Kelvin Benjamin said he purposely ran slow 40 so Panthers would draft him

Wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin revealed an interesting pre-draft strategy he concocted: He intentionally ran a slow 40-yard dash at the Indianapolis scouting combine.

Why?

“Because I wanted to play for the Carolina Panthers,’’ Benjamin said, via ESPN.com.

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Benjamin said he had been clocked as low as 4.41 seconds, which would have been fifth fastest at the combine, but his actual time of 4.61 in Indy placed him 35th among wide receivers.

Running in the 4.4s most likely would have put him out of the range of the Panthers, who picked 28th overall in May. Although the 40-yard dash is but one metric that NFL teams weigh in a prospect’s grade, running that fast with Benjamin’s 6-5, 240-pound frame almost certainly would have raised his stock.

As it is, Benjamin has been a godsend for the Panthers as a rookie. He ranks second in receiving yards among rookies with 571, behind only the Buffalo Bills’ Sammy Watkins. Benjamin is tied for third among rookie pass catchers with 38 receptions, and is tied for first with five TD receptions with Watkins.

The fastest receiver at the combine was the New Orleans Saints’ Brandin Cooks, the rookie leader in receptions with 40. The two precocious pass catchers will face off Thursday in a key NFC South showdown that could help tilt the division. The Saints traded up from the 27th overall pick to land Cooks at No. 20.

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said his team had its eyes on both wideouts, despite their vastly different dimensions — Cooks stands at 5-10, 185 pounds.