Jake Locker came out firing on Sunday morning at the NFL Combine, turning in a blazing 40-yard dash time and outrunning many of the top draft prospects. Auburn quarterback Cam Newton may have the hype, but it was Locker that brought it in the 40, turning in a time a few hundredths of a second faster than Newton early on Sunday morning. Locker finished with one of the fastest 40-times turned in by a quarterback, not only at this combine, but at any.
According to reports from Lucas Oil Stadium, Locker ran a 4.52 second 40-yard dash, putting him among the fastest quarterbacks. Newton reportedly turned in a 4.58 to 4.60 second time, just behind Locker. Though his speed has never been in question — everyone knows Locker can be a burner at the quarterback spot — turning in a blazing 40 time can do nothing but help Locker as the draft approaches. His athleticism and speed are superb, but are only part of the equation for Locker, who must show-off his ability to play the quarterback spot.
Edit: Official times are in and the NFL had Locker and Newton tied in the 40. Both ran a 4.59 despite the NFL Network clocking each at different times during their two runs.
Locker participated in every drill, and Newton is just about to finish up in Indianapolis. The two have been under the microscope all week, and showed off their athleticism and physical tools when the spotlight was on. With the draft just about two months away, Locker has plenty of time to keep improving, but that speed has to be encouraging, especially in front of representatives from every team.
For more on the workouts, check out our 2011 NFL Combine StoryStream. We’ll be back with full results from Sunday’s workouts shortly as more information becomes available.