Jeff Legwold
Multiple Authors
INDIANAPOLIS — In an NFL combine already filled with eye-catching speed and explosiveness in the drills, Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green had a record-setting day Saturday in Lucas Oil Stadium.
Green, who measured in at 6-foot-5⅞ inches tall and 227 pounds, ran a wide-receiver-worthy 40-yard dash in an official time of 4.36 seconds to go with a 43½-inch vertical jump and a broad jump of 11-2. All three are records for quarterbacks since at least 2003, according to ESPN Research.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr., who was selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, had the previous bests for a quarterback in the vertical and broad jumps in that span — 40½ inches and 10-feet-9 inches respectively. Green’s 40 time is now the first sub-4.4 clocking for quarterback since at least 2003.
The previous best 40 for a quarterback was a 4.41 by Robert Griffin III, coming off a Heisman Trophy season at Baylor, at the 2012 combine.
Green’s performance comes in a year when the quarterback rankings, beyond the expected No. 1 pick of the draft in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, are still in flux for many in the league. Green is the No. 8-rated quarterback in ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest position rankings.
Green was a four-year starter in college — two years at Boise State and two at Arkansas. This past season he threw for 2,714 yards with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions to go with 777 yards rushing as well as eight rushing touchdowns.
He had eight 300-yard passing games in his two seasons at Arkansas.
Some scouts have said he will need to gain more consistently in his throwing motion, which is an extended delivery.
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