Kene Nwangwu Football Speed

He’s already shown incredible vision in the return phase, but he acknowledged that seeing the field on a kickoff is different than on an offensive play from the line of scrimmage.

“I think the difference is just spacing. You’ve got more space with kickoff return, and it’s like you don’t want to stop your feet, you just want to keep going and make your cuts at full speed,” Nwangwu explained. “Being a running back, you want to diagnose and be slow going through the hole, then fast hitting it through. I think the main difference is speed and the distance between the defenders.”

There’s no doubt Nwangwu is speedy.

He was unofficially clocked at 4.29 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the Cyclones Pro Day. (Some measured the time at 4.31 seconds, which was the time mentioned by General Manager Rick Spielman during a media session after drafting Nwangwu). He also was a standout in track and field as a high schooler.

Straight-line speed isn’t exactly the same as “football speed” – just ask literally anyone on the team.

“Some guys put the pads on, and they run a 4.5, not 4.3,” Zimmer said.

“Track speed is like in a straight line. Football speed is like being able to stop and accelerate, change of direction,” Nwangwu said.

“I know that track people have tried to come out and run routes. There’s a difference between being straight-ahead fast and being able to stop and go,” Cousins added.

Fortunately for everyone? Nwangwu has both.

“Natural football speed, in terms of being able to transition in and out of cuts and in and out of routes, drop their weight, change direction, it’s a different kind of movement skill and certainly a running back has to do much of that,” Cousins explained. “You’ll always take the ability to do that and be 4.3 over the ability to do that and be 4.6 – but you’d like to think Kene has both tools and that’s a large reason he’s been so effective and why we’re excited to have him.

“I remember, whether it was Devin Hester, he was a great kick returner, it wasn’t like he was 4.2 but he had an ability to never lose speed as he cut,” Cousins continued. “When you can keep your speed up as you’re cutting, it’s that much harder to bring you down.”