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By now, the Los Angeles Rams know Bryce Perkins can run and hop over defenders.
But do Ram fans realize how fast the second-year quarterback really is? According to Next Gen Stats, Perkins trailed “The Cheetah” in miles per hour.
On the afternoon of Thursday, September 2, the analytical site’s Twitter page released who were the fastest players from the final NFL preseason weekend. First was no surprise: Tyreek Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs, who can blaze the 40-yard dash below the 4.3 seconds mark to this day. In miles per hour, Hill reached a top speed of 21.56 miles.
But right behind him? The Rams’ QB3 Perkins, who trailed him by only 0.49 miles seen below.
Perkins Has a History of Playing Fast
So for Ram fans, it could be a surprise that the 6-foot-3, 214-pound Perkins is as fast as a slot receiver.
But for anyone who followed his journey at the University of Virginia, it’s probably no surprise that the fleet-footed Perkins can top past 20 miles per hour.
In an August 7, 2018 article written by Jamie Oakes of Wahoos 247 (the CBS Sports 247 site that covers the Cavaliers), verifiable data pointed to Perkins accelerating past the 21 m.p.h. mark: He was timed at 22.2 m.p.h. by his strength coach Shawn Griswold.
“It was after one of the long circuit things we do. It was the last 75 yards and he told us to sprint. So, I just got out and competed. I didn’t know [at the time] that it was 22, but I felt pretty good after running,” Perkins told Oakes.
In pads, Perkins revealed he was running at 21 or higher. He also pointed this out when it comes to his running: He hears silence.
“When I’m running, I don’t hear anything,” Perkins told Oakes. “It’s just like I see the touchdown, I see the goal line. I don’t even see the people on the sideline. I’m just running. My legs take me all the way.”
Fittingly, Perkins shattered UVA’s all-time rushing record for quarterbacks with 1,692 career rushing yards. During his final campaign in Charlottesville, Perkins posted three 100-yard games including 164 yards on 19 carries against bitter rival Virginia Tech. Perkins also scored two ground-based touchdowns on that November 29, 2019 day that was won by Perkins and the Cavs 39-30.
During one of his touchdown runs, Perkins is so fast that he outruns five nearby defenders before crossing the goal line seen below.
He’s also used the speed/hops combination before, viewed here against Louisville.
Perkins Finally Showed His Skill Set in an NFL setting
Perkins had to wait nearly 20 months to play in a football game again.
The spread of coronavirus prevented him from showing the Rams, and fans, what he can do with preseason games getting axed. But now, Perkins finishes the preseason averaging more than 5.5 yards a carry.
But not only did Perkins show his burst, but his power in breaking away from a potential sack viewed here.
Perkins showed enough flair during the August period that general manager Les Snead decided to prevent him from heading to the waiver wire, envisioning Perkins as a QB who can “make plays out of structure.”
“We’ve seen, bringing John Wolford on the roster, having that element, that tool in the toolbox,” Snead told the L.A. media on Wednesday, September 1. “One of the reasons we signed Bryce Perkins as an (undrafted) free agent last year was that.”
Oh, Perkins responded to that Next Gen Stats tweet that calculated him high up with “The Cheetah,” with the Rams dual-threat clearly acknowledging how fast he is through cloud emojis.
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