Ahmad Black runs 4.77

[Primetime42]

Yeesh.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Yeesh.

Should have faked an injury rather than showing up at the combine.

 

[realtick]

The "forget the stopwatch, he's a football player..." crowd in 3...2...1

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Normally if you are a smaller player then most clubs want at a specific position you better have something like killer speed to offset their fears. Being small and slower than expected is not a good thing for him.

Does not mean he can not be a player in the NFL or even a good to great one down the road, but it is obvious that it will hurt his draft stock.

 

[Nightshade]

OOUuuuuchhh!!

Welcome to the french fry station Ahmad. Here's your hat with the little golden M on it.

 

[jnday]

I was hoping for a little better time from Black. I always liked his playmaking ability , but this raises serious doubts about him at the NFL level.

 

[Muhast]

Well if he can just put on 100 lbs and grow 7 inches, some team may look at him as a DE.

 

[Avery]

I don't care what he runs, he's a player in this league.

Using the combine strictly as one's measuring post is a poor evaluation of their overall performance.

 

[realtick]

I don't care what he runs, he's a player in this league.

Using the combine strictly as one's measuring post is a poor evaluation of their overall performance.

Quick, name me all the other 5'9" 184 lbs strong safeties in the league. Let alone ones that run 4.78.

Seriously, hopefully Black can eek out a long career like Tyrone Carter.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

NO thanks! I was never impressed...

 

[respectdatstar]

I really like him. I saw him as a 3rd/4th round pick. This might slide him to 4th/5th or worse. But I think he has skills. Maybe he'll work on it and wow us at his Pro Day.

 

[Avery]

Quick, name me all the other 5'9" 184 lbs strong safeties in the league. Let alone ones that run 4.78.

Seriously, hopefully Black can eek out a long career like Tyrone Carter.

Ed Reed ran a 4.57. Speed isn't everything when it comes to playing centerfield. More than anything, it's instincts and Black has them in spades.

Never count out a guy just because he doesn't look the part. He's undersized, but I can handle my safeties being smaller than normal if they are picking off balls.

 

[casmith07]

Some of these guys just don't test well at the combine. I fully believe Ahmad Black is one of those guys.

Plus, it's only 2 tenths of a second slower than some guys, in spandex. Doesn't make much of a difference on the football field in pads.

 

[realtick]

Ed Reed ran a 4.57. Speed isn't everything when it comes to playing centerfield. More than anything, it's instincts and Black has them in spades.

Never count out a guy just because he doesn't look the part. He's undersized, but I can handle my safeties being smaller than normal if they are picking off balls.

Ed Reed was also 5'11" 201 lbs at the time of the combine. Ed Reed's intincts are also off the chart and are not seen in players coming out of the draft every year. Are you prepared to say Ahmad Black has Ed Reed type of instincts?

Bro, let's put this into perspective. Black nearly ran a 4.8 (4.78) at 184 lbs.

Dontay Moch at 248 lbs ran a 4.44
Sam Acho at 262 lbs ran a 4.68
Ryan Kerringan at 267 lbs ran a 4.71
Allen Bailey at 285 lbs ran a 4.77
Cameron Jordan at 287 lbs ran a 4.78

That's just to name a few...

I can agree with the general principle of what you're saying, but Black's shortcomings (no pun intended) are so drastic that it must be factored in. Had he ran in the high 4.5s or low 4.6s....okay, maybe.

You wanna play him at SS and have him covering TEs at 5'9" 184 lbs?

Fine, you wanna put him at FS and have him trying to cover deep, sideline to sideline with speed no faster than some 287 lb lineman?

I really don't like much of what Deion Sanders says as a TV talking head, but I do agree with this one notion: It's hard to be short and slow....