lbs) posted a 4.72 official time. Johnson is a former tight end.
