LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase, seen by many to be the best wide receiver prospect in the 2021 NFL draft class, predictably put on a show at his pro day on Wednesday.
The number that will stick out for most people is his 4.38-second 40 time. There aren’t a lot of question marks surrounding his game but long speed is one of them. So Chase clocking a sub-4.4 could provide a satisfactory answer and will probably lock him into the WR1 spot.
I’m not putting much stock into that number, though. It seems like every receiver prospect has run in the 4.3s this draft season, and LSU’s pro day results have been especially charitable of late.
Hey Baton Rouge, numbers are up around the 225 pic.twitter.com/eP1j5e2e8x
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) March 31, 2021
More importantly, Chase’s 40 time did not match up with what we saw on film…
Ja’marr chase is a great WR, but if 4.38 was even kinda real I’d assume CJ henderson, who ran a 4.39 official would have had to run harder here pic.twitter.com/XGKRNmdHCK
— Fit Harrington (@futbolguysguy) March 31, 2021
That time is probably fake but it doesn’t really matter. Chase didn’t need to run a blazing 40 to solidify his position at the top of draft boards. He certainly wasn’t put in that spot because of his speed. That he ran quickly in shorts and a T-shirt is just a bonus.
Chase’s remarkable 2019 season wasn’t built on breakaway speed. Instead, it was Chase’s ability to just absolutely bully cornerbacks. He’s a smooth mover off the line of scrimmage, which didn’t necessarily lead to a lot of separation but allowed him to get into a position to box out defenders and make contested catches. He was basically the DeAndre Hopkins of the SEC.
Therefore, the big question is not whether Chase can run away from NFL defenders, but rather: Will Chase be able to bully NFL defenders the same way he did at the college level?
That will obviously require elite explosive athleticism, and well…
LSU WR Ja'Marr Chase just did a 41-inch vertical jump at his Pro Day. He then followed that up with a ridiculous 11-foot broad jump. Certified freak.
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) March 31, 2021
Yep, he checked that box.
There were some questions about Chase’s height, too, but he measured in at just over 6 feet tall. Some wondered if he was closer to 5-foot-10, which would have made it a lot harder to bully pro corners, obviously.
So, even if you discount the dubious 40 time, Chase’s pro day was still a rousing success. There are still plenty of valid questions surrounding the LSU product’s game — Does he separate enough? How much did Joe Burrow inflate his production? etc. — but he answered the biggest ones on Wednesday and is pretty much a lock to be the first receiver off the board next month.
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