The NFL Scouting Combine revealed that Derrick Henry doesn’t quite have elite speed and quickness by the standards of an NFL running back. Until you consider how big he is.
Henry ran a 4.54-second 40-yard dash, good for 11th among running backs, and had a 37-inch vertical jump, fifth among running backs. He broad jumped 10 feet, 10 inches, tying for second among running backs. His three-cone drill of 7.20 seconds was 10th among running backs. His 4.38-second 20-yard shuttle was 11th among running backs. His 11.50-second 60-yard shuttle was tied for fourth among running backs.
In other words, Henry was not the best in any event at the Combine, but he was above average in most events.
But the numbers that really stick out for Henry are 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds. That’s a size you hardly ever see at the running back position. To run, jump and cut as well or better than your average running back while towering over most running backs is a combination that NFL teams have to like.
Henry won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama and was one of the best players in college football last year, but he’s not a lock to go in the first round of the draft at a time when the running back position isn’t valued in the NFL. There will also be questions about how much of his success in college was because of Alabama’s offensive line.
What there’s no question about is whether Henry measures up in the NFL. He’s got good athleticism, and great size.
