The question for Brian Burns coming into Sunday's NFL Combine workout in Indianapolis was whether the extra added weight he's packed on in recent months would slow him down.
The former Florida State defensive end answered that question emphatically at Lucas Oil Stadium: No. It will not.
At 249 pounds -- 14 pounds heavier than he was listed last season at FSU -- the All-ACC performer clocked an unofficial 4.56 seconds in the 40-yard dash. NFL.com reporter Chase Goodbread later tweeted that Burns' official time was 4.53.
Burns also posted a broad jump of 10 feet, 9 inches. Both of those numbers were among the best of the day for defensive ends.
Burns led the nation in QB pressures this past season and was one of the ACC leaders in sacks. His size was considered a negative coming into the draft process, with some analysts wondering whether he'd be big enough to play defensive end at the next level.
But after three months of preparing for the combine, Burns came in at 249 pounds; he told reporters he actually gained 21 pounds since the end of last season. And based on his workouts in Indianapolis, he apparently didn't lose any of the athleticism that made him one of the top pass-rushers in the country a season ago.
Two other former Seminoles are participating at the Combine -- defensive tackle Demarcus Christmas and wide receiver Nyqwan Murray. Christmas posted an official 40 time of 5.08 seconds, while Murray ran an unofficial 4.63.
