Georgia running back Elijah Holyfield failed to improve upon his disappointing combine 40-time at his Pro Day on Wednesday. According to the media timings, Holyfield ran 4.86 and 4.89 on his two attempts, both slower than his 4.78 time in Indy.
#UGA RB Elijah Holyfield just ran 4.86 and 4.89 on media timings. pic.twitter.com/wEiRCWwjke
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) March 20, 2019
Speed has never been Holyfield's game. The son of former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, Elijah is an absolute bully of a runner separates with suddenness more so than straight-line speed. His power and ability to continue trucking through contact are his calling cards.
That said, this slower Pro Day time will likely drop his stock when the draft rolls around in April. After some scouts saw Holyfield as a potential Mark Ingram-like NFL starter, some now see him as just a really good backup.
Unlikely Elijah Holyfield's 40 time improves at his pro day.
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) March 20, 2019
He tested in the 4th percentile at the NFL Combine, which is bad, but it still above -2.0 sigma.
Again, it's a hill to climb, but he's not a "non-NFL caliber athlete" https://t.co/Ve3qQqb0vv
The tape doesn't lie though, and Holyfield's 1,018-yard season and 6.4 yards per carry average playing against SEC competition shouldn't be completely overlooked by evaluators.