Packers 1st-round pick Darnell Savage claims he ran a 4.29 40-yard dash
By Bryan Perez
The Packers added speed and playmaking ability to their secondary when they selected Maryland safety Darnell Savage in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers double-dipped on defense in the 2019 NFL draft with the selections of Rashan Gary (No. 12 overall) and Darnell Savage, (No. 21 overall), two picks that raised questions about whether the Packers maximized the value of having two top-21 selections.
We recently questioned the Gary selection and wondered why Green Bay didn’t instead add an offensive weapon to Aaron Rodgers’ arsenal, but the Savage pick makes a little more sense.
Now, this isn’t to say the Packers couldn’t have had Savage at their original draft slot, No. 30 overall. He may have been a bit over-drafted, but he’s bringing one key element to the secondary it desperately needs in 2019: speed.
Savage told Packers.com reporter Larry McCarren that he once ran a 4.29 40-yard dash, a time that would’ve been absolutely jaw-dropping had he accomplished it at the NFL combine. Instead, he ran a 4.36, which is ridiculous in its own right.
“Of course it’s great to be fast,” Savage said. “I allow my body and my mind and my eyes to take me to the plays. I just let my speed do the rest. I feel like I’d be the same player if I ran 4.3, 4.4, I don’t think it matters, just the way I play the game and my mindset is what makes me a good player.”
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Savage will pair with free-agent signing Adrian Amos to create what should be a fun safety duo to watch in 2019. Amos is more of a physical, in-the-box player who will bring a linebacker-like presence against the run while Savage and his 4.36 speed will play in space and, at least the Packers hope, make some plays on the ball.
Savage was a good coverage guy at Maryland and finished 2018 with 52 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and four interceptions. He finished his college career with eight interceptions. Savage didn’t allow a touchdown reception over his final two seasons (94 targets). Instead, he intercepted seven of them, per Pro Football Focus.