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Saturday at the NFL combine was all about the linebackers and defensive linemen, which means a handful of Penn State players were in the spotlight. Unfortunately for Jesse Luketa, an untimely injury popped up during his second attempt at the 40-yard dash.
After posting a 4.89 in his first 40-yard dash time in Indianapolis on Saturday, Luketa’s second attempt was hampered by an injury midway through the run. Luketa limped his way across the finish line for a time of 5.76 with an apparent leg injury.
Here was Luketa’s first attempt…
PSU EDGE Jesse Luketa with a 4.89 40 yard dash#NFL #NFLDraft #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/8MUt4rfB2i
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) March 5, 2022
And here is Luketa’s second run…
Oh no! PSU EDGE Jesse Luketa comes up limping on his 2nd run.
Hope he's okay. #NFL #NFLCombine #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/KovP1Y9Jrz
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) March 5, 2022
Despite the injury, Luketa’s time on the second run did seem to impress some who may have been watching.
Jesse Luketa of Penn State hopped the last 20 yards of his 40 due to injury and still timed at 5.76. That's incredible
— Joseph Yun 🔰😷💉💉💉 (@2Yoon2ZeroBlitz) March 6, 2022
Luketa did battle injury concerns at times last season but proved to be a reliable defensive player for Penn State at multiple positions. His versatility makes him an intriguing draft prospect for the 2022 NFL draft as teams in need of some defensive help may evaluate Luketa at multiple positions. This injury on the second 40-yard dash time is unfortunate, but may not be the kind of devastating injury that sours NFL teams on Luketa in the big picture.
Luketa did meet with the Pittsburgh Steelers while at the combine, so a possible reunion with Pat Freiermuth could be in the works. Luketa will hope to take advantage of a second opportunity to impress at Penn State’s pro day later this month.
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