The official 40 times for the receivers have been released. And what had appeared like a small gap between Julio Jones and A.J. Green has gotten ever larger.
Jones officially ran a blazing 4.39. Green mustered a respectable 4.5.
Two of the wideouts finished the fastest of all with a 4.37 -- Abilene Christian’s Edmond Gates and Fort Valley State’s Ricardo Lockette.
Meanwhile, former Maryland wideout Torrey Smith, who declined during last week’s visit to PFT Live to offer any prediction beyond “I’m fast, not slow,” was definitely fast, racking up a 4.43.
Though the 40 times mean a lot more when comparing wideouts than, say, offensive linemen, running in a straight line in a T-shirt and shorts has only a loose correlation to a guy’s speed while wearing gear and jockeying for position with a defensive back or two and trying to track down the ball.
For example, a guy from Mississippi Valley State ran a 4.6 in 1985. And things worked out just fine at the next level for Jerry Rice.