Former Tennessee Volunteers football wide receiver Jauan Jennings had a rough 40-time at the NFL Draft Scouting Combine. Heres’ why that’s irrelevant.
When it comes to his NFL Draft stock, former Tennessee football wide receiver Jauan Jennings should have only been able to make a significant gain at this year’s combine when it came to his speed. That means that if he had a very fast 40-time, it would be a major plus. However, a slower one is completely irrelevant.
Jennings clocked in a 4.73 40-time at the combine this year. There is a really good chance that teams turn away from him because of that. If they do, it will be a decision they grow to regret in the future.
The history of the NFL Draft really shows a couple of things. Yes, physical tools can make a difference. But production should always be the default driving value. There is no doubt about Jennings’ ability to produce.
Football instincts matter. Even if he’s not the fastest guy, Jennings’ 969 receiving yards and eight touchdowns with three different quarterbacks throwing him the ball this year in SEC play has to count for something. Him leading the nation in yards after contact for a wide receiver has to count for a lot.
These things show that when Jennings is on the field, he knows how to be a star. Okay, so he won’t burn cornerbacks with speed in straight-line runs on hot routes. How often do those plays happen in a game anyway?
Should we point out that Anquan Boldin ran a 4.71 40-time? And he is two and a half inches shorter than Jennings. So a guy who produced the way Jennings did at the college level should not need a 40-time to prove what he can do. It should only be an asset already added on to what he has already proven.
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Now, you can question other things about Jennings, including his initial dismissal from the Vols and the legal issues he once faced. It’s also a question if you ever want your receiver to be the most vocal guy on your team, and Jennings certainly is vocal.
However, his 40-time should not hold him back at all. Jennings has proven his skills in too many other ways, and as a result, his NFL Draft stock should not fall at all because of this. If it does, he will go down as a major steal by any team.
Combines should be a secondary aspect to how people performed on the field. They should raise awareness to clear physical limitations somebody may have relative to the next level, and they should be able to boost people with certain performances as well.
What they should not do is act as a full substitute for production provided the athlete has the bare minimum physical requirements to play his position at the next level. Jennings clearly has that, and his height and strength are still relevant. As a result, he is still worthy of being a high NFL Draft pick, and a 40-time at a combine is completely irrelevant.