Representatives from every NFL team -- including head coaches Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals, Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings, Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints -- were in attendance for Ohio State's pro day on Friday. With 142 credentials issued to NFL team personnel, it was possibly the largest pro day ever as far as attendance by NFL team staff. And coach Urban Meyer's event ran very smoothly.
Offensive tackle Taylor Decker -- 6-foot-7 1/4, 311 pounds -- had a 25 1/2-inch vertical jump, performed 22 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, and stood on the rest of his numbers from the NFL Scouting Combine. Decker had a good-plus workout. He was worked out very hard and had only one spot when it appeared that he got tired. Decker's pro day workout was a lot better than it was at the combine.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott -- 6-2, 228 -- stood on his numbers from the combine. During the positional drills, Elliott showed that he had excellent ball skills, and shocked many NFL personnel in attendance with how well he caught the football. He's a powerful runner, and definitely improved his draft status at Ohio State's pro day.
Quarterback Cardale Jones -- 6-5 1/4, 250 -- didn't do any of the runs and jumps due to a right hamstring problem that surfaced at the combine. During the positional workout, he threw the ball extremely well. He has a powerful arm, and can also take it off and feather it in there. As a result, Jones likely will have a lot of teams working him out this spring ahead of the 2016 NFL Draft. He definitely improved his status in the draft as far as quarterbacks are concerned.
Wide receiver Braxton Miller -- 6-1 5/8, 203 -- ran the 40 in 4.41 and 4.45 seconds. He caught the ball well in the positional workout, but has to learn how to run routes a bit better. Miller's ability is very reminiscent of former Buckeyes receiver Devin Smith, who was a second-round draft choice of the New York Jets last year.
Wide receiver Jalin Marshall -- 5-10 3/8, 213 -- ran the 40 in 4.68 and 4.72 seconds. Marshall was a quarterback in high school, and this is a prospect that NFL teams might want to consider taking a look at at running back. He is very much like Lance Dunbar, who has spent the previous four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
Wide receiver Michael Thomas -- 6-2 7/8, 212 -- ran the 40 in 4.59 and 4.55 seconds. He had a 33 1/2-inch vertical jump, and then stood on the rest of his combine numbers. Thomas is a very good player, and he had an excellent pro day workout. He has a big catching radius, with long arms, and he has excellent ball skills.
Tight end Nick Vannett -- 6-6 1/8, 255 -- ran the 40 in 4.85 and 4.9 seconds. He had a 29 1/2-inch vertical jump and 9-foot-5 broad jump. Vannett has very good hands. He was targeted 19 times and made 17 catches with no drops (the two missed passes hit the ground before reaching him).
Defensive end Joey Bosa -- 6-5 5/8, 274 -- ran the 40 in 4.77 and 4.82 seconds. He had a 31 1/2-inch vertical and 10-foot-1 broad jump. He also performed 28 bench press reps. Bosa worked out very good. He's very smooth, can quickly change directions, and was very competitive in his workout. Bosa's parents were in attendance; his father, John Bosa, was a first-round draft choice of the Miami Dolphins in 1987.
Defensive tackle Adolphus Washington -- 6-3 1/4, 298 -- ran the 40 in 4.95 and 5.04 seconds, but pulled up lame with a left hamstring issue on the second attempt. So, he was unable to continue with the drills. He did, however, do a 28-inch vertical before pulling his hamstring in the 40.
Linebacker Darron Lee -- 6-1 1/4, 236 -- only did position drills, and showed that he is an athlete who moves around very well.
Linebacker Joshua Perry -- 6-3 3/4, 255 -- did a 4.43-second short shuttle and 7.24-second three-cone drill. He's kind of a high-cut guy. He also had a good positional workout, showing that he can change directions well.
Safety Vonn Bell -- 5-11, 203 -- ran the 40 in 4.51 and 4.54 seconds. He had a 30 1/2-inch vertical jump. Bell has really good coverage skills, especially in man-to-man situations. This is a player who can be a very good safety in the NFL.
Safety Tyvis Powell -- 6-2 7/8, 209 -- stood on his combine numbers and performed well in the positional drills.
Cornerback Eli Apple -- 6-0 7/8, 204 -- stood on his combine numbers and had a great positional workout. Apple cemented his position as a first-round draft pick.
Offensive guard Chase Farris -- 6-4 1/4, 295 -- ran the 40 in 5.17 and 5.22 seconds. He had a 26 1/2-inch vertical jump and 8-foot-6 broad jump. He did the short shuttle in 4.8 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.85 seconds. He also performed 22 bench press reps. He's a very powerful guy, and is a right tackle or right guard prospect.
Follow Gil Brandt on Twitter _@GilBrandt_.
