Calen Bullock vs. Jordan Poyer 40 time: Which safety comes out on top?

Calen Bullock is aiming to become a safety in the NFL in the mold of Jordan Poyer and others. And at the NFL Combine, he had the opportunity to show his athleticism and skills to those gathered.

In the 40-yard dash, he recorded an unofficial time of 4.49 seconds, which was later upgraded to 4.48 seconds officially. That was an impressive outing for Bullock given that someone like Poyer recorded 4.54 seconds during his NFL Combine performance in 2013. It must be noted that the current Buffalo Bills player had a knee injury during his senior year that might have slowed him down.

Does Jordan Poyer beat Calen Bullock in other statistical categories?

Running faster than Jordan Poyer is fine, but it remains to be seen if Calen Bullock will be as successful in the NFL. Luckily, with the availabilty of statistics in the modern game, we can reach some conclusions.

Poyer played for Oregon State in his college career. In his final season in 2012, he played 12 games and recorded 51 tackles, 34 of which were solo. He also had five tackles for a loss, two sacks, and seven interceptions. Over his playing time in college, he recorded 13 sacks.

Bullock recorded 63 tackles in his last year at USC. 42 of them were solo and both markers are ahead of the Bills safety. However, he has never recorded a single sack or tackle for a loss and last season he only had two interceptions. Over his career, he has had nine picks, which is four lower than the NFL veteran.

Based on that, it shows that Jordan Poyer is a player whose calling card is in changing play through high-impact interventions, whereas Calen Bullock is more of a constant nuisance for opposing offenses.

Will Calen Bullock join Jordan Poyer at the Buffalo Bills?

Since Bullock is drawing a lot of comparisons with Poyer, we wanted to check if there is a chance they both end up on the same roster. There is a chance that might happen.

The Buffalo Bills need to strengthen multiple spots through the draft this season. On offense, that means adding a genuine threat opposite Stefon Diggs. On the other side of the ball, they have needs all over. The injuries took a toll on them during their Divisional Round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, where they were left with gaps all over their defense.

That means getting a pass rusher who can get to a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes. But they also need someone to clean up in the secondary. So, they could conceivably draft someone like Calen Bullock and pair him with Jordan Poyer.

However, there are teams who might swoop on him prior to that. A team like the Green Bay Packers, for example, know that safety is perhaps their most pressing need. Having made the playoffs last year, they might be willing to pick Calen Bullock first up when their turn comes up in the 2024 NFL Draft.

We do not, obviously, know for certain what will happen. But one thing is for sure. Given how well he performed at the NFL Combine, not just in the 40-yard dash but in all other metrics, Calen Bullock will be in the professional league soon and be near the top of many depth charts. Whether that will see him lining against Jordan Poyer or with him remains to be seen.