2014 NFL Scouting Combine: North Carolina TE Eric Ebron says he’ll run a faster 40 than Gio Bernard

Former North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron hopes to be the second Tar Heel in a row to make an instant impact in the NFL, following in the footsteps of the Cincinnati Bengals running back Gio Bernard, whom the team drafted last season and he quickly became a focal point of their offense en route to the playoffs.

That journey for Ebron starts this week at the NFL Scouting Combine where he’ll look to impress the NFL scouts enough that they’ll consider taking him early and making him the main point of their passing game, which he most certainly was during his time at North Carolina where he was one of the most dominant pass-catching tight ends in the game.

If his prediction on his 40 time is any indication, then all of that may come to fruition,  as he let it be known that he plans to run faster than Bernard, who ran a 4.53 at last year’s event.

"“Gio just told me to get as much rest as I can. I just got done texting him. I’m going to run a faster 40 than he did, I’m just going to put it like that.” (Bernard ran a 4.53 last year.)"

If Ebron, at 6-4 and 250-pounds, does pull off that feat, then you can’t blame a team for getting him off the board as early as possible.