The 2019 NFL Combine kicked off with the offensive lineman on Friday but the running backs closed the day with some surprises and mixed results. The Detroit Lions won’t be looking for a bell cow but they will very much be in the market for a complement to Kerryon Johnson and Theo Riddick.
The Lions will likely be looking to pair their duo with a back who has a speed element to their game, as it’s an obvious missing piece in the current backfield — Johnson ran a 4.52 40-yard-dash at last years Combine, while Riddick ran a 4.68 in 2013.
Officially, there were 10 running backs who ran a 4.52 or faster, so let’s take a closer look at a few of them that had solid performances.
Mike Weber, Ohio State, 4.47
As a freshman, Weber looked like he was on his way to being a starting NFL running back but then he suffered an injury and was forced into a timeshare. His stock has taken a hit since but today he reminded people that those freshman traits are still there. The Lions (presumed) running backs coach Kyle Caskey got an up-close look at Weber in drills, as he could be a mid-round target.
Miles Sanders, Penn State, 4.49
With several of the top running backs running in the mid-4.6’s or slower, Sanders ran well in both measured events and in on-field drills — gliding through cones, making sharp cuts, and catching the ball with ease.
With muddled ranking at the top of this class, Sanders came away arguably the biggest winner of the day and could find himself as a top-2 back on some teams boards.
Darrell Henderson, Memphis, 4.36 unofficially
When Lions Wire previewed the running backs, my choice to watch was Henderson based on his home run ability, bursting for a 20+ yard run on 12.6-percent of his touches and averaging 8.9 yards per touch. Officially, Henderson clocked in with a 4.49 40-yard-dash, but his unofficial time of 4.36 was a lot closer to what you see on film.
Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in the 40 and was unable to participate in on-field drills, but he showed the necessary speed to catch the Lions attention.
Justice Hill, Oklahoma State, 4.4 (fastest official time)
Hill also suffered an injury (a hamstring pull) in his 40-yard-dash and was unable to participate in on-field drills, but absolutely destroyed every measured drill he participated in.
Among the group, he registered the fastest 40-yard-dash time (4.4), as well as the highest marks in the broad jump (10-10) and vertical jump (40″) — which matched Kerryon Johnson’s vertical jump score from last year.
The rest of the RBs who ran 4.52 and under
- Ryquell Armstead, Temple, 4.45
- Jordan Scarlett, Florida, 4.47
- Travis Homer, Miami, 4.48
- Karan Higdon, Michigan, 4.49
- Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M, 4.51
- Tony Pollard, Memphis, 4.52
Notes
- Elijah Holyfield (Georgia) ran a much slower than anticipated 40 time (4.78) which will sour a lot of teams on him.
- James Williams (Washington State, 4.58) looked smooth in drills and was compared to James White several times during the broadcast.
