The minute Texas A&M offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi learned he tore an ACL in his knee during the Aggies' Liberty Bowl win over West Virginia, he knew he wouldn't be running a 40-yard dash -- or participating in any other agility drill -- at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
That leaves only one area in which he'll be able to compete against other offensive linemen: the bench press. So while the nation's top offensive linemen are looking to shed pounds and show as much athleticism as possible, Ogbuehi is simply pushing iron.
"Mindset-wise, I used to think about going to the combine and doing the 40-yard dash and stuff. Now I'm just concentrating on my bench press because that's all I'm going to do," Ogbuehi told stack.com.
Ogbuehi's footwork and agility made him a top prospect in the first place. His ability in those areas helped him earn a first-round draft grade after his junior season. His senior season saw him start at left tackle for the first time in his career, move to right tackle in midseason to cover for another lineman's injury-related absence, then move back to the left side to finish the year. His performance drew some scouting criticism, which his combine performance could have gone a long way toward answering.
Instead, he'll have to wait an indefinite period of time -- presumably, after he is drafted -- to reach full recovery.
"I've heard so many different things. I've talked to a lot of people who've had torn ACLs," Ogbuehi said. "You start to get a better idea once you can bend fully and start having no pain when you bend it. I've heard five months, six months, seven months, eight months. I've heard so many different time frames."
That means NFL clubs evaluating Ogbuehi will have to rely heavily on tape from his three seasons as a starter at three different positions -- right guard, right tackle and left tackle -- for the Aggies.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
