At the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney ran an unofficial 4.47 40-yard dash on Monday morning.
Clowney's time is the fourth-fastest time for a defensive lineman in combine history should his time stand. Before the drill is complete, Clowney will have one more sprint to complete. In the mean time, feel free to enjoy this:
Coming into the combine, Clowney had been quoted as wanting to run a 4.4 time, something most defensive linemen can't imagine. Last year, the average time for a defensive lineman was 4.77 in the 40-yard dash.
Clowney is expected to be a top-five pick, perhaps even the No. 1 overall pick of the Houston Texans come May. If Bill O'Brien and the Texans decide to go in a different direction, there is plenty of speculation that a team will trade up to the No. 2 spot to take Clowney.
And for good measure, here's Clowney's 40 superimposed alongside Oregon running back De'Anthony Thomas' 40, which was officially recorded at 4.50 and unofficially marked at 4.34.
The Twitterverse responded appropriately:
266-pound Clowney's unofficial 4.47 40 would've finished sixth among this year's *running backs*.
— SB Nation CFB (@SBNationCFB) February 24, 2014
One of Jadeveon Clowney's trainers told me he wished the 4.4 prediction hadn't come up, b/c then even a 4.5 would be a letdown. So ... Yeah.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 24, 2014
My Boy Clowney Just Ran A 4.47