Justin Blackmon is widely considered to be the top wide receiver prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft, with two Biletnikoff awards during his college career, and 121 catches and 1,522 yards receiving this past season for Oklahoma State. He could easily be a Top-5 pick, however there are concerns about his top-end speed. It appears that Blackmon is holding off on answering those concerns. According to Adam Schefter, Blackmon may not run the 40-yard dash at the 2012 NFL Combine starting Wednesday, Feb. 22. (Note: ESPN Insider subscription required).
While a strong 40 time isn't the end-all, be-all of a great pro wideout (Jerry Rice being the consummate example), NFL scouts do place a lot of weight on speed. Unless Blackmon plans to run at the Oklahoma State's Pro Day on March 7, he could be viewed as dodging something he knows is a major weakness on his resume.
We won't know until draft day how big of a hit his stock takes if he doesn't run. As the SB Nation blog Mocking The Draft points out, Blackmon would be seriously considered at the No. 2 overall spot by the St. Louis Rams if he posted a time of 4.5 seconds or under. Still, he has plenty of other tools to make up for his lack of elite speed, and will likely be the first receiver taken off the board regardless.
For more on Blackmon and other prospects in the 2012 NFL Draft, stay tuned to the SB Nation blog Mocking The Draft.
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