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Every draft, when the Raiders are on the board, someone invariably makes the same tired joke, "Who's the fastest player available?" It's not without merit, obviously. Al Davis has repeatedly proven he loves speed. Here are the top ten 40 yard dash times from the combine from 2000-2010. If you'll notice, 4 of those players were drafted by the Raiders:
| Player | Time | Position | School | Drafted by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trindon Holliday | 4.21 | WR | LSU | Texans |
| Jacoby Ford | 4.22 | WR | Clemson | RAIDERS |
| Chris Johnson | 4.24 | RB | East Carolina | Titans |
| Darrius Heyward-Bey | 4.25 | WR | Maryland | RAIDERS |
| Jerome Mathis | 4.26 | WR | Hampton | Texans |
| C.J. Spiller | 4.27 | RB | Clemson | Bills |
| Stanford Routt | 4.27 | CB | Houston | RAIDERS |
| Mike Wallace | 4.28 | WR | Ole Miss | Steelers |
| Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | 4.29 | CB | Tennessee St. | Cardinals |
| Fabian Washington | 4.29 | CB | Nebraska | RAIDERS |
| Johnny Knox | 4.29 | WR | Abilene Christian | Bears |
Historically, the Eagles have a similar fascination with players that put up big bench press numbers at the combine. From 2000-2010, the Eagles drafted 3 of the top ten (3 of the top 6, actually) bench press performers:
(continued after the jump)...
| Player | Reps | Position | School | Drafted by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leif Larson | 45 | DT | UTEP | Bills |
| Mike Kudla | 45 | DE | Ohio St. | nobody |
| Mitch Petrus | 45 | OG | Arkansas | Giants |
| Jeff Owens | 44 | DT | Georgia | EAGLES |
| Brodrick Bunkley | 44 | DT | Florida St. | EAGLES |
| Scott Young | 43 | OG | BYU | EAGLES |
| Tank Tyler | 42 | DT | NC St. | Chiefs |
| Isaac Sopoaga | 42 | DT | Hawaii | 49ers |
| Igor Olshansky | 42 | DT | Oregon | Chargers |
| Terna Nande | 41 | OLB | Miami Ohio | Titans |
Oregon State DT Stephen Paea broke the combine record for bench press reps this year with an impressive 49. He's scheduled to meet with the Eagles this week. Just an observation.
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