Hokies' Amaré Barno runs fastest DL 40-yard dash since 2003

Virginia Tech defensive lineman Amare Barno Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Amaré Barno runs fastest 40-yard dash by a defensive lineman since 2003

By Jordan Wolf | Last updated 3/5/22

Amaré Barno went into combine week believed to be a likely mid-to-late-round pick. His performance Saturday may have skyrocketed him far past that.

Barno ran an official 4.36 second 40-yard dash, the fastest time by a defensive lineman at the NFL combine since 2003. His time was initially scored as a 4.37, but was dropped a hundredth of a second upon further review.

A DL running a 4.37u?!?!?!?@HokiesFB's Amaré Barno, are you kidding?

: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/AWrnNSk6qe
— NFL (@NFL) March 5, 2022

It's worth pointing out Barno is an edge rusher, so it's not like the record was set by a beefy nose tackle. But still, the 6-foot-5, 246 lbs. pass rusher's performance turned heads and is likely to get more than a few teams interested in digging deeper on his potential.

Barno began his college career at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, where he was converted from safety to linebacker. He played two seasons with the Grizzlies before transferring to Virginia Tech in 2019.

With the Hokies, Barno experienced another position change, as they moved him from outside linebacker to full-time defensive line before his redshirt junior season. It turned out to be a tremendous success, as he led the team with 6.5 sacks and led the ACC with 16 tackles for loss.

He declared for the draft after the 2021 season in which Virginia Tech went 6-6 before losing in the Pinstripe Bowl. Joe Marino of The Draft Network gave Barno a fourth-round grade prior to the combine.

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