All business: Ohio State's top prospects prepare for the NFL Draft
— -- This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's April 25 NFL Draft Issue. Subscribe today!
It's only 9:30 a.m., but the staccato flow from rapper Easy Lantana's "All Hustle, No Luck" fills the Woody Hayes Athletic Center at Ohio State as hundreds of people mill around on this early-March day. Among them? Coaches Mike Zimmer of the Vikings, Mike Tomlin of the Steelers, Sean Payton of the Saints and what seems to be the entire staff of the Bengals. They are here at Ohio State's pro day to see whether the Buckeyes' 22 NFL hopefuls-nearly a quarter of their roster-match the hype. With as many as six projected first-rounders running through a combination of strength and agility drills, this is more than these Buckeyes' last chance to shine in Columbus. One look at defensive lineman Joel Hale, above, as he pitches in to provide snaps to quarterback prospect Cardale Jones, and you can see these players know what's at stake. Once the music stops, this is their chance to show they are ready to play on.
The Full Bosa
A potential top-five pick, defensive end Joey Bosa attempts to trim the 4.86 40 he clocked at the NFL combine. For some reason, Bosa ditches his scarlet Ohio State compression shirt between runs. It might have worked: He drops his time to 4.77 seconds.
Taking stock
Being the draft's top running back amounts to nothing without putting in the work, Ezekiel Elliott says. "In this process, you've got a lot of appearances to make, a lot of deals to deal with, but it's definitely always football first. You can't lose sight of that."
Sizing up
Often scouts come to a pro day with an eye on one or two star players, but they won't overlook a chance to find a hidden gem. Kato Mitchell spent his whole career as a walk-on wide receiver, but today he is under the same scrutiny as the rest of the Buckeyes.
Making the leap
WR Jeff Greene hopes to catch the eye of scouts looking for free agent prospects after just two career catches at Ohio State following his transfer from Georgia Tech. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, he has the measurables, but his 28 1/2-inch vertical jump likely makes him a reach.
Staying limber
With so much at stake, players know that pro days like this require sticking to strict routine: Stretch, perform, wait, repeat. Here, offensive tackle Taylor Decker, a potential first round pick, prepares in the end zone with hopes of hitting pay dirt.
Knowing the drill
For three hours, Ohio State prospects push themselves through an intense series of tests like the vertical jump, broad jump, 40-yard dash and bench press. Cornerback Eli Apple pivots through an agility drill and nails down his spot as a first-round pick.
Concentrate
It's not easy taking a test in front of a live crowd. A former Big Ten offensive player of the year as a quarterback, Braxton Miller hopes the transition he made to wide receiver last year carries over to the NFL. Needing to cut the 4.5 40 he ran at the combine, Miller torches the drill in 4.41 seconds.