WATCH: Baylor cornerback Kalon Barnes posts blazing 40-yard dash time
Though it’s still early in the NFL Draft process, former Baylor cornerback Kalon Barnes appears to have seized a massive opportunity at the NFL Draft Combine, potentially increasing his stock come April.
Barnes, who measured in at 5-foot-11 and one half-inch and weighed in at 183 pounds, may be more undersized than 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. Though official time results have not yet come in, Barnes’ unofficial 40-yard dash time was 4.29 seconds.
If it stands, Barnes would have the fastest time among all 2022 NFL Draft cornerbacks. His time currently puts him ahead of the second-place finisher, Tariq Woolen of UTSA, who ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash. Behind that duo is Zyon McCollum of Sam Houston State and Damarri Mathis of Pittsburgh, both of whom ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash.
Barnes came to Baylor in 2018 as a freshman that was ranked a four-star recruit according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 38 cornerback in the 2018 recruiting class, and the Silsbee, TX native was the No. 48 overall recruit coming out of Texas. He made an immediate impact at Baylor, appearing in 11 of 12 games as a true freshman in 2018.
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, when 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.
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, and according to Pro Football Network, his time of 10.22 seconds is faster than multiple 100-meter semifinal times at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.