A starter for the Bears ranked in the bottom 18% at all combines for weight among players at his position.
He's a lineman, too, and his arm length was bottom 10% for players at his position, and his hand size ranked in the smallest 30%.
And yet, earlier this month Joe Thuney still won the first NFL Protector of the Year Award. He might be in Canton someday, considering how many Super Bowl winners he blocked for in his career.
It's still football and you have to actually play the game. It's not a track meet or weightlifting competition. Measuring and testing at the NFL Scouting Combine matters, and at some positions it helps to catch the attention of personnel people who may not have otherwise noticed some players.
NFL Combine week is here‼️@clayharbs82 has some OT prospects Bears fans should be watching for at this year's NFL Combine 👀 pic.twitter.com/nYfjhdA1qX
— Bears on CHSN (@CHSN_Bears) February 23, 2026
However, some personnel people might attach more significance to assorted combine measurements over others.
With GM Ryan Poles, it's apparent combine performance has mattered in terms of athleticism, but last year more than any other year showed it can't be an end all.
40 times do matter for all positions
Bears receivers are not slow, but they lack anyone at any position who had a faster combine 40 time than their fastest defensive lineman. This includes wide receivers and running backs.
Montez Sweat, who is 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, ran a phenomenal 4.42-second 40-yard dash that was officially recorded as 4.41 before he was drafted 26th overall in 2019 by Washington.
This is so crazy!! D-Linemen Montez Sweat who is 6’6” 260 lbs just ran a 4.42 40... 🤯🤯🤯
40: 4.42
10: 1.55
To give ppl Context:
Odell Beckham 4.43 and 1.57
Jalen Ramsey: 4.41, 1.51
Julio Jones: 4.42, 1.53
AJ Green: 4.49, 1.56
Insanity pic.twitter.com/QYwhLFozX6
— WeAreBigGuys (@WeAreBigGuys) March 3, 2019
Ryan Poles traded for receiver DJ Moore, who ran 4.42. He drafted Luther Burden III, who ran the 40 the same time as Sweat. He also drafted Rome Odunze, who ran 4.45.
This is not to say Poles drafts all slow receivers. He drafted two who ran faster 40 times. They just weren't good enough at also playing the game. Velus Jones ran 4.31 and Tyler Scott 4.44 but both wound up last year on practice squads, Jones in Seattle and Scott with the Rams.
Perhaps drafting a faster, effective pass catcher should be a goal at some point.
#Washington wideout Rome Odunze lingered on the Lucas Oil Field late Friday, long after the stadium had emptied out, trying to break 6.6 seconds in the three cone drill. This dude. pic.twitter.com/K6F1ZqN9Jn
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) March 3, 2024
Speed for O-linemen
Poles looks for running ability but also athleticism with his offensive linemen.
Part of the reason Thuney has been so effective in his career is speed. His 4.95-second 40-yard time was top 3% all time at combines for college tackles coming into the combine. His 1.71-second split was top 7% and his time of 7.47 seconds for the 3-cone drill was top 10%.
The same thing was present in Drew Dalman, their Pro Bowl center. He ran top 12% for centers in 5.05 seconds. He also was top 9% in vertical leap at his position at 33 inches.
Darnell Wright flew in the 40 for a 330-pounder but he also blocks well enough that he's second-team All-Pro.
Imagine you’re a DB and see the QB pitch the ball to the edge. Next thing you know, a 6’6 330lb Darnell Wright is flying full speed at you.
Better move out the way 😂 A guy his size should NOT be able to move this quick man pic.twitter.com/6xnsUHKwxl
— 𓋹 (@SadeekCreates) May 28, 2023
Some might wonder what Poles saw in Braxton Jones, who struggled greatly last season after his leg injuries. People will forget that Jones ran 4.97 seconds for the 40, almost as fast as Thuney. He was a good enough athlete that his broad jump (108 inches) was in the top 24%. Jones also showed he could play, until his injuries.
Same on D-line
Although Dominique Robinson seems to have washed out in his four seasons, it's easy to see why Poles thought he might have something in a fifth-rounder. Robinson's vertical leap of 41 inches was the top 2% at position. He had a top 27% 40-yard dash in 4.72 and top 20% with a broad jump at 10-foot-1. But he also was a former receiver in college who had played only one year of defensive and 3 1/2 sacks with seven quarterback hits in four seasons says they should worry first about an ability to play their position before getting the supreme athlete.
In Austin Booker, they gave up a little of that athleticism with a bit slower (4.79) speed and only a 32 1/2-inch leap, in the same round of the draft. In season and a half, he has 2 1/2 more sacks and 10 more quarterback hits than Robinson had in four years. Plus, he came on strong at the end of his second season, which lends itself to optimism for 2026.
Dominique Robinson is a flat out gem. 5th round EDGE picks don’t produce like this in their first start, even as a rotational guy. Can’t wait to dig deeper.
— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) September 11, 2022
Running back snafu
Poles drafted running back Trestan Ebner in 2022, a Baylor back who ran 4.43 seconds in the 40. He was selected in Round 6 and carried 24 times in his 17-game career. Last year, Poles drafted Kyle Monangai in Round 7 after a 4.6-second 40. Monangai ranked in the top half of all running backs at combins in only one category, his 10-yard split in the 40 (top 32% at 1.54). Yet, anyone who saw Monangai's college film and saw him knock the snot out of tacklers as a runner with anger knew who was a better back.
In 1996 at the old Halas Hall, former coach Dave Wannstedt was talking to a group of us reporters about how he was certain they got the right edge rusher in John Thierry at No. 11 overall, a year when Simeon Rice of Illinois had been No. 3.
Wannstedt based this entirely on a great three-cone drill performance by Thierry. Of course, Thierry made 12 1/2 Bears sacks for his career. Rice had 122 career sacks.
Simeon Rice w/ the counter hump move@simeon_rice has a great get off & rush angle. He puts stress on the OL's feet but doesn't beat him with the chop, so Rice counters with the hump to shed the OL & keep from losing contain on Michael Vick. Ends up with a strip sack! #PassRush pic.twitter.com/a4iQVGwHas
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) November 7, 2019
The bottom line from all of these comparisons is the importance of athleticism. If they actually can play the position, then the measurables are good gauges.
Otherwise, they're just numbers on a sheet of paper or a computer screen. So take all of the performances at this week's combine with a grain of salt, or look at the numbers only after knowing if the guy can play the game.
Bears 40 times
Offense
WR DJ Moore 4.42
WR Rome Odunze 4.45
WR Luther Burden III 4.41
TE Cole Kmet 4.7
TE Colston Loveland dnr
T Ozzy Trapilo 5. 21
C Drew Dalman 5.11
G Jonah Jackson 5.23
G Joe Thuney 4.95
T Darnell Wright 5.01
RB D'Andre Swift 4.48
RB Kyle Monangai 4.6
QB Caleb Williams dnr
Defense
CB Jaylon Johnson 4.5
CB Tyrique Stevenson 4.45
CB Kyler Gordon 4.52
S Jaquan Brisker 4.49
S Kevin Byard dnr
LB T.J. Edwards dnr
LB Tremaine Edmunds 4.54
LB Noah Sewell 4.64
DE Montez Sweat 4.41
DT Gervon Dexter 4.88
DT Grady Jarrett 5.06
DE Austin Booker 4.79
dnr-did not run
Ryan Poles took “Velus Jones” 2 rounds before Khalil Shakir btw
— J🧸 (@jwaveland) December 8, 2024
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X: BearsOnSI