'Watch my tape;' Tez Johnson passes on 40-yard dash at Oregon Ducks Pro Day

When you are trying to make it in the NFL as a wide receiver who stands at 5-foot-10, 154 pounds, you better be fast.

Not just fast, either; you better be really fast.

For Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson, the expectation at last month's NFL Combine was that he would prove just how fast he was in the 40-yard dash, quieting those who doubt he can succeed at the next level despite his small stature.

Instead, Johnson ended up running a 4.51, which was far below expectations, ranking as the 27th fastest WR at the combine.

It wasn't the end of the world, especially with Johnson having a chance to improve his time at Oregon's Pro Day.

However, Johnson elected not to run the 40-yard dash at the Pro Day on Tuesday, instead owning up to his time.

"That's my time, I'm going to own up to that," said Johnson at the Pro Day.

"When they say Tez Johnson 4.51, that's what I ran."Of course, that's not the end of the story.

Johnson isn't claiming that he's slow, or that he isn't deserving of he eventual draft position.

But rather that 40-time isn't everything, and his quickness is better shown on game tape, rather than measured by a stopwatch.

"You can watch my tape and see no one can catch me," Johnson said.

"I don't think the 40 defines you as a football player.

It just shows that you can run a fast time.

For years, all I've known is if you can run as the fastest man in the 40, you're not going to last in the league.

You don't see those guys; except for Xavier Worthy, he's the only guy that can really blaze and run.

I don't think the 40 defines you as a football player."While Johnson's 40-time wasn't impressive, his measurements in the 3-cone and 5-10-5 drill turned some heads.

Johnson led all WRs at the combine in the 3-cone drill with a blazing time of 6.65 seconds.

More than any number or drill, though, Johnson wants to point to his game tape as the No.

1 thing that any prospective NFL team should look at.

"When you watch me play on tape, nobody can touch me or cover me," Johnson said.

"Running routes is just a different speed you have to use, catching the ball in the air, tracking it, just being able to make sure all those things are crisp too.

So I wasn't letting the 40 define where I was.

So I was just being able to go out there and do the other drills to the best of my ability."Johnson looked good in the throwing and catching portion of the day, hauling in a number of deep passes from Dillon Gabriel.

How that will impact his draft status and where he will ultimately get drafted in late April is yet to be seen, but Johnson is undoubtedly confident about where he stands just over a month out.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks WR Tez Johnson doesn't run 40-yard dash at Pro Day.

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