As Urban Meyer trickled through the red carpet, he posed for photos, spoke with reporters briefly, dodged raindrops and wore a smile the Ohio State football coach rarely offers to fans. One could argue the only other time such a look from him came after the Buckeyes ripped through Oregon to win the national title.
For Meyer, the 2016 NFL Draft served as a massive recruiting boon for his program, one that has only lost six times in his first five seasons at the helm. The Buckeyes saw 12 players drafted — all in the first four rounds — last year. Five of them came off the board in the first round, and three in the top-10.
| 2017 NFL DRAFT |
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WHERE: Ben Franklin Parkway; Philadelphia WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. Friday, noon Saturday
COVERAGE: elevenwarriors.com; follow @11W, @EricSeger33, 11W HUB: 2017 NFL Draft |
Ohio State had at least one player from every position group — excluding specialists — selected last April. A draft class that included top-5 picks Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott stole headlines and had Meyer fist pumping all weekend, especially when Braxton Miller heard his name called by the Houston Texans.
The Scarlet and Gray hue won't nearly be as striking this time around at the Draft, which shifts from Chicago to Philadelphia. Ohio State won't dominate the discussion in 2017 but are still bound to put as many as five players — maybe more — on professional teams before things wrap up Saturday.
A handful of storylines, possible surprises, et al before the festivities begin.
How Far Will Gareon Conley Fall?
Arguably the largest story of NFL Draft week is the star cornerback's name surfacing in a Cleveland police report stemming from an April 9 incident at the Westin Hotel. A woman accused Conley of rape, which he denied on Tuesday. A day later, Conley issued a statement through his agent claiming "several witnesses" and video will vindicate him and reiterated that he has not been charged or arrested.
Amid the investigation, Conley elected to rescind his invitation to attend the Draft in Philadelphia. Teams are hustling for any sort of detail they can find on the incident, as Conley's stock shot to the moon after he shredded his Combine workout and Pro Day.
Ohio State CB Gareon Conley has spent the last 24 hours talking to coaches and GMs. Teams talking to witnesses too. A scramble for info.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 26, 2017
At least 24 teams personally have called OSU's Gareon Conley over the past 48 hours, per source. He has proclaimed his innocence to all.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 27, 2017
Conley maintains his innocence but with the news surfacing roughly 48 hours before the first round opens it is hard to project where he lands. Initially thought to threaten the first 15 picks, will teams near the top of the draft still think he is worthy even though an open investigation hangs over his head?
We will find out on Thursday night but it looks like he has lost himself a ton of money.
After doing in-depth investigating into #OSU CB Gareon Conleys situation, teams do believe hell be drafted now. 3 GMs predict third round.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 27, 2017
Which Buckeye is Drafted First?
It's like picking between your favorite Halloween candies — maybe Malik Hooker is to Reese's Cups as Marshon Lattimore is to Kit Kat. Both deliciously talented at football, both are versatile defensive backs and both will provide an instant impact wherever they land.
OK, let's move on from the poor food analogy. Both Hooker (sports hernia and hip labrum surgeries) and Lattimore (torn hamstring in college) have injury history and each rose to stardom during the 2016 season, their first as starters on the back end of Ohio State's defense. Hooker's range is rare — everyone, including Greg Schiano, has compared him to NFL great Ed Reed — while Lattimore's blend of size, speed and length makes him exactly what the league looks for in a No. 1 cornerback.
Multiple teams at the top of the Draft — Cleveland, Chicago, Tennessee, New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers — all need defensive back help. Trades are bound to happen as teams try to move up the ladder and pick either a quarterback or another player they won't believe will be on the board when it is their turn to select.
Hooker and Lattimore are likely top-10 picks. But who goes first will surely be a piece of competition between the two, even though Hooker won't be in Philadelphia.
Do Dontre Wilson Or Corey Smith Get The Call?
Two of the longest longshots from an Ohio State standpoint, Corey Smith and Dontre Wilson did not receive invitations to the NFL Scouting Combine last month. That made their Pro Day workouts all the more imperative to their potential pro careers.
Forty-yard dash times weren't released to the public from the Pro Day but Smith and Wilson didn't do anything too special to stand out among their teammates and in front of personnel from all 32 NFL teams. Smith and Wilson each have injury history that works against them also.
Jalin Marshall and Tyvis Powell each did not get drafted last year but made NFL rosters. Powell spent part of the season in Seattle on special teams, and is now with the Cleveland Browns, while Marshall caught on with the New York Jets.
The difference between those two and Wilson and Smith is they were at the Combine. Wilson and Smith face an uphill battle and likely will need to show their worth as special teams contributors if even given a chance. But the odds they get phone call are not high.
Who Trades Up For a Quarterback?
Two names stand out the most from recent weeks with regards to quarterbacks generating the most talk: Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes and California's Davis Webb. Many believe North Carolina's Mitchell Trubisky is the highest-rated quarterback prospect in this year's draft class, one that includes Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer.
Last year, Philadelphia bet the house and farm on North Dakota State's Carson Wentz and drafted him second overall, one pick after the Los Angeles Rams traded up a bunch to take California's Jared Goff. It seems like every year at least one team moves up to take a player that sends a shockwave through the rest of the draft.
When teams really like a certain prospect, they more often than not are willing to shop other picks they have to move up in an effort to ensure he gets on their roster. The general consensus is the quarterbacks in this draft aren't worthy of a No. 1 pick but there is plenty of intrigue around Trubisky and the Browns.
If someone wanted Trubisky, Watson, Mahomes or someone else at No. 1 and are willing to trade a bunch of picks to Cleveland to get him, do the Browns bite? They did last year when Philadelphia shopped five picks for Wentz at No. 2.
Which Prospect Is Last In The Green Room?
With the exception of Conley, below is a list of players who are scheduled to be in the green room on Thursday night via Richard Deitsch:
First round talent is everywhere on that list but as you can see, Hooker is not. He chose to stay home and spend draft night with his family instead of going to Philadelphia.
Someone has to be the last person in the green room every year. Sometimes that means you just wait longer to get taken on Thursday night. Others, you have to come back Friday for the second and third rounds. With television cameras everywhere, who is left looking like this as the clock nears midnight will carry great interest.
