Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith runs 4.39 in the 40

NFL Combine
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Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith put on a show Thursday.

The 6-foot-2, 238-pounder ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash, clocked a 1.52 10-yard split, had a 41 1/2-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 8-inch broad jump.

As NFL Research tweeted, his 40-yard dash was faster than running back Saquon Barkley (4.40), his 10-yard split was quicker than running back Nick Chubb (1.52), his vertical jump was higher than receiver D.K. Metcalf (40 1/2) and his broad jump was longer than edge rusher Von Miller (10 foot, 6 inches).

“Yeah, I’m happy with that,” Smith told Stacey Dales of NFL Media. “I had a good day. I had fun. I just felt like I couldn’t be 100 percent in the drills, so I’m going to save everything else for the Pro Day and show everybody I can still move around and I can still run.”

Smith tore a pectoral muscle in Georgia’s win over Florida in October, so he did not participate in the bench press.

Smith appeared upset after his 40-yard dash, saying later he didn’t think he ran his best. But it was the second-fastest time for a defensive lineman since 2003, behind only the 4.36 that Virginia Tech’s Amaré Barno ran a year ago.

Northwestern defensive end Adetomiwa Adebawore also showed out. The 6-foot-2, 282-pounder ran a 4.49 in the 40, clocked a 1.61 10-yard split, had a 37.5-inch vertical jump and went 10-5 in the broad jump.

12 responses to “Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith runs 4.39 in the 40

  1. @ 238 Lbs.. he won’t be an edge rusher.. linebacker .. maybe a strong safety.

  2. Very impressive but he’s still too light to go up against men 70-100 lbs heavierand stronger imo. A move to a OLB or a move around role like Micah Parsons would seem smarter for his speed and quickness. Will he be a Lawrence Taylor type or just a freak Combine workout warrior like Mike Mamula? I would like to see him as a LT clone. Either way I wish him a long and productive career.

  3. OK people, can we please save the simplistic comments about how these amazing results don’t mean anything, that edge rushers don’t run 40 yards in games, etc. The fact is that these drill results indicate vastly superior athletic ability along with tremendous burst and power.

  4. Thats fast for 238 lbs.
    Now lets put 50 lbs of weights on him and see if he can run a 4.49 like the young man from NW.

  5. Some of guys need to realize it’s easy for guys to gain 10-15 lbs when they come into the NFL. Being in the 255 range as an 34 OLB is doable.

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