Christian Petersen/GettyJoey Bosa ran a disappointing 4.89 40-yard dash at the combine.
Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa is considered one of the top prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft.NFL.com’s 2016 mock draft has experts picking him to go as early as No. 3 and no later than No. 6.
However, a disappointing combine score in one of the most famous drills has some wondering if he might go lower.
On Sunday, Bosa took part in combine drills for linebackers — while not unexpected, as SI’s Chris Burke noted, it raised some eyebrows since Bosa is a defensive end.
Despite impressive scores in other drills, what stood out most from Bosa’s combine was his 40-yard dash. The most famed event of the combine, Bosa ran a 4.89, a number he admitted was about two-tenths of a second slower than what he’d hoped for.
The slower number, combined with his weight (269 pounds) has some people wondering where he fits in the NFL. Bosa may have to put on weight, as he’s on the light end for an NFL defensive end, thus making his 40 more worrisome as he might have to switch positions or learn a new defensive scheme in the NFL.
However, this all may be pointless worrying. An over-lapped video of Bosa’s 40 with JJ Watt’s and Jadeveon Clowney’s shows that while Clowney blew them away, Bosa was slightly faster than Watt:
Furthermore, Watt and Bosa posted remarkably similar scores to each other:
Watt wasn’t drafted until the 11th pick in 2011.
That Bosa disappointed in the 40 and perhaps in his physical measurements shouldn’t mean much. Good players slip through the cracks all of the time in the NFL draft.
Bosa is still likely a top-1o pick, and any NFL success he has will further show that the combine doesn’t prove all that much.