INDIANAPOLIS _ Jabrill Peppers had a goal in the 40-yard dash to break 4.45 seconds.
Though the former Michigan football standout didn't quite get there, he blew away the other linebackers he ran against.
Peppers ran two fast 40-yard dashes, the first one at 4.47 seconds and then 4.46, which was his official time.
That placed Peppers well ahead of the next linebacker, Temple's Haason Reddick at 4.52 seconds.
Peppers, who has gained 13 pounds since playing at Michigan but was an elite track sprinter in high school as a New Jersey state champion, wished his time was a bit lower but said it was a tradeoff for the bulk.
"A little disappointed but I had to do what I needed to do to get where I need to be," he said, looking into the NFL Network camera at the end of the drills. "It is what it is. That 13 pounds that I put on slowed me down but it is what it is."
Peppers was breathing heavy at the end of the workouts but, knowing the camera was on him, did a cartwheel and a somersault.
Though he ran with linebackers and was going through their other drills _ his vertical was fourth at 35.5 inches and his broad jump tied for first at 128 inches _ he wants to be a safety in the NFL.
That's why he will work out for the second time, with the defensive backs Monday, though he won't do the testing again. His 19 bench press reps with the linebackers on Saturday are tied for third among the safeties, who lifted on Sunday, one behind the leader.
His 40 time would be the fastest strong safety time against anyone from the 2016 draft and, in a 40-yard dash matchup against other recent elite safeties _ Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Earl Thomas and Tyrann Mathieu _ Peppers was faster than all of them.
Just not as fast as he hoped.
Watching that on the NFL Network monitor, he said "wow, that's pretty good company to be in."
