Tez Johnson's NFL Combine performance even worse than initially thought, but there might be a silver lining

On his second run, Johnson was able to shave it down to 4.51 seconds, but that still is far from ideal. At 154 lbs, Johnson needed to prove that he has elite level speed to NFL teams that are considering drafting him. To take a chance on an outlier of that level, there needs to be characteristics that make the risk worth it.

Adjusting for his size, Johnson's speed score was in the 0.7th percentile. That is horribly bad. No wide receiver 170 lbs or less since 2003 has ever run a slower 40-yard dash than Johnson.

As a fan of Johnson, it was painful to see. I genuinely feel horrible for him and hope it doesn't hurt his chances too bad, but this will likely cause a major blow to his draft stock.

Not all is lost, though. What Johnson was able to do in the agility drills was incredible, leading all wide receivers in the three-cone drill, and posting the fourth-best time in the 20-yard shuttle. The results in those drills highlight his incredible agility skills, which plays into his role as a short-area receiver operating primarily out of the slot. His burst score was a robust 88th percentile, and his agility score was in the 90th percentile. Johnson also looked smooth through the on-field drills, something that may have helped salvage his day.

For Johnson, he plays so much faster, both in his short-area quickness and in his long speed, than his 4.51 second 40-yard time will suggest. Watching how NFL teams respond to his Combine performance will be a fascinating story over the next couple months.