No one is arguing that new Vikings wide receiver Mike Wallace is fast. But Wallace certainly wasn’t holding back when he told the Pioneer Press that he is the NFL’s fastest player.
“Without a doubt, I’m the fastest player in the NFL,” Wallace said. “If somebody feels foggy about that, we can (race). I’m never going to back down from a competition.”
Maybe Wallace is lobbying to bring back the “NFL’s Fastest Man” competition – the last one was in 2007, two years before he entered the league in 2009 – or maybe he just knows.
The Vikings acquired Wallace in a trade with Miami in March. He claims his personal best time in the 40-yard dash is 4.21 seconds. The Vikings are hoping some of his speed can bring more explosiveness to the Vikings offense.
“I’ve run a lot of routes and I’ve got a lot of miles on my legs, but I still feel that there’s nobody (in the NFL) who can run with me,” Wallace added. “I have have slowed down a little but I could still run a 4.25.”
And it’s hard to argue if you watch highlights from his time in Pittsburgh.
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But Pro Football Talk notes that Wallace wasn’t the deep threat for the Dolphins that he was earlier in his career with the Steelers. In 2013, Wallace caught 73 passes for 930 yards, while in 2014 he caught just 67 passes for 862 yards.
More interesting to note is that Wallace hasn’t topped 1,000 yards receiving since 2011, when he was still with Pittsburgh. That year he averaged nearly 16.6 yards per catch and finished the season with 1,193 yards receiving.
In the three seasons since 2011, Wallace has only averaged nearly 13 yards per catch.
In speaking with the Pioneer Press, Wallace didn’t point the finger at Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has sometimes struggled to throw an accurate deep ball. But he thinks it will get better in Minnesota.
“The last couple of years I haven’t been able to showcase my separation, but I’m positive that will happen now,” Wallace said.
