Guys I can only take so much draft discussion. So here’s a new topic, the answers which we can argue about for many moons. So here’s my question:
Since 1970 who were the three fastest Lions?
My gut says - -
Darius Slay
Leonard Thompson
In the late 70;s who was the Lion who took kick-off returns to the house!? Crazy memory here, but he might have been Walter Payton’s brother…?
Maybe Dre Bly?
Was Charles Rogers super fast?
Mel Gray?
Jahvid Best
Jameson Williams
…. Rice (I think his last name was) it was a DB
Well I do go back that far and Leonard Thompson was the fastest guy on the team, He made a name for himself as a gunner on special teams and then as a WR. I loved the dude. Another guy from back in the day was WR Ron Jessie around 1974. The fastest I seen recently would be Best, Agnew, and Jamo. I think Jamo is the answer to your question.
Jahvid Best
Terry Fair
Azzir Akim?
Patricia on his 4X4
Just a history lesson in Lions football Ron Jessie was a world class athlete that competed in relay, high jump, and long jump. He was the next Bob Hayes. At Kansas he shared the backfield with none less than the great John Riggens. Of course we had a running QB Greg Landrey that could not get him the ball. Later he became an all pro WR with the Ram in 1976
Ok I been drinking too much bourbon, But Greene the CB from the Redskins is by far the fastest player I ever saw. He was faster than Deion and he would tackle too. He was faster than Willie Gault the Bears world class sprinter or anyone that dared run him. You here the draft terms today about sudden or twitchy this dude had it in spades.
Depends on how you measure it.
Top speed = Jameson Williams
Acceleration = Barry Sanders
To the buffet line = Matt Patricia tied with Jerry Ball
Eddie Peyton
Shaun Rogers says get out of my way!
Terry Fair, that was him.
David Kircus.
OK… for real…
Jahvid… ran 4.35 in 40 and 10.16 in 100m.
Calvin… ran 4.35 in 40 and supposedly a 10.23 in the 100m
Jamo… ran 10.54 in 100m in high school, raced and won against Kelee Ringo at a Rivals camp, and ran past the UGA secondary.
Honorable mention……
Brett Perriman ran a 4.36 in the 40.
Kalif Raymond tan a 4.32 in 40 at a pro day (but his 100m time was ~10.8 from what I found)
Tatum Bell… ran a 4.39 in the 40 at combine… and I can only imagine how fast he ran from the Lions facility after he stole Rudi Johnson’s bags!!! 
Yah Jahvid Best has to be up there.
Desmond Howard ran a similar time, I believe.
I’d go ….
-Mel Gray
-Jahvid Best
-CJ
Fair is probably in the mix somewhere. By next year, Jamo will lead the discussion.
I was always impressed with Golden Tate’s speed. Dude was quick, strong, smart, and fast.
Jamo is 2 steps faster than any player in lions history… maybe 3
He claims he can run a sub 4.2… Chark said he wanted to see it but would definitely give him the “4.2… 4.2 something…”
Anthony Carter was pretty damn fast. But when he got to the Lions, he was damaged goods. Yet a stud for the Michigan Panthers early.
Darrel Green - For years he would race anyone that would take up the challenge and nobody beat him. He was the first TRUE shut down corner in the NFL. He would take the best wr from the other team and just eliminate them from the game. Great player and great person as well. He gets overlooked a lot which has always been a mystery to me.
Aaron Gibson says, hold my beer!
I was just talking to my son about this today with Darrell Green. He is 17, and buys the marketing that athletes today are in far superior condition than any other era. He basically will call anyone who hasn’t played in the past 20 years a plummer, insurance salesman or mailman. I’ve told him, most of the best athletes from other times could easily dominate during this time.
Here is a 30 minute video with the best chasedowns in NFL history. Of course, DK/Budda Baker is on here. However, Darrell Green alone has 4 or 5 videos. Including the video where he chases down a supremely fast Eric Dickerson, in his prime, from behind. Greatest Chasedown Tackles EVER! - YouTube. Also in this video, you will hear a very young Pre Lions Dan Miller, and Gus Johnson with calls back to back.
My son said of course Darrell Green was chasing guys down, those guys were slow. I asked him if Dion Sanders was slow, because Darrell Green chased him down. Those guys all had head starts, and he got them anyways. I asked my son what a fast 40 time was. He said 4.3. I asked him how fast Darrell Green was, and he said probably 4.3. I told him lower. 4.2? Lower. 4.1? Lower. Darrell Green while with Washington, ran a 4.09 40. My son said that was impossible. Nope, he did it and witnesses all confirmed it. The guy was a world class sprinter. He wasn’t a guy who just ran track for a random country. He was literally one of the fastest people on earth.
I then told my son, Darrell Green, at age 50, ran a 4.40 40 time. 50 years old, and he could still run faster than todays premium athletes and be draft eligible. Tell me this guy wouldn’t dominate today’s NFL.
Ron Jessie was damn fast, and I was gonna add Eddie Payton but someone got there first. Well done.
Calvin at 4.35 is more impressive than any of them.
6’5" 240 running 4.35.
Slow down and think about that. All these other dudes we are talking about…Deion, Green, whoever. Small, skinny dudes.
6’5" 240 is basically a 2" shorter Ben Wallace, btw. And he was holding down Shaq.