McCaffrey has wheels.
It remains to be seen who Michigan’s starting quarterback will be in 2020, but whoever it is, he will be a dual-threat QB. The three quarterbacks vying for the position (Dylan McCaffrey, Joe Milton, Cade McNamara) have good game speed.
At NFL CombineMcCaffrey was mentioned by former Michigan cornerback Lavert Hill as one of the fastest players on the Wolverines’ roster.
According to Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic“Lavert Hill said today that, off the top of my head, there could have been 10 players at Michigan last year faster than Dylan McCaffrey. But no more.”
While 2019 starter Shea Patterson could extend the play with his legs and run a 4.67 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine on Thursday night, McCaffrey’s speed appears to be at a higher level. McCaffrey hasn’t received many live reps, but someone like Hill who practiced against McCaffrey day in and day out would be well aware of his abilities.
Even with a limited number of reps over the past two seasons, McCaffrey still managed to rack up some of the most explosive runs we’ve seen from a Michigan running back during the Harbaugh era. During that span, McCaffrey rushed 23 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns, a total that would have been 75 yards higher if his long run against Nebraska in 2018 hadn’t been called back.
Having impressive speed is a dangerous weapon in an arsenal, but for McCaffrey to reach his full potential, he will need to continue to hone his passing skills, something he is surely working very hard on at the moment.
It will be an exciting quarterback competition this spring, but as things stand, it appears McCaffrey has the edge in the speed department and the rest will be determined in the days to come.
