Chris Rodriguez runs a 4.52 40-yard dash at Kentucky Pro Day

Results are rolling in from Kentucky Pro Day, and Chris Rodriguez is doing himself some favors. The former Kentucky running back ran a 4.52 40-yard dash, proving to those in attendance and watching on SEC Network that he has speed to go along with his powerful rushing style.

“I think it means an awful lot because everybody knows how tough he is and how sturdy and how dependable and the vision he has,” Mark Stoops told Jordan Rodgers. “And for him to run that time, I think it really helped himself.”

The man @CROD_JR was MOVING on his 40 🔥 pic.twitter.com/44JkRuZg1I

— Mercury (@TeamM3rcury) March 24, 2023

In four seasons at Kentucky, Rodriguez totaled 3,644 rushing yards, the third most in program history, and 32 rushing touchdowns, second on Kentucky’s all-time list. He finished with a school-record 20 100-yard games. Rodriguez participated in the NFL Draft Combine but only did the bench press. Coming into today, he was a projected sixth-round pick in most mocks. Running a low 4.5 40 today should do him some favors on draft day, SEC Network’s analysts agreed.

“It’s the first time for us seeing Chris Rodriguez run, seeing him hit a 4.52 was humongous,” Roman Harper said. “Seeing his size, his ability to break tackles, you know what you’re getting out of him at the running back position, you just did not know how fast he was going to be.

“You’ve seen him hit home runs in college, but that doesn’t always equate to on Sundays, so him running a 4.52, great time for his size and speed, and that will get him drafted in the later rounds, knowing, okay, he checks just another box for us. I like that. If he was in the 4.7s, 4.6s, little bit more questionable, but low 4.5 is a great time for a running back.”

“Especially being a bigger back because with this being a loaded running back class, we have so many different clusters of running backs,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid added. “Him hitting that 4.52 mark is going to be big for him just because, in draft rooms, they are going to start to compare all these traits and measurements and testing numbers. Him hitting that 4.52 being a bigger back that you’re not really going to involve in the receiving game a lot but if you’re looking for that complementary guy you can use in the red zone to get the tough yards and just bang in between the tackles, he’s going to be on the top of a lot of lists.”

Well done, Chris. More results coming up soon, including Will Levis throwing live on SEC Network at 1 p.m. ET.