Xavier Thomas 40-time: How fast is the Clemson DE?

Former Clemson defensive end Xavier Thomas is making his transition to the professional leagues. The 24-year-old spent his entire collegiate career with the Clemson Tigers. And after the end of his final year of eligibility last season, Thomas is now gearing up for the 2024 NFL draft.

But how fast is the 24-year-old? Let's look at Xavier Thomas' 40-yard dash time.

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Xavier Thomas 40-time

During the 2024 NFL combine at Indianapolis, the former Clemson DE ran the 40-yard dash with an official time of 4.62 seconds. But Thomas was focused on improving his time at Clemson's Pro Day.

The 24-year-old did not disappoint with his performance on Pro Day. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing around 255 pounds, Thomas recorded an unofficial time of 4.46 seconds with his official Pro Day 40 time being an impressive 4.55 seconds.

After recording his new 40-yard dash time and showcasing his speed despite his size, Xavier Thomas is going to improve his draft stock ahead of the NFL draft in April. Experts currently project the 24-year-old to go somewhere between the second and fifth rounds.

Thomas further went on to talk about how he believes that he can go on to be a key player in any organization because of his versatility and skills. He believes that he can provide a lot of substance to the team that decides to draft him in the NFL.

"I feel like I can go to any organization and be a key piece regardless of whatever they want me to do, especially things like rotational pass rusher, those types of things. And really being a help to any organization, because of my versatility as a player and in regards of what I bring to the table."

According to reports, the former Clemson DE was suffering from a strained calf on Pro Day, which led to him missing out on doing the shuttle. But despite that, he showed impressive levels of burst and explosiveness in his drill routine and 40-yard dash, making him a player to watch out for in the draft.

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Xavier Thomas' college career

Thomas began his collegiate career with the Tigers as a freshman in 2018. During his debut campaign, he recorded 33 total tackles with 3.5 sacks in 14 games. Despite suffering from COVID-19, the 24-year-old still played during the shortened 2020 campaign for the Tigers.

Before the start of the 2022 season, Xavier Thomas broke his foot in training. He still played on the field and ended up re-aggravating his injury after just three games. He then decided to return for one last season after his injury and completed his collegiate career with 116 total tackles, 18 sacks and two fumble recoveries.