"I definitely am”- Eagles WR Devon Allen asserts himself as NFL’s fastest player ahead of Tyreek Hill and DK Metcalf

Is Devon Allen, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, faster than Tyreek Hill or DK Metcalf? He seems to believe so. The track star who competes in Olympic-level events is also an NFL wide receiver and he believes his skills on the track have made him the league's top speedster.

.@Eagles WR @DevonAllen13 ran the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.04 seconds, tied for the fourth-fastest in the world this year. 🏃‍♂️💨

📹: via @NBCSports https://t.co/ZtfOriPaQu

Allen was succinct when asked by TMZ:

"I definitely am [the fastest]."

He expounded and gave respect to his competitors, but reaffirmed that he is faster:

"I'm not gonna roast those guys because what they did was impressive. I raced Tyreek Hill when I was in high school. We raced and he smoked me when we were in high school and DK Metcalf ran a 10.3 a couple years ago is super impressive for a guy that's 6'4", 6'3", 225, but I think especially at the top level, top 5, top 10 in the world, there's a big gap in terms of just performance."

Allen ran a 4.35 40-yard dash. That's an impressive metric, but it's not quite the fastest in the entire league. John Ross' 4.22 stands as the NFL record from 2017, and Tyreek Hill ran a 4.29. Metcalf clocked in at 4.33 seconds, so both were slightly faster than Allen, at least in the dash.

That doesn't always translate to pure speed, but it's hard to argue over any one of them being the NFL's fastest player.

Devon Allen admits NFL is a different animal

Even for an Olympic-level athlete, the NFL is tough. Devon Allen learned this in training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles. He said:

"The first whirlwind for me was training camp, getting thrown into the fire, and realizing this isn't college anymore. I played at the University of Oregon, which is high-level ball, but the NFL takes it the another level."

Devon Allen at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

After competing in track and field, he's ready to take on the NFL. Allen is aware of the challenge before him, but his physical tools may allow him to be one of the most unique two-sport athletes in recent memory.