Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson chose not to run the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine or his Pro Day workout. After throwing nearly 60 passes for scouting on Thursday, he explained why he chose not to run.
“Game speed is going to tell it all,” Jackson told Mike Mayock of NFL Network. “You’ve go to catch me first.”
He’s right, and it’s refreshing to see a top prospect refuse to fully submit to the dog-and-pony portion of the pre-draft process. If anyone wants to know whether he’s fast, they can watch how he did when facing college competition.
A cynic would say he chose not to run at the Combine or his Pro Day workout because he knew the outcome wouldn’t be impressive. If so, he wouldn’t be the first guy who has a different gear in T-shirts and shorts in a straight line and in full pads with defenders chasing him.