At Ohio State's Pro Day this past Thursday, AJ Hawk reportedly ran a 4.38 forty. That would probably place him among the fastest linebackers in the NFL next year. It also officially put a halt to any and all talks of him slipping to the Browns selectiob at #12. Hawk was not the only one to impress as Youboty, Holmes, and Carpenter all improved their draft stock. Something to keep in mind, times at the Woody are hand timed and that surface is known to be exceptionally fast. That track is so fast that NFL coaches in the past have actually measured it with tape measures. I am not saying that these guys are not fast, I am saying that those times may be a bit deceiving. Anyone else find it abit strange that just about everyone ran about .2 faster there than they did at the combine?
Now there are some good questions here. Why did the Browns clear the entire office to go down there? Not one of the Buckeyes who worked out makes logical sense at 12. Hawk is in the 5-10 range. Holmes is in the 15-25 range. Whitner, Youboty, Mangold, and Carpenter in the late 1st round and schleigel on day 2. I wonder if the Browns are planning on moving up for Hawk or down for one of the others.
As for the workout, from what I hear, Bobby Carpenter REALLY impressed the coaches. So much so that he has locked up a first round spot. While he was only at 90%, most coaches were exceptionally impressed with his size and his speed (4.6). He is going to make someone very happy in a 3-4.
The Steelers were rumored to be sold on Nick Mangold with the 30th pick although, they have never been known to be able to pass on a good defensive player. I have a feeling that should Carpenter still be around at 30, they will drop Mangold like a bad habit. This theory is bolstered by Dick Le Beau's attendance at the workout.
Santonio Holmes has probably done all he can to try to maintain his slot as the first receiver taken, although it may not be enough. Chad Jackson ran similar times, but is a bigger target. I am not sure that Jackson is as polished as Holmes and some of Holmes most impressive attributes are the things he does without the ball. He runs terrific, crisp routes and is a solid run blocker. Things that I am not sure you will get with Jackson.
Mar 10, 2006 7:00 PM