INDIANAPOLIS — You're not going to believe this but Curtis Samuel can still run really fast.
Wide receivers, quarterbacks and tight ends are taking their turn with the on-field workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium as part of the 2017 NFL Combine. The league determined Samuel was a wide receiver. Though he had to follow Washington wide receiver John Ross's record-setting 4.22-second 40, Samuel didn't disappoint.
His 4.31-second run is an unofficial time but is second-fastest at the Combine so far this year and ties him for the fastest time ever recorded from a player from a Big Ten School.
“He was the state runner-up in the 55-meters in high school, this is out of New York. So you know he can run,” NFL analyst Mike Mayock said.
Mayock said whoever drafts him will need to be creative with how they use him in their offense.
"He had 15 touchdowns. Eights runs and on those eight runs, six of them he was untouched; meaning it was unbelievable blocking, he stuck his foot in the ground and then went. The 7 TD receptions he ran better routes than expected," Mayock said. "Against Maryland he was the No. 1 wide receiver and he beat press coverage and stacked the corner and I didn't expect to see that level of sophistication in routes. Against Nebraska out of the slot he widened the safeties and corners – took them back to the post giving a better angle to his quarterback. So where do you play him, how do you play him? All I know is that he's a dynamic athlete.”
With 18 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press (third-most among wide receivers), Samuel is sure to rocket up draft boards.
Curtis Samuel flying too. Think he'll finish as a 2nd rounder for me. I've enjoyed his tape more than I thought I would.
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) March 4, 2017
Here is video of Samuel's second 40, which unofficially clocked in at 4.37 seconds.
Via UNINTERRUPTED, here is Samuel speaking about his ridiculous performance in the 40 and saying he felt like he could have potentially gone faster:
.@CurtisSamuel4__ blazes the competition in Indianapolis with his incredible 40-yard dash time of 4.31 at the #NFLCombine. pic.twitter.com/hjcQ4Xp1U0
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) March 4, 2017
