Green Bay, Wisconsin – In the 1986 film Top Gun, Tom Cruise’s “Maverick” character famously stated, “I feel the need – the need for speed!” If Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst believes he needs to increase speed to his linebacker depth chart – a position of need entering the 2024 NFL Draft – he’ll be pleased with Thursday night’s track event at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Seven linebackers broke 4.60 seconds in the 40-yard dash, led by North Carolina State’s Payton Wilson who ran a surprising 4.43.
The past Scouting Combine average for an off-the-ball linebacker is 4.72 seconds. For reference, here are the 40 times for the three linebackers that played the majority of Green Bay’s snaps last season: 2022 first-round selection Quay Walker, a 2021 sixth-round pick, ran his in 4.52 seconds. Isaiah McDuffie ran 4.61 seconds, while De’Vondre Campbell, Atlanta’s 2016 fourth-round pick, ran 4.58. Last year, nine linebackers broke 4.60, but the majority of them weren’t elite prospect
Cooper (ranked third), Wilson (ranked fourth), Magee (ranked seventh), and Jacobs (ranked tenth) were among the quickest linebackers in NFL.com’s pre-Scouting Combine rankings this year. While Michigan’s Junior Colson and Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter did not run the 40, North Carolina’s Cedric Gray was the slowest among NFL.com’s top ten, clocking in at 4.64 seconds. Perhaps no one made more money than Wilson.
“I’m just excited to get to continue to prove to everyone that I’m one of the most athletic linebackers to ever come through this Combine and I’m looking to impress a lot of people,” Wilson told reporters on the morning of the Combine. Mission completed. Wilson’s ability has never been questioned, thanks to his uncommon combination of size (6-4, 233) and quickness. He did, however, miss the entire 2018 season due to a knee injury received during a June practice, as well as the majority of 2021 due to a shoulder issue.
“Throughout my career, especially early on, I did have a lot of injuries,” said Wilson, whose brother, Bryse, is a great pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. “But during the last two years, I’ve maintained my health and gained some weight. I’ve focused heavily on nutrition and maintenance programs to keep myself healthy. I believe my current situation will allow me to continue playing in the NFL for a long period. “I’m not afraid of injuries. At the end of the day, they’re unavoidable, and I’m going to treat every single play as if it were my last. Whatever occurs, happens.
