Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith wowed observers with a show of athleticism at the NFL Combine on Thursday, but he came away from it with a surprising reaction to his own numbers.
Smith, who measures 6-foot-2 and 238 lbs., ran an official 4.39 in the 40-yard dash Thursday. That would rank as the second-fastest 40 time ever among defensive linemen at the Combine and would fit more with the fastest cornerbacks, wide receivers, or running backs.
4.44u@GeorgiaFootball DL Nolan Smith is out of this world.
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/L8ICkVQEkT— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2023
Believe it or not, Smith was left dissatisfied with his performance. He told NFL Network’s Stacey Dales that he felt he was not going at full speed and had been in the 4.3 range during training.
Nolan Smith was livid after running his 40 (4.44u), and told @StaceyDales he wasn't even running full speed. Said he'd been training in the 4.3 range and was disappointed in his result. Insane.
— Nick Shook (@TheNickShook) March 2, 2023
John Ross’ 4.22 remains the overall record, but even a 4.3 would put anyone in extremely rare air. 4.4 for a defensive lineman is absurd, and it is even more ridiculous that the lineman in question came away feeling disappointed.
40 times have been getting faster and faster in recent years, and a good 40-yard dash is not very predictive of NFL success. It doesn’t hurt in terms of getting one noticed, though, especially since Smith is already viewed as a first-round draft prospect.
