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NFL Draft 2016 prospect: Joey Bosa

The former Buckeye is a lock for the first round, but just how high will he go?

By Colton Denning and Alexis Chassen
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

As a likely top 10 pick in this year's NFL Draft, Joey Bosa has been a hot topic of discussion this week at the NFL Scouting Combine. From having to answer about his suspension for the season opening game against Virginia Tech to questions about his supposed relaxed demeanor, media and teams alike were interested to get a closer look at the former Ohio State standout. In three years at Ohio State, he amassed 118 tackles, 50.5 tackles for loss, and 26 sacks.

Measurements

Height: 6'5

Weight: 269 lbs

Arms: 33 3/8"

Hands: 10 1/4"

Interviews

Bosa was one of the more relaxed interviews of the combine. From the jump, he stood at the podium while media members scrambled to get a seat, and after a minute started with, "Sup?"

The first question to follow was about the targeting call that got him suspended from the Fiesta Bowl. While he admits being disappointed by how his season and career at Ohio State ended, he was still happy to see him team pull out a win with several guys out.

"Of course, I wanted to finish it a different way, being out there with my team. But seeing them able to come back after losing me and a bunch of other guys on the D-line and pulling out that win (v. Notre Dame in Fiesta Bowl), it was pretty exciting for me."

He also noted that the targeting rule is a pretty inconsistent penalty, but "I'm not in college anymore, so I don't have to worry about it."

His time at Ohio State was invaluable in preparing him for the a life in the pros. The team may not have lost many games with Bosa on the field, but the Buckeyes are a magnet for haters; Bosa touched on how that motivated the team, even extended a hearty thanks to those that contributed.

"As a team, all those losses, all the haters, all the doubt, I think, really brought us together as a team, helped us mature our relationships as well as football players. So, thanks for hating on us. It really helped us in the long run."

Not that Bosa was trying to sound cocky when asked whether he thinks he's the best player in the draft, but he did make some headlines having said, "Yeah, I do. I do believe I'm the best player in the draft. There's, of course, a lot of amazing players in the draft and it's going to be up to Tennessee to make that decision. But I think as a player if you don't believe that then there's kind of something wrong."

Workouts

Bench press: 24 reps

40-yard dash: 4.86

Position drills: Bosa decided to participate in both the defensive lineman and linebacker drills. Some teams may look for him to fill a linebacker role at the next level.

Vertical jump: 32''

Broad jump: 120.00''

3 cone drill: 4.69 sec -- 2nd place among defensive lineman

20-yard shuttle run: 4.21 -- tied for first in the DL group (with Shaq Lawson, Clemson)

Here's Bosa's first 40-yard dash:

And another angle:

Bosa doing the combine's field drills:

Projection

Unless teams find something that scares them off, Bosa is a near-certainty to be taken in the first 10 picks of the draft. You can bet they'll want to know more about his early season suspension, and right or wrong, he'll have to defend the demeanor in which he carries himself. Regardless, Bosa has been mentioned as a top pick for over a year, and did nothing this week to change that.

While not an athlete in the mold of J.J. Watt -- or former teammate and fellow combine attendee, Noah Spence -- Bosa shows great technique, and flashed the traits to disrupt an offense in the both the run and pass game, despite often facing two (or more) blockers this past season. Despite the plethora of talent populating the defensive line class, Bosa should find himself as one of the first names off the board come April 28.

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