Miami corner DeMarcus Van Dyke lit up the final day of the NFL scouting combine with 4.27 40-yard dash time, making him the fastest man of the week in Indy. LSU CB Patrick Peterson, who is a consensus top 10 pick, turned in the week's second fastest time today at 4.34. The most impressive thing about that is that Peterson is 222 pounds. That makes him 46 pounds heavier than Van Dyke, yet just six hundredths of a second slower. As a pure athlete, there’s probably no rival to Peterson in this draft.
Superior athletic ability isn’t always a signal of NFL success… In fact, of the players who registered the top 40 times at the combine this week, only Patrick Peterson and Alabama WR Julio Jones are projected as first-round picks. The others are more likely third-day type players.
1. DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB, Miami: 4.28
2t. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU: 4.34
2t. Da’Rel Scott, RB, Maryland: 4.34
4t. Edmond Gates, WR, Abilene Christian: 4.37
4t. Ricardo Lockette, WR, Fort Valley State:4.37
6. Mario Fannin, RB, Auburn: 4.38
7. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama: 4.39