Elijah Holyfield disappoints with one of NFL combine's slowest 40 times for RBs
There are significant stakes for most of the participants at this week’s NFL scouting combine.
For Elijah Holyfield, the former Georgia running back and son of boxing great Evander Holyfield, stakes are higher than most.
Holyfield left Georgia after his 2018 junior season that saw him tally 1,018 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 6.4 yards per carry.
Was Holyfield ready to make the leap?
With questions about his breakaway speed and limited exposure after sitting behind Sony Michel and Nick Chubb his freshman and sophomore seasons, some questioned if he was ready to make the jump to the NFL.
But many scouts liked his potential and saw this week as a chance for Holyfield to prove he’s a talent worthy of selecting as high as the NFL draft’s second round.
He had his chance to quell concerns at the combine’s 40-yard dash on Friday. He did just the opposite.
Holyfield’s 40 time stuns
His 40 times were among the slowest in the running back field.
On his first of two runs, Holyfield clocked in at 4.78 seconds. His second attempt was an even slower 4.81 seconds.
The NFL lists his unofficial time as a slightly better 4.76 seconds. But that’s of no solace as it puts him as the second slowest running back of the session out of 23 who participated.
In short, it was disastrous. Holyfield is not considered a speed back, but he’s not a goal-line bruiser either.
The scouting report on Holyfield has him pegged as a bowling ball, a strong back tacklers won’t relish tackling in the open field. But if he can’t get into the open field, then that becomes moot, of course.
On the plus side for Holyfield, he did put his strength on display. His 26 reps on the bench press were the third-most among running backs.
What went wrong?
Holyfield’s performance Friday wasn’t typical of what he displayed on the field at Georgia. His form looked stiff, and it’s possible the pressure and the rigors of the combine played an impact on his performance.
Whatever the case, his showing in the 40 will not help his draft cause.
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