CJ West joins an elite group of DLs at the NFL Combine with impressive 40-yard time

CJ West is impressing a lot of teams at the 2025 NFL Combine.
Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana defensive lineman CJ West (DL39) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana defensive lineman CJ West (DL39) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With only two players invited to the 2025 NFL Combine, Indiana fans can give their full attention to both. Both CJ West and Kurtis Rourke accepted their invitations and are working out at the 2025 NFL Combine.

West, who did a number of his workouts on Day 1 of the combine, is already turning the heads of NFL executives. When he spoke to the media on Wednesday, West said he had spoken with 30 of 32 NFL teams and had meetings with the Buccaneers, Panthers, and 49ers.

Then, on Thursday, West was set to run probably one of the more watched events at the NFL Combine, the 40-yard dash.

Weighing in at 316 pounds as a defensive lineman, West stood in front of the line and got into his stance to start his dash. As the buzzer went off, West was off to the races, getting down the lines as fast as he could.

In his first of two attempts, West ran a 4.95 40-yards, a sub-5.00 time, something not a lot of defensive linemen his size can do. Then, on his second attempt, he was only 0.01 second slower, coming in with a time of 4.96 seconds.

With those times, West became just the ninth defensive lineman to weigh at least 315 pounds and run a sub-5.00 seconds 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine since 2003. His time was tied for the fifth-fastest among defensive linemen at the combine.

With a performance like that, West certainly upped his stock for the NFL Draft coming in just a couple of months. Teams will love the speed and explosive energy out of West, and he is certainly showcasing it at the combine.

NFL teams certainly shouldn't be sleeping on CJ West, as he could be someone they can get maybe a little later in the draft as a steal. West is a player that could make an immediate impact if he gets the opportunity.

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