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Wednesday was crazy on the pro-day schedule with USC, Texas and Alabama. Lost in the shuffle was the usually well-attended Ohio State pro day. Fast rising offensive guard Christian Haynes also worked out at UConn. Here’s what went down.
Notes from Ohio State Pro Day
The Buckeyes' pro day is usually loaded to the gills with NFL decision makers and first-round picks. Not this year.
When Marvin Harrison Jr. announced he would not be working out, people bailed on the workout. It was filled with directors of scouting rather than head coaches and general managers. As far as Harrison’s decision not to work out, the feeling at the pro day is that the receiver is not helping himself by doing nothing and he must at least run routes before the draft or he’ll definitely be passed by Malik Nabers of LSU.
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Linebacker Steele Chambers, one of the most underrated players at the position, timed the 40 in the high 4.6s, a decent mark as scouts felt he was one-tenth slower. His short shuttle came in around 4.2 seconds with 7.1 seconds in the three-cone. Steele hit 9-foot-7 in the broad jump and completed 19 reps on the bench press.
He looked terrific in position drills, which were run by James Laurinaitis, the former All-American linebacker from Ohio State who now coaches the position at the school. Steele looked fluid and easily moved sideline to sideline. Steele had dinner with the New Orleans Saints on Monday night and met with the Minnesota Vikings linebackers coach Tuesday.
Steele’s teammate Tommy Eichenberg also looked good in position drills and displayed good movement skills. Eichenberg did not run the 40 at Wednesday’s pro day after not running at the combine. Scouts estimate Eichenberg to run the 40 in the high 4.7-second range.
Defensive lineman Michael Hall, who entered the draft off a poor season, has had a couple of good months in the lead up to the event. After performing well at the Senior Bowl, Hall timed the forty under 4.80 seconds and looked athletic throughout the workout. Hall was at the Combine yet did not participate in any events.
Receiver Xavier Johnson measured 6-foot-0.5 inches and 202 pounds. His best 40 time was clocked at 4.58 seconds, and his short shuttle and three-cone were 4.03 seconds and 6.99 seconds respectively.
Michael Jerrell, the small-school lineman from the University of Findlay, took part in the workout Wednesday. Jerrell, who measured 6-foot-4 and 309 pounds, timed as fast as 4.89 seconds in the 40, 4.74 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.96 seconds in the three-cone. His vertical jump was 32 inches and he completed 29 reps on the bench press (arm length 33 7/8 inches). He looked good in position drills, which were run by the Cincinnati Bengals. Some told me Jerrell looked better than Ohio State guard Matthew Jones.
Jerrell was graded as a PFA coming into the season. He has the power gap style yet enough athleticism to block on the second level. He met with the Houston Texans most of the morning before the pro day started.
Notes from UConn Pro Day
I’m told Christian Haynes was originally not going to participate in the Huskies pro day, then he made a last-minute decision to do position drills after seeing the teams who came specifically for him. And it’s a good thing, as Haynes was terrific in position drills, just as he was at the combine. He moved well and displayed quick, smooth footwork.
As I tweeted out Tuesday, New York Jets assistant offensive line coach Ben Wilkerson worked out Haynes. Wilkerson spent time with another offensive lineman who attended the workout, Kiran Amegadjie of Yale.
Amegadjie, just five months removed from surgery to repair a significant quad injury, participated in the bench press and completed 21 reps. While that number will raise eyebrows for some, Amegadjie’s arms measured 36 1/8 inches at the Combine. There’s a slight chance that Amegadjie works out next month, but scouts believe regardless of whether he does, the Yale lineman will land somewhere in the third round.
Another Yale player who took part in the UConn pro day was receiver Mason Tipton, who I mentioned took part in the Toledo pro day on Monday. Tipton ran routes and caught the football, acquainting himself with northeast scouts on hand.
