COLUMBUS, Ohio – The NFL Draft will be the culmination of lifelong dreams for several hundred players who will go from the ranks of the college elite to NFL rookies, with some signing big deals immediately and others hoping to secure spots as later round draft picks.
The NFL Draft has been good to the Ohio State program over the past several years. This year the Buckeyes should have three players in line to go in the first round of the draft. This is on the heels of Ohio State sending five players in the first round in the previous year's draft.
No position has been in more demand than the secondary when it comes to Ohio State. Vonn Bell and Eli Apple were draft early last season while Tyvis Powell still made a roster. This year it will be Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley all taking the stage with Roger Goodell in the first round.
Why has Ohio State had so much success in recent years? Of course, good athletes leads the charge but don't forget about Kerry Coombs. The cornerback position has been as strong at Ohio State as it has been at any other school over recent years and it is because of a personal touch by Coombs when it comes to not only coaching players but coaching young men as well.
"Picture that was your son," Coombs said. "Whatever it was that your son was trying to do for his life, and he trained to do that one thing -- whatever it was, it doesn’t have to be an NFL football player – and he was training to do that one thing and he accomplished that goal and you got to stand there with him when it happened. If you can imagine what that would feel like for you, that’s what it feels like for me."
Coombs will be like a proud father on the night of the first round of the draft.
"I love those two kids, and to watch what they’ve developed into and the men that they’ve become and to be able to stand with them at probably their finest moment other than a moment on a football field, it’s going to be really special," Coombs added.
Malik Hooker could be the first of the DBs to go at the safety position. Hooker only saw the field at safety for one season and then missed all of the post-season work of the NFL Scouting Combine and Pro Day. With a talented safety field on the national board, why is Hooker still being mentioned as being the No. 1 safety or No. 2 safety to come off the board?
"Well, he has such a rare skillset," safeties coach Greg Schiano said. "And when I say that his range in the deep safety is, as I've told you guys before, I've only had one other player that has that type of range and it was Edward Reed. So that's pretty rare company."
Schiano knows about what it takes to get to the next level, he coached there. So those compliments come with high praise from a coach who has seen it all at every level.
"The other thing is he has tremendous upside," Schiano said. "I know he's coming off an injury, but I think it's a manageable situation, I know it is, but he's only started 13 games. And here's a guy that hasn't even played football that long in the grand scheme of things so what do you have? You have a guy who's body is relatively fresh and a guy I think did some incredible things, but has a lot more to get better at. So yeah, it's an exciting pick for an NFL team for sure."
