We already knew that Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf was abnormally fast for his 6-foot-4, 226-pound frame. If we had any questions about that, we could just ask Cardinals safety Budda Baker, who ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at his 2017 scouting combine and found himself caught from behind by Mr. Metcalf, who ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at his combine two years later. Picking off Russell Wilson and running it back 90 yards was impressive, but all anybody could talk about was what Metcalf did.
Budda Baker with the HUGE INT and a 90-yard return! #RedSea @Buddabaker32
📺: #SEAvsAZ on NBC
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/FSTZl0ocgC pic.twitter.com/zErIeXiklE— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2020
So, the next step for Metcalf was to find out if he could match his straight-line speed with the best track athletes in the world. Metcalf did so in Sunday’s Golden Games and Distance Open in California, and while he didn’t qualify for June’s Olympic trials — he finished last in the 100-meter event — he was burning down the track for a guy his size.
Wilson, for one, was rather impressed.
Amazing Bro! 🔥🔥🔥
Rollin! 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾 @dkm14 https://t.co/5IFvNwm7ey— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) May 9, 2021
“To test my speed up against world class athletes … just having the opportunity to run against these guys was a blessing,” Metcalf said after the race.
That Metcalf could even hang with sprinters of this caliber with minimal training says a lot about his freakish athleticism. And though his Olympic dreams are dashed, he’s got a pretty bright future in the NFL. In 2020, his second NFL season, Metcalf caught 88 passes for 1,399 yards and 12 touchdowns, torching enemy defensive backs for 13 catches, 531 yards, and five touchdowns on passes of 20 or more air yards.