Alabama RB Eddie Lacy Clocks 4.57 40-Yard Dash at Pro Day

Former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Eddie Lacy did very little to boost his draft stock at his pro day workout on Thursday, instead hurting his chances of earning a first-round selection this spring by posting some discouraging numbers courtesy of NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks:

While Lacy's 4.57-second 40-yard-dash time certainly stands out, especially for a highly-touted running back who missed the NFL Scouting Combine last February, it's hardly a shock given his style of running and isn't nearly as disappointing as his conditioning struggles.

Whether it was a lack of effort since the start of this offseason or his nagging hamstring injury as pointed out by NFL.com's Kareem Copeland, Lacy didn't look at all prepared for his workout. The fact that he was out of breath during drills and had to have the workout cut short says a lot about Lacy's work ethic and preparation and will certainly have NFL higher-ups thinking twice before they draft him this April.

Thursday's performance can most accurately be described as a wasted opportunity, especially considering Lacy was picking up steam thanks to three consecutive 130-plus-yard efforts to round out the 2012 season with Alabama.

The 5'11", 230-pound back finished with 140 rushing yards and two total touchdowns in the Crimson Tide's blowout win over Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game last January. 

Four months later, the two-time national champion is looking like anything but an NFL-caliber workhorse running back, which will inevitably lead to questions about his desire to be one of the best players in the game.

As Brooks points out, this was an opportunity to reaffirm the beliefs of scouts, not give them reasons to question what they've seen from Lacy during his time with the Crimson Tide.

Lacy definitely has some explaining to do in the coming days if he hopes to convince an NFL franchise he's worth a first-round selection in 2013.

The 22-year-old rushed for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns on 204 carries for Alabama last season as a junior and finished with over 2,400 rushing yards for his college career. He also caught 22 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in 2012. 

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