Ohio State WR Devin Smith 2015 NFL Draft Combine recap

Former Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith is a favorite among Buckeye fans, and is also one of the most talked about NFL prospects going into the Combine this year. Despite having 11 less catches in 2014 than 2013, he increased his total yardage by 231 and had four more touchdowns than the previous season. His average reception went from 24.2 yards to 28.2.

His catching ability became somewhat of a good omen for the Buckeyes mid-season when it was noted that Ohio State had won every game in which Smith caught a touchdown pass in 2014. Fans would wait all game for that moment the quarterback stepped back and bombed the ball down field toward the spot Smith frequented.

Measurements

Height: 6'0

Weight: 196 lbs

Arms: 31"

Hands: 9"

Media Interviews

With the influx of young receivers in 2014, Smith's production was reduced significantly during the first-half of his senior campaign. As frustrations started to mount, he got into a good rhythm with redshirt freshman QB J.T. Barrett and then with Cardale Jones when Barrett went down.

It was a story line that followed the Buckeyes all season, but Smith was able to make both new starters look like veterans with his long ball catching ability. He was sure to let NFL scouts know he had more than the one trick up his sleeve.

"It's very important, especially when everybody says all I can do is run go routes," Smith said. "It's very important for me to show these coaches that I can run every single route."

Reporters also took a chance to get an insider's perspective on the quarterback competition facing his Alma matter. While reminding the media that anything can happen during camp and the off-season, he did through his opinion into the mix, "If I had to guess, I would say Cardale just because he has the momentum right now."

Workouts

Bench press: 10 reps with 225-pounds; it should be no surprise to NFL scouts that Devin Smith's power is in his legs and not his arms, but there were three different receivers who were still able to get 23 reps during their workout.

40-yard dash: 1st attempt (unofficially): 4.47; 2nd attempt (unofficially): 4.42. It wasn't the 4.3 he was hoping for before the workout, but still a solid showing. His official 4.42 time was good enough finish in a four-way tie for 7th best among all receivers. He tied with some of the nations best; Amari Cooper, Kenny Bell, and Nelson Agholor.

Position drills: A fast wide receiver who can't catch isn't exactly something NFL teams are looking for; luckily for Smith during the catching drills, he was able to secure most of the footballs and showed natural catching ability.

Vertical jump: 39.0" -- This height was good enough for Smith to once again land among the Top Performers finishing 7th at his position.

Broad jump: 122.0"

20-yard shuttle run: 4.15 seconds

You can get a better idea for how Smith did by watching his video here: Ohio State University Devin Smith runs the 40-yard dash

Projection

His late season explosion included three long pass touchdowns against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game, followed by another long touchdown in the first round of the College Football Playoffs against Alabama. These performances upgraded his projected draft position to the first round. Not only is he being compared to DeSean Jackson, but his ranking has him as a potential starter for his future team.