Former UCLA LB Runs Fastest 40 of Any Player on Day 1 of Combine

The fastest 40-yard dash time of Day 1 of the NFL Combine workouts belongs to a bruin.

UCLA's own Kain Medrano posted a time of 4.46, the fastest 40-yard dash of any linebacker or defensive lineman to compete in the combine on Thursday.

The second-closest was former Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. with a time of 4.47. Auburn's Eugene Asante was the second-fastest linebacker with 4.48.

Medrano also tied for ninth in the 10-yard split with 1.57 seconds (tied for eighth among linebackers), was tied for the seventh-highest vertical jump at 38.00 inches (tied for fourth among linebackers) and was tied for the seventh-longest broad jump at 10 feet-5 inches (tied for third among linebackers)

Medrano's 40 time is tied for 16th all-time for linebackers.

For his showing on Thursday, Medrano was given an NFL Next Gen Stats athleticism score of 82, which is ranked the third-best among this year's linebackers. He also received a production score of 58 and a total score of 66, which Next Gen classifies as "average."

Medrano's NFL prospect grade is a 5.63, which the league classifies as "candidate for bottom of roster or practice squad."

Regardless of what the grade and scores say, Mendrano's speed was on full display on Thursday and should have caught the attention of many scouts.

The two-time all-conference honoree shined for UCLA in his final season with the bruins, posting 72 tackles, 11 for loss, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, including a pick-six, three forced fumbles, four passes defensed and a fumble recovery.

Below is NFL analyst Lance Zierlein's breakdown of Medrano:

"Sixth-year senior and team captain with two years of starting experience. Medrano’s long, lean frame is more reminiscent of a strong safety than a linebacker. He plays with good decisiveness to fill up run fits ahead of blocks, but he gets pushed around when they find him.

"He has average pursuit speed but above-average man-cover talent underneath. His missed tackle total is problematic, so he will need to stand out on special teams and as a dime linebacker to offer value as an undersized OLB."

Day 2 of the NFL Combine workouts continue on Friday with defensive backs and tight ends.

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