MarShawn Lloyd impresses at NFL Combine with fast 40 time
While Caleb Williams has drawn plenty of attention for his decision not to participate in much of the NFL Combine this season, there are former USC players there showcasing their skills and physical traits in front of NFL scouts and decision-makers. MarShawn Lloyd and the running backs hit the field on Saturday for testing and the former Trojan put his best foot forward.
Lloyd ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds, trying for sixth among running backs. In all, 21 running backs took part in the 40.
Lloyd checked into the Combine at 5-foot-8 and 3/4, and 220 pounds with 30 3/8-inch arms and 8 3/4-inch hands.
That 4.46 number is faster than all of the recently drafted USC running backs at the Combine. Buck Allen and Keaontay Ingram both ran 4.53. Ronald Jones did it in 4.65 seconds. It also beat out some of the bigger names among running backs in this draft class, including Michigan’s Blake Corum (4.53), Oregon’s Bucky Irving (4.55), Georgia’s Kendall Milton (4.62) and Notre Dame’s Audric Estimé (4.71).
While Williams is a near-lock to go No. 1 overall, Lloyd’s draft position appears very much up in the air. ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller doesn’t have Lloyd among his top five running backs in the draft. Fellow ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid has him as the No. 5 running back.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who was providing commentary during the NFL Combine, had a different take.
“I think he’s got a chance to be the first one off the board,” Jeremiah said of Lloyd among running backs as he prepped to run his 40. “He’s got a good combination of size, speed. He can catch the ball as well. He showed that at the Senior Bowl. Not a lot of production catching it during the fall, but showed he could catch it there.”
