For the first time in three years, no former Notre Dame receiver wowed NFL scouts and college football fans alike with his combine performance. Instead, it was an Irish cornerback who dazzled in a 40-yard dash. Nick McCloud ran an unofficial 4.37-second 40, which would have been good enough to tie for fourth among all players at the 2020 NFL combine.
For further reference, former Notre Dame receiver Chase Claypool earned rave reviews a year ago when he logged a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. McCloud’s time on Wednesday may not earn that same praise, given the laser timing used at the usual NFL event (not held this year for all the obvious reasons) was not used in the indoor Irish practice facility, but even if McCloud’s time was a few beats off that 4.