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Come Fan with UsMonday, June 22, 2026

Taylor Mays, Clearly An Alien: Unofficially Runs 4.24 40 At Combine

In the vortex of hype that is the NFL Draft, phrases like “he-has-linebacker-size-and-cornerback-speed” get bandied about by the “experts” frequently enough as to be nearly meaningless. But then an athletic freak like USC safety Taylor Mays comes along and reminds us that, sometimes, they’re right. I mean, just look at him:

↵

Taylormays_medium_medium

↵At the NFL combine, Mays reminded us once again that he must be some sort of extraterrestrial sent to our planet to make Todd McShay’s life complete. Mays was unofficially clocked at 4.24 seconds in first 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which, if the time holds, would tie Chris Johnson’s record of a few years ago.

↵Of course, for all of his big hits and eye-popping workout numbers, Mays isn’t exactly good at football. Poor angles, bad coverage and dropped interceptions are a staple of his game, as he demonstrated at the Senior Bowl. He’s just a faster liability.

↵Say hello to your next Oakland Raider.

↵UPDATE: His official 40 time came in at 4.43. His alien status remains intact, however.

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