Ohio State's pro day Friday drew more than 50 representatives from NFL teams, giving it the look and feel of a "mini-NFL convention," and NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock came away impressed with the performances of several of the Buckeyes' top prospects.
Among the 15 players who worked out were three potential first-round picks -- running back Carlos Hyde, linebacker Ryan Shazier and cornerback Bradley Roby -- and Mayock told NFL Network's "Total Access" that all three helped strengthen their cases for the draft.
Hyde, who is Mayock's No. 2-rated running back in the draft, chose not to run the 40-yard dash Friday, but Mayock said Hyde impressed a lot of teams by showing he can do more than just carry the ball.
"What's really important for a high-level tailback, if you want to be a three-down back in the NFL, you've got to catch the football," Mayock said. "What he showed today is that he's a natural catcher."
Mayock projects Hyde as a late-first-round to mid-second-round pick. NFL Media analysts Bucky Brooks and Charles Davis have Hyde going to the Cleveland Browns with the No. 26 pick in their latest mock drafts.
Shazier also caught Mayock's eye Friday despite suffering a strained left hamstring after completing his 40-yard dash. His time came up blazing fast -- 4.38 seconds, according to Mayock.
"That's crazy for a 237-pound outside linebacker, to have those kind of movement skills and explosion," Mayock said. "The thing he does well -- he's a run-and-chase linebacker. He fits today's NFL. He's great in the pass game, but he's got to do a better job disengaging from blocks."
Shazier is Mayock's No. 5-rated linebacker, and Mayock said he thinks he'll be a first-round draft pick, or possibly slide into the second round.
Roby, like Hyde, kept all of his numbers from the combine, but he did run the 3-cone drill, posting a time of 6.78 seconds, according to Brandt's pro-day report.
Mayock said Roby showed teams Friday that he could be "smooth and athletic and show a great change of direction."
"He put on a show," Mayock said, adding that he thinks Roby and Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert are the draft's two most-athletic corners in the draft.
Mayock said he doesn't think Roby will get out of the first round, and all four NFL.com mock drafts agree with him, projecting him as high as the 20th pick of the Arizona Cardinals and as low as the 22nd pick of the Philadelphia Eagles.
One other Buckeyes prospect who impressed Mayock on pro day was OL Jack Mewhort, whom he projects as a second-round draft pick. Mayock was particularly impressed that Mewhort, who played left guard, right guard and left tackle at Ohio State, was able to work out as a center.
"It created a little buzz," Mayock said. "I could see a lot of the offensive line coaches and scouts going, 'Hey, if this kid could play center, literally, he could play all five positions on an NFL offensive line. When you only dress seven offensive linemen on Sundays, his versatility's going to help him."
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