Ohio State Football: Pro scouts saw first hand a Buckeye can fly
Since this player arrived on campus in 2015, everyone surrounding the Ohio State football program has raved about his speed.
One Ohio State football player has dominated speed drills since he stepped on campus. At the NFL Combine, pro scouts saw first hand that Denzel Ward can flat-out fly.
The Buckeye corner was clocked at 4.32 in the 40 yard dash which tied for the fastest time at this year’s Combine. And it was reported he was running on an injured ankle. Think that didn’t impress NFL general managers?
To put his time into respective, remember his running mates at Ohio State, Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley, ran 4.36 and 4.4 respectively at the 2017 NFL Combine. Lattimore was the 11th pick in the draft and Conley was chosen at No. 22.
The pro scouts have another way to compare Ward to Lattimore and Conley as well as his 40 time. He was part of a three-man rotation with the other two corners in 2016 and performed equally well. With his 4.32, along with the fact that Lattimore was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, I’m guessing Ward’s draft stock is really high at the moment.
Another Buckeye showed the NFL general managers he is pretty fast too.
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Jerome Baker posted a 4.53 time in the 40. If you check the NFL Combine Tracker you will see his time was faster than quite a few defensive backs. Unfortunately, one of those guys was teammate Damon Webb who ran a 4.62.
Sam Hubbard didn’t run a 40 but displayed his quickness in the 20 yard shuttle. His time of 4.32 is excellent for a defensive end. Speed in short bursts for a DE is more important to NFL scouts than straight-line speed so it looks like Hubbard helped himself in that regard.
Two Ohio State football players had unfortunate things happen to them at the Combine. Center Billy Price injured his pectoral muscle while bench pressing and defensive end Tyquan Lewis fell ill and didn’t compete in every event.
Since it has been reported that Price will be fine by the beginning of preseason camp, I can’t see it hurting the Rimington Award winner’s draft status. If every general manager with a first round pick passes on Price, the NFL should start drug testing them like they do the players, if they don’t already.
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Lewis on the other hand has more to prove as far as his draft status is concerned. Fortunately. he along with other Buckeyes who didn’t set the world on fire at the NFL Combine, will have another chance to impress the scouts at the Ohio State Pro Day March 22nd.