Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO through July 30 and is available to stream on Max.
Speed on an NFL field is essential.
On the sideline? As seen in a preview of the second episode of Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants, Brian Daboll believes he has something to offer there, too.
“I guarantee you I could run a 7.0 40,” Daboll told members of New York’s front office as wide receivers ran the 40-yard dash during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.
It was a declaration met by a cry of “No way,” to which the head coach doubled down by claiming he’d achieve such a feat if a plate of wings awaited him at the finish line.
Just then, the future ninth overall pick by the Bears, Rome Odunze, clocked an unofficial 4.47 40-yard dash time (he eventually left the combine with an official time of 4.45), providing an unfortunate barometer for comparison.
General manager Joe Schoen used it to his advantage and posed a follow-up question: “So you think you could be less than three seconds behind him?”
A pause followed — not nearly long enough for Daboll to complete his own hypothetical dash, but noticeable nonetheless — after which Daboll tripled down: “Yes.”
Brian Daboll swears he can run a 7.0 40-yard dash
New episode of #HardKnocks Offseason with the @Giants premieres tomorrow at 9pm ET on @StreamOnMax. #Giants100 pic.twitter.com/HnAJA2G5TN
— NFL (@NFL) July 8, 2024
The exchange provided a moment of levity that’s to be expected during a taxing, weeklong event that includes four days of drills and testing.
But this offseason has also been a crucial, potentially make-or-break one for the Giants after they fell flat in 2023, with one road back to contention running through the draft and building in-house talent.
New York worked the evaluation process and came out on the other side with several speedy players who would equally put Daboll to shame in a race.
Second-round safety Tyler Nubin and fifth-round running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. both showed 4.48 speed at the combine. Wide receiver Malik Nabers, the No. 6 overall pick, ran a 4.35 at his LSU pro day — an impressive time even after taking any home cooking into account.
Those draftees and their fellow rookies report to training camp on July 16, with the rest of the team joining them on July 23.
As for Daboll, he’s looked far more svelte throughout the offseason program than in previous years.
Maybe he’s gearing up to put his claim to the test during an early practice at camp, or perhaps he’s preparing to participate in the next iteration of Run Rich Run.
