NFL Draft Prospects: Ohio State

Throughout the coming weeks, the National Football Post Scouting Department will be profiling college teams and their top draft prospects.  Today’s feature:  Ohio State.  For more information on the Ohio State Buckeyes, be sure to visit BuckNuts.com.

With NFL executives around the country already ranking and dissecting the top college football players in preparation for the 2009 draft, we at the National Football Post want you to know exactly what is being said about your Ohio State Buckeyes. Wes Bunting and Michael Lombardi break down Ohio State’s top prospects and give you the chance to get inside the head of the top decision makers in the NFL.

James Laurinaitis: Middle Linebacker (6’3, 244) Projection: Mid First Round

A very instinctive linebacker that diagnoses plays quickly. Displays a very fluid hip turn and loses little in his transition. Gets a deep drop into zone coverage and can click and close in an instant. Showcases a great burst when he plants his foot and explodes toward the ball. A very aggressive tackler that exhibits good technique, explodes through the hips and does a good job of wrapping up. At times will over run plays and take bad angles toward the ball. Is very comfortable in man-to-man coverage, shows great body control when breaking on the ball and avoiding contact with the receiver. Has good anticipation skills and reads well in zone coverage. Does a good job at the line of scrimmage shifting through the traffic in front of him; uses hands well to his protect his legs and keep blockers from cutting him. Shows a willingness to take on the lead blocker and shows good strength at the POA, but doesn’t shed the block quickly. Overall, a great combination of athleticism and instincts at the middle linebacker position.

Malcolm Jenkins: Cornerback (6’1, 202) Projection: Mid-Late First Round

A long, angular corner with good size and excellent arm length for the position. Displays very good athletic ability with exceptional change of direction skills and very fluid hips. Demonstrates good body control and burst out of his breaks. Looks very natural ball hawking in zone coverage. Is very physical in man-to-man coverage. Does a great job getting his hands onto receivers and is very consistent re-routing wide outs, which makes it difficult for Quarterbacks and receivers to stay in rhythm.  Demonstrates good instincts in coverage and does a nice job reading the quarterbacks eyes, can click and close quickly when the ball is in the air. Exhibits a smooth, compact back-pedal and a quick hip turn. Transitions very cleanly and has the ability to get back up to speed quickly out of his turn. Lacks elite deep speed. Has the speed to run stride for stride deep with NFL receivers, but looks like a mid/late 4.4 guy. Lacks the explosion to make up for a false step and struggles staying in the pockets of quicker receivers in man coverage. Trusts his length and leaping ability too much at times and will lose track of receivers behind him. Doubtful he will ever be an elite NFL player, but his combination of foot speed, coordination and physicality will make him a starter in the NFL.

Marcus Freemen: Outside Linebacker  (6’2, 242) Projection: Late First-Early Second Round

A well-built linebacker with good lower body thickness and girth in his base. Freeman is a smart, instinctive player that does a nice job reading and reacting quickly to the play. Does an excellent job finding the football and rarely takes a false step and always seems to be flowing toward the play. Displays a nose for the ball and has an excellent feel at the line of scrimmage, always is shooting the right gaps and filling the right lanes. A sure tackler that breaks down well in space and takes proper angles to the ball. Plays under control and has the ability to re-direct and change directions cleanly. Showcases good power and technique as an in-line guy, isn’t afraid to mix it up inside and take on offensive lineman at the point of attack. Possesses a strong lower body and the ability to clog up running lanes inside. Has a tendency to get a bit high in his stance after he is engaged awhile, will fall off blocks at times when he loses his technique and leverage, usually on runs to the outside. A natural athlete with good range and burst out of his stance, displays very good straight-line speed and paired with the first step and instincts he consistently makes plays all over the field. A do it all linebacker that plays with excellent passion and instincts inside, does a great job sniffing out run plays and has the athleticism to cover in man. There aren’t many negatives on this guy and Freemen looks like one of the safest picks at linebacker in the 2009 class.

Alex Boone: Offensive Tackle (6’8, 328) Projection Early- Mid Second Round

Boone’s a mountain of a man standing 6’8 and nearly 330 pounds. Displays very intriguing athleticism and feet for his dimensions. Showcases quick, nimble feet allowing him to reach the corner easily and cut off speed rushers. Shows good flexibility in his hips and is able to mirror ends in space. Possesses very long arms and does a good job getting his hands on ends quickly, doesn’t demonstrate a strong punch but when he locks on to a lineman, its over. Displays decent bend in his knees and can quickly get out of his stance. Does a good job sliding his feet and getting in position on reach blocks, can seal off the edge with ease. Shows good power in the run game and explodes through his hips and drives legs through contact to finish blocks. Has enough athleticism to get out to second level, but has some trouble hitting a moving target. Isn’t as agile as you would like for a left tackle and is at times slow to re-direct. Will struggle working back inside and doesn’t have the short area quickness to make up for a false step against speed rushers.  At times will stand straight up in pass protection and loses a lot of his quickness when he doesn’t play with good knee bend. Great overall athletic ability for his size, but might be a bit slow re-directing to play on the left side, is best suited for the right side in the NFL.

Brian Robiskie: Wide Receiver (6’3, 195) Projection: Mid- Late Second Round

Robiskie is a lean wide out that lacks girth in his lower half, possesses big hands, long arms and a thin upper body. He’s not a burner by any stretch of the imagination and struggles exploding out of his stance. A glider that takes a while to get up to full speed down the field and out of his cuts. A very natural receiver that is a polished route runner and catches very naturally with his hands. Plucks the ball away from his body and demonstrates great body control, can go up at the highest point and come down with the jump ball. Displays great concentration and awareness, gets his head around quickly and does a nice job adjusting to poorly thrown balls. Is very focused and rarely drops a catchable pass. Uses his long arms and lateral quickness to beat press coverage at the line of scrimmage, has a second gear when asked to track down the deep ball. A sharp route runner that doesn’t round off his routes, sinks his hips out of cuts and does a nice job selling fakes and working the inside on his man. Gets good separation off his initial “juke” and does a nice job bursting into a short route. (slant, out, in) Lacks wiggle or quickness with the ball in his hands and isn’t much of a threat after the catch. A willing blocker that shows decent technique but more importantly, a want to block downfield. Very smart and knows how to read a defense, demonstrates the ability to sit down in zone coverage and has a knack for finding the soft spots. Lacks the burst and explosion to be a number one wide out in the NFL, but should find his niche in the possession type, number two role.

Todd Boeckman: Quarterback (6’5, 238) Projected: Seventh Round

A tall, well built quarterback with a lot of seasoning as a sixth year senior at Ohio State. Boeckman is very polished passer, displays good footwork and balance, and hits his three-step drop very quickly. Displays a very smooth, compact delivery with a high release point and not much of a wind up. Has the ability to make all the throws and does a nice job keeping his eyes down the field and holding on to the ball until the last second. He needs to improve his pocket awareness; he has a tendency to hold onto the ball too long and take an ill advised sack. Will short arm throws at times and has a tendency to fall off his passes when he doesn’t have a clean pocket. Shows very nice touch and accuracy on short and mid range passes and does a nice job giving his receivers a chance to run under his deep ball. Has only average arm strength but shows the timing to make all the throws in the NFL. Boeckman has a tendency to try to over throw passes to make up for his average arm strength and his accuracy suffers because of it, won’t be able to fit the ball down the field in tight spaces at the NFL level. Needs a clean pocket, has a tendency to get jittery with pressure, which really effects his accuracy, and the ball tends to sail on him. But when he has a clean pocket, Boeckman is very poised and knows how to move the chains.

Fringe Ohio State Senior Prospects

Rory Nicol: Tight End (6’4, 252) Projection: Seventh Round/ Free Agent

Nicol is a tough, blue-collar tight end that shows some suddenness and body control in the passing game. Does a nice job getting initial separation in short areas and using his body to shield defenders from the ball. A physical blocker that gives an honest effort and takes pride in driving his man to the ground. Has done well in the early part of the year and has to be considered a top 20 senior tight end.

Maurice Wells: Running Back (5’9, 196) Projection: Seventh Round/Free Agent

Projects as a 3^rd down back and KR/PR specialist in the NFL. He lacks the bulk and power to run between the tackles, but if you can get him in space, he does a nice job making a man miss and getting up to top end speed quickly. Showcases very natural hands and is a mismatch for linebackers in the slot. The kind of guy that could have a better career in the NFL then he did in college.

Steve Rehring: Offensive Guard (6’7, 335) Projection: Free Agent

A slow-footed, massive guard who has struggled big time in the past two National Title games. He has the upper body strength to lock on at the point of attack but he struggles playing with leverage and lacks the athleticism to cut off quicker tackles shooting through gaps. Rehring lacks much upside and needs to be used in an in-line power scheme, is very heavy legged in space.

Top Rated Ohio State Juniors

Chris Wells: Running Back (6’1, 237) Projection: Mid First Round

A physically well built back with a rare blend of quickness for his size. He possesses great change of direction skills and the ability to make a man miss in the hole. Runs with a good pad level and gets north-to-south quickly. Displays the power and lower body strength to drive his legs and pick up yards after contact. Good vision inside, but has taken his fare share of knocks already in his career, NFL teams worry about his long term durability but he looks like a powerful work horse back at the next level.

Lawrence Wilson: Defensive End (6’5, 274) Projection: Mid Second/ Early Third Round

Wilson was the defensive end last season that was supposed to be the team’s top talent, but a broken leg in the opener derailed his hopes. However, Wilson is a long athlete with good arm length and the suddenness to beat blockers. He displays a very flexible stance with the first step to reach the corner. His awareness and instincts need a bit of improvement but his combination of burst and length make him very difficult to block on the outside.

Jim Cordle: Center (6’4, 298) Projection Early/Late Third Round

Cordle is a tough, gritty center that played all of last season with a cast to protect a wrist fracture. He is a smooth athlete that can pull and get around in space. Exhibits good body control and the ability to snap and step quickly. A little thin in the pants and lacks some lower body power, but he plays with good leverage and hand placement. Has made the switch to guard with the injury to Steve Rehring in 2008.  This kind of versatility can only help his stock. Should be back for another year and could enter the 2010 draft as the nations top center prospect.

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