Knowshon who?The NFL combine kicks off today and if you're unemployed, a student, or lucky enough to have a job with duties that include watching the NFL Network, you can tune into 25 hours of coverage beginning at 2:30PM ET.
Eight Buckeyes will be attending the event1, which is the third-most of any school (USC is sending 11 and LSU is sending nine), but Nader Abdallah, who wasn't invited to the combine, has seen his stock rise enough in recent weeks (thanks to stellar play in the Texas vs. the Nation game) and is looking like a potential late-round pick. Which is pretty awesome considering how he stepped up his play during the course of the season.
There are also some rumors bubbling that Jenkins needs to turn in a fast forty time or he's projecting at a safety at the next level, but I'll believe that when I see it. Given Ohio State's cornerback tradition, there's no doubt he can play the corner in the NFL.
Looking at the other Buckeyes going to the event, Beanie is being viewed as the second-best running back available behind Georgia's Moreno, and you can probably chalk that up to injury concerns. Had he avoided injuries while in Columbus, there's no doubt that he'd be a top-ten selection, but you reap what you sow, I guess.
Freeman is supposedly rising, while Laurinaitis may be falling (which matches up nicely with our notion that he was just slightly overrated during his time as a Buckeye). Robiskie is looking like a late-round pick, while Hartline and Washington are just hoping to show enough to warrant a pick.
And then there's Mr. Boone. After a less-than stellar final two seasons as a Buckeye, his stock was sliding, but after his incident from a few weeks ago, he's probably going to have to turn in a Mandarich-like combine to even appear on the radars of scouts and GMs. Wish him the best, but would not want to be him this weekend during the interview sessions.
So, what say you? Does Boone even stand a chance of getting drafted? Where do you see Beanie going? Jenkins? Freeman? How do you see Hartline's CFL career panning out?
Further reading:
- Mock Draft database
- List of the 21 native Ohioans attending the Combine.
- Combine drills explained.
1 The eight: Jenkins, Washington, Laurinaitis, Freeman, Robiskie, Hartline, Beanie and Boone.
Comments
Jenkins a safety? Yeah he certainly is good enough to play there, but he's a shut-down corner that is rare to come by in today's NFL...I think Marcus will be an early 3rd rounder, James a late 1st rounder (Giants???), Robo late 3rd-early 4th, D-wash early 6th, Hartline late 6th, Boone-somehow slip into the 5th and will be a nice steal, Beanie-mid 1st
i think jenkins would probably be fine as a safety, he's definitely got the strength and build for a FS position, but his true position is at corner. and let's be honest, when we shifted to the 3-3-5 he looked absolutely lost at times and occasionally got burned.
d-wash has the physical tools to get consideration, but i don't know if he's on anyone's radar to begin with.
i think both JL and freeman might go a lot lower than we think they will, it's not enough to have a good combine, they have to look better than the USC boys
if beanie doesn't shit the bed he should be an easy top 15 pick, and i think robo might slide up some boards
and i agree, boone and hartline are completely screwed unless they do something astounding, boone might get a low round selection but i don't know how many GMs are chomping at the bit to get a slowish WR with a giant ego and butterfingers
oh yeah, apparently the colts are about to release marvin harrison
THUS BEGAN THE ANTHONY GONZALEZ ERA
What idea that the Animal was overated? Who had this idea? Where did it come from?
More importantly! What idiot puts any stock into where a Buckeye goes in the draft? I certainly wish every former Buckeye well and good luck once they move on, but I do not put any weight into what they do in the NFL as it correlates to what they did as a Buckeye. That would be like saying Archie Griffin was overrated because he wasn't the number one draft pick after graduation. Seriously.
We've always maintained that Laurinaitis was a tad overrated at Ohio State. Not saying he wasn't a great player, because he was. But perhaps not as good as some thought.
Compare his solo/assists ratio with other other Buckeye greats.
JL is overrated because he got a ton of awards and recognition based more on his story and some exceptional and timely plays rather than his overall ability, which, while really really high, wasn't head and shoulders above other LBs like it was made out to be. i watched the entire college careers of both AJ Hawk and JL, and there's really no contest as to who was the better LB
as far as the draft thing goes, it's all about bragging rights. that's about it. as far as Archie goes, he isn't overrated mainly because he was really undersized for the NFL. if Archie had the same measurables as Beanie and then went on to have the kind of NFL career that he did, then yeah, you could say he was overrated in college
I truly hope that JL goes to the Giants in the first round. That would be a x-mas and bday presented rolled into one nice package.
I love Laurinaits... I do howere concur that the media fell in love with this guy because of his story and his personality. He was a great Buckeye, but no elite. He could be taken out of a game (see LSU) and was not extremely athletic matching up in space or against the pass. He was great when runners were funneled into him and he could tackle in close quarters. He will be a good player under the right system. I loved the Road Warriors and I will miss Big Animal's intro's on ABC Saturday Nite football....
I'm one of the people who's been riding the "JL is a very average tackle machine playing out of position in the first place" bandwagon. If he didn't play for Ohio State, I don't think he'd be a first round pick. He simply does cannot defeat blocks to save his life; that is what kills him in the eyes of NFL scouts.
Easily one of my top five favorite characters to play the position at Ohio State, but in the end, Spielman he is not. Sabino has a very good chance of stepping in and being just as good this year.
THIS i disagree with somewhat, JL wasn't "average," he was an unusually athletic LB who might've been more effective at sam or will instead of mike, but he was also an extremely consistent tackler and a constant threat to pick off a lazy pass up the middle. he was definitely very good, but i put him alongside the ranks of bobby carpenter, not AJ or Spiels
Sorry but its "reap what you sow" ...
You folks are forgetting that Laurinaitis accomplished what he did with virtually no d-line. The guy has a nose for the ball and a great football IQ, that my friends makes him a first rounder...
I think it was Mel Kiper at ESPN who said that stuff about Jenkins needing a good 40 time, or he'll drop in the draft. What's the deal with that? Is it true he has something to prove at the combine? I thought it's just an exhibition to show that you're an athlete in the offseason. It can help you, for sure, but it can only hurt you if you perform far below what's expected, right? I mean, if Jenkins goes out there and runs a 4.6 instead of a 4.5, are people really going to say that he sucks and drop his value? I don't understand the viewpoint.
JL made a lot of tackles and was great against inferior competition, but in the big games, he got abused at the line of scrimmage. He's better than average, but he wasn't an elite LB.
Lot of Hate in the world. The guy looked great considering the d-line was not the best we've seen at Ohio State.
Can someone explain why it would be so bad if jenkins played the FS position? he hits hard and is a pretty good tackler.
I pray that beanie falls to my eagles as per kiper's projections...
Anyone have a bucknuts membership? they have an article about Montana's Visits to Texas and Ohio State. Subtitle says he dropped one of the two.
connor wood commited to texas (4 star QB according to scout) today so i assume it was texas
Hey, bud. Have you ever noticed that alot of top-tier recruits speak favorably about programs that have success in getting their players into the early rounds of the draft?
Dude, you are seriously the only other Buckeye/ Giants fan I have ever met...Awesome!!! I was hoping the same thing, ready to buy a JL jersey.
I don't think it's a big deal, I just don't understand why, when asked who has something to prove at the combine, Mel Kiper says Malcolm Jenkins, that it's because of his 40 time, and that he'll get drafted as a safety instead of a cornerback. It implies it's bad, but maybe I misread it.
eeeuuugghhh for the past couple of years JL didn't have a good d-line, but i think a couple of dudes named quinn pittcock and vernon gholston might beg to differ. i mean, JL never played behind a FANTASTIC d-line or anything, but last season was the first season during JL's tenure where they might've been legitimately below average for most of the year
Thanks -- fixed now.
You're right in that he didn't have an all-world offensive line. And don't get me wrong, he's a great player. He really is. It's just that I wouldn't put him in the same category as Spielman, Hawk, Kat, etc.
Heck, I'd even say that Diggs was a better LB.
I see Jenkins being the first Buckeye selected between picks 10-15.
Beanie goes anywhere from 15-25.
Laurinaitis between 25-32.
Freeman a mid second round pick.
After that, it's a crap shoot on where any other Buckeye players wind up.
Montana has eliminatrd Texas
If JL is slipping, it's only because the USC guys are gaining. I expect JL to do extremely well at the combine as most OSU guys do because the coaching staff does a great job of preparation. From what I recall, he's 240 pounds and runs a 4.5 40. And there's no question he has a nose for the football and makes big plays. And unlike our DB's and WR's, he usually catches the ball when he has it in front of him. JL is a special player and any team who takes him will get their money's worth.
Though JL hasn't been the best LB in Scarlet and Gray, I think he could be the best best LB in the NFL that OSU has ever put out. I think he will be much better on the Outside vs the Inside and he will look more like he did in his Sophmore year (when he looked like a true ball hawk and where most of the love came from, from Buckeye fans and the media) than what seemed to be disappointing* Junior and Senior years.
* I only say disappointing, because it looked like he was going to be the best linebacker at OSU based on the fantastic Sophmore year (116 tackles, 54 solo, 4 sacks, 3 Forced Fumbles and 5 INTs is just sick for a first year starter).
I see Beanine going to San Diego, or A Whales Vagina if you're Ron Burgundy. Boone doesnt get drafted and Jenkins is the first corner gone. Robo in late 4th early 5th. Hartline would be an outstanding arena receiver if there was such a thing. Freeman will probably be the suprise of all the Bucks who get drafted. I don't see Abdallah getting drafter but should sign on as a rookie FA.
On a side note unrelated to Buckeye news. Am I the only one who thinks Mike Vick would be perfect in Minnesota?
There is no doubt that I would be rocking the #33 G-Men JL jersey. I would buy it the minute he signed.....
I think Vick would look good in powder-puff blue and the Lions REALLY need a QB. LOL he's been training in "the yard" for the past 2 years. He is ready!!!
And he was about the only guy you could count on to show up for the big games. If I had to start a brand new Buckeye team tomorrow JL would be my middle linebacker. The kid can play and his accolades seem to bring the haters out of the woodwork.
"if Archie had the same measurables as Beanie and then went on to have the kind of NFL career that he did, then yeah, you could say he was overrated in college"
College play vs NFL play has nothing to do with one an another. A guy, (Troy Smith, Charlie Ward, Ryan Leaf) can be an awesome college player, and not so great in the NFL. That doesn't mean he was over rated in college. There is no correlation between not making it in the NFL and being over rated in college. It doesn't matter about your measurables or anything else. So guys are just great college players, and whether it's mental or what, they just don't cut it at the next level. It happens in all sports.
As for JL, he was great through his career, that's it. Was he Elite? Who cares, what's that mean? I remember when Hawk and Carpenter were coming out, a lot of message boards and talk shows said that Carpenter was the one who was going to be the star in the NFL. Hawk was a bit over rated! I remember thinking people were crazy for saying that just like I think people are crazy for saying JL is over rated. I'm not saying he was the greatest OSU linebacker ever, and I have not ever heard someone say he was. But the guy has been great. Now, even though he had a lot of hardware, I believe at the end of his career Andy Katzenmoyer was very over rated. He didn't live up to his expectations in the NFL, and he was much better as a sophomore than he was a senior.
In 5 years if JL has put together a great career in the NFL, what will we be saying on these boards? I have a feeling all the sudden JL will be ELITE.
I appologize if Katzenmoyer left as a junior, then I mean he was better as a freshman than he was a junior.
I was in 7th grade when he played for the Bucks, I couldn't remember when he left.
Free safeties are less "valuable" than a shut down corner, and it will drop his position in the draft and reduce the amount of money he makes.
here's my best guess with the caveat that results form the combine might change this
Jenkins - top 15 pick
Beanie - late 1st rd
JL - Late 1st Rd
Robiskie - 3rd/4th rd
Freeman - 4th/5th rd
Nadar - 6th/7th rd
Boone - 6th/7th rd
Washington, Hartline, Nicol, Boeckman etc - undrafted FA's
it is possible that if their respective combine efforts are outstanding, both Hartline and Washington could move into the late rds (6th+), and should Beanie run a little slow, say 4.55+, he may slip to the 2nd rd.
JL is overrated, you play middle linebacker at the OSU your going to be hyped simply by the position. The position made (Derek Iserman is that right?) look good back in those days when we played Syracuse each year.
Worst analysis ever.
Bobber care to explain?,,,
am I being to generous, too pessimistic, what do you disagree with?
I looked at the link for the mock drafts and just averaged the top 15 ones listed.
Jenkins came out at pic 9.7 with a range from 5th to 14th
Beanie came out at 21.4 with a range from 12th to 31st
and JL came in at 23.5 with a a range from 14th to 33rd,(which would be the 1st pick of the 2nd rd)
I would be very surprised if any other OSU guy goes before the 3rd rd. Robo is the best shot for a 2nd Rd pick.
The name was Derek Isaman and he was an ILB next to Spielman in 1986 and 87 and Judah Herman in '89 in the Buckeyes 3-4 scheme at the time. He was the MVP of the 1989 team because he led the team in tackles.
However, he became a boxer after leaving OSU, so he didn't get "hyped" into a potential 1st rd draft choice by playing MLB at OSU, which is what your insinuating about JL.
the 2 are not comparable.
You must not be old enough to have seen Randy Gradishar. Best ever linebacker at and from tOSU.