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The Los Angeles Rams had a chance to add one of the fastest receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft at No. 57 overall with Denzel Mims sitting on the board. Mims ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at the combine this year, the third-fastest time of any receiver.
Instead, the Rams took Van Jefferson, who didn’t run at the combine due to a Jones fracture in his foot. And while we don’t know exactly what Jefferson would’ve run in the 40, he does have plenty of speed.
At the Senior Bowl, Jefferson was clocked as the fastest player on the field. He topped out at 21.05 mph and 20.99 mph during punt return drills, which were the highest speeds of anyone in Mobile.
One of the players who was at the combine? Mims, whose top speed was 20.26 mph. Jefferson was also faster than Devin Duvernay and Antonio Gibson, who both ran a 4.39 in the 40.
Some interesting MPH data from the Senior Bowl from @ZebraTechnology.
New Rams 2nd round WR Van Jefferson can fly.
And while most top speeds were recorded during special teams periods, more impressive were the guys who did it during 1-on-1 and team drills. pic.twitter.com/xqYQhiBGCL
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) May 1, 2020
Florida WR @VanJefferson12 couldn’t run the 40 at Combine (foot injury) but @ZebraTechnology had him as fastest player at the @seniorbowl with max speed of 21.05 mph, which is faster than Devin Duvernay (20.90/4.39), Denzel Mims (20.26/4.38), and Antonio Gibson (20.15/4.39). 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/t7Y8nRmonn
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) April 4, 2020
This isn’t to say Jefferson plays faster than Mims or Duvernay, because his tape shows that he doesn’t possess that sort of speed. However, when he turns on the jets and is running in a straight line, he has plenty of juice.
The Rams didn’t draft him to be their speed threat like Brandin Cooks, but it seems he does have the wheels to get downfield if need be.
To put Jefferson’s speed into perspective, the 20th-fastest ball carrier in the NFL last season was Sammy Watkins, who was clocked at 21.33 mph on a 68-yard touchdown catch, according to Next Gen Stats. That’s not significantly faster than Jefferson’s time at the Senior Bowl.
The fastest ball carrier in 2019 was Matt Breida at 22.3 mph, which is absolutely cruising.
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