WATCH: Former Baylor safety JT Woods runs impressive 40-yard dash
Baylor safety JT Woods had a big day at the NFL Combine, running a 4.36 official 40-yard dash to rank second among players at his position. The impressive day was complimented by a 39.5-inch vertical jump and 128-inch broad jump along with physical measurements.
JT Woods adds to the list of Baylor Bears who put on a show at the 2022 NFL Combine, joining wide receiver Tyquan Thornton and cornerback Kalon Barnes as three of the fastest players in this year’s draft class.
Over four seasons at Baylor, Woods played in 46 games with 157 tackles and eight interceptions. He also added five pass deflections and four fumble recoveries. The former three-star recruit developed into a key player after choosing the Bears over Houston, Navy and others in the 2018 recruiting class.
Baylor players dominate at combine
Former Baylor Bears cornerback Kalon Barnes set a new NFL Combine record on Sunday. He clocked an official 4.23 40-yard dash, giving him the fastest all-time 40 by a defensive back at the combine.
His time puts him ahead of the second-place finisher, Tariq Woolen of UTSA, who ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash.
Even more impressively, the former Bear was just one millisecond shy of the overall combine record. In 2017, wide receiver John Ross ran the 40-yard dash in a record-setting 4.22 seconds. Barnes’ teammate Tyquan Thornton ran a 4.29 on Thursday, also flirting with the overall record.
Barnes measured in at 5-foot-11 and one-half-inch and weighed in at 183 pounds. He may be undersized compared to some of the other corners in the 2022 NFL Draft, but he certainly makes up for it in speed, as evidenced by his 40-yard dash time.
Perhaps Barnes’ speed comes as little surprise to those that have followed him throughout his athletic career. Pro Football Network noted that Barnes was a star track athlete in high school, too, as he was a two-time Texas state champion in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash events. Additionally, Barnes still owns the state 100-meter record. His time of 10.22 seconds is faster than multiple 100-meter semifinal times at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Barnes had a steady impact across his sophomore, junior and senior seasons with the Baylor Bears. His most impactful year came as a senior in 2021. He amassed 23 total tackles (21 solo stops), an interception and five passes defended. Over the course of the past three seasons, he had 58 total tackles (45 solo stops), three interceptions and 13 passes defended.