Former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney caused jaws to drop with his even-better-than-expected 40-yard dash times Monday at the NFL Scouting Combine, but while NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock and NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp were impressed, they also said it didn't matter all that much.
"It really doesn't matter what he runs; he's a freak," Mayock said, while Sapp, who was on the field near the 40-yard dash area, called Clowney's run "frightening."
But both have concerns about Clowney's NFL prospects.
Mayock has said since the beginning of the combine that there are "red flags" about Clowney's work ethic, and he reiterated that point Monday, saying, "He turns it on, he turns it off."
He also said "there are some other defensive players who could go ahead of him" in the draft because of those red flags. Mayock said last week that he would pass on Clowney and take Buffalo LB Khalil Mack with the first pick in the draft.
Clowney skipped the field drills after the 40 with an apparent hip flexor injury.
Sapp was equally adamant that there are issues. He said he had watched Clowney on tape and "I'm ashamed to look at it" and "He ought to be ashamed it's even out there" because of inconsistent play. Sapp said the tape made him question whether Clowney truly "wanted to play this game." Sapp said there was "no aggressiveness, no hunt" from Clowney in a lot of the tape he had seen.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.