Few players have helped themselves more at the Scouting Combine than Cal linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who had an outstanding day on Monday afternoon.
Kendricks was the fastest linebacker at the Combine, finishing the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. That even beat the official time put up by North Carolina’s Zach Brown, a college track star who had an impressive showing and was officially timed at 4.50 seconds.
Kendricks also had the best vertical jump among all linebackers at the Combine, at 39.5 inches, and the best broad jump, at 10 feet, 7 inches. And he looked very impressive in the linebacker on-field drills.
The Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Award winner last year, Kendricks said he models himself after 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis.
“Willis, that’s who I look up to. I feel like I can move the same way. Very fast, very quick, cat-like, that’s my style of play. I look at him and it’d be nice to be fraction of what he is,” Kendricks said. “I’m a hard worker, tough, I want to win. . . . I’m a competitor. I’ve been a competitor and I think my character will show for itself once I get picked up. I’m not going to sit here and harp on my character, but I mean, they can ask around and they can see I’m a good guy. I don’t get in much trouble, keep to myself, and just I just take care of business.”
He certainly took care of business today.