As the race for positioning comes closer to the 2012 NFL Draft, the official times coming out of various Pro Days scheduled at the top schools are going to matter more and more. The word that Justin Blackmon today ran well is a good sign that the Oklahoma State product will likely be the top wide receiver off of the board in the upcoming draft in April.
Tony Pauline reports via Twitter, “Hearing unofficial times for Blackmon in forty under 4.5-seconds… high 4.4’s-to a fast of-4.45”. That’s good enough to keep Blackmon exactly where many mocks have him around the top five choices or so in the draft. Each team in the top five besides the No. 1 spot with the Indianapolis Colts has a good reason to select him, since so many teams need an impact playmaker at receiver.
While some think taking a receiver so high can be a reach, the Cincinnati Bengals certainly enjoyed the product on the field of having A.J. Green on the outside. Blackmon is likely to have a similar impact on a team like the Vikings, Browns or Rams who all need someone to pair with their young quarterback.