Taylor Mays Is A Freak

Al Davis, I think you’ve found your man – Taylor Mays is freakishly fast.

Earlier today, Mays unofficially ran a 4.24 40-yard dash. Officially, the time was 4.43. But regardless, there is no way a 6’3″, 230 pound safety should move that fast.

On 950 KJR-AM in late February, Taylor Mays told show host Dave “Softy” Mahler that he was capable of a sub-4.3 40. In fact, Mays claimed that he was clocked at 4.25 during his junior year at Southern Cal. Skeptics were unsure if Mays possessed that sort of speed, but even his unofficial time will turn some into believers.

Chris Johnson, running back for the Tennessee Titans, currently holds the NFL Combine record for fastest 40-yard dash at 4.24 seconds. If Mays’ unofficial time stood, he would’ve tied that mark – especially remarkable, since the commentators were immediately critical of his form and style.

Chris Johnson is 5’11”, 200 pounds. Taylor Mays is 6’3″, 230 pounds.

In addition to an impressive 40-yard dash, Mays also bench-pressed 225 pounds 24 times (tied for second among defensive backs), recorded a 41-inch vertical jump (second best defensive back, following Eric Berry), and had a broad jump of 10’5″ (also second behind Eric Berry).

Taylor Mays proved his physical prowess today, and also silenced a lot of skeptics. A big, hard-hitting safety with that sort of physical ability would look great in Seattle’s defensive backfield. Unfortunately, Al Davis and the Raiders pick eighth overall – my preliminary guess is that Mays won’t last any longer than that come April.