By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) —
Columbus- Running back Chris “Beanie” Wells returned from the NFL Combine three weeks ago with a plan, one that centered on getting a kick start from Ohio State strength coach Eric Lichter and working on 40 times until 10 p.m. some nights.

A 4.59 40-yard dash in Indianapolis turned into something between a 4.34 and 4.40 at Ohio State’s Pro Day on Friday.

“If you were worried about his speed,” said one NFL scout, “he ran well.”
With those times, Wells was the star among the 20 Buckeyes who worked out for representatives from 29 of 32 NFL teams (all but Oakland, Denver and Kansas City). Potential first-rounders Wells, defensive back Malcolm Jenkins and linebacker James Laurinaitis all had 40 times on which they wanted to improve, and though the Woody Hayes Athletic Center is known for producing fast times, they did all improve.

Laurinaitis went from a Buy Xenical Online 4.80 to between a 4.68 and 4.72. Jenkins went from 4.55 to between a 4.46 and a 4.53.

“I think there were some guys who were very disappointed with what they did at the combine, and they had a chip on their shoulder,” said OSU linebacker Marcus Freeman, who put up impressive times at the combine and again Friday.

“Today was a day they could show people, ‘I’m better than that.’ ”

No one did it like Wells. He’d been slipping in some mock drafts to very late in the first round, behind Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno (4.62 at the combine) and sometimes Connecticut’s Donald Brown (4.51 at the combine).

Friday, the 6-1, 235-pound Wells gave teams reason to think again.

“I wasn’t relaxed at all [in Indianapolis],” Wells said. “I was fighting it the whole time. Today I was relaxed. I slept in my own bed and ran in my own back yard, so you can’t ask for anything more.”
Jenkins’ position:

At the combine, Jenkins was pitching himself as a cornerback. Though he joked Friday that the media was making it seem like his career was over if he switched to safety in the NFL, he was more open to that idea than he had been previously.

“It’s a win-win situation for me. Wherever I go, I’m going to have an impact,” Jenkins said. “Safety is not a bad position. You can make plays from that position and have an impact on the game.”
At least one scout still firmly believes Jenkins is a corner and that he ran well enough Friday to back that up. Jenkins said coaches joked with him that they wanted him to run slow so he’d fall far enough in the draft for their team to get him.

Quick hits:

Defensive tackle Nader Abdallah, who wasn’t invited to the combine, put up numbers in several drills that would have ranked among the top five tackles in Indianapolis. Having dropped 20 pounds, down to 290, he’s looking like a sure draft pick. . . . Quarterback Todd Boeckman felt he threw the ball well and scouts agreed, though he’s still on the bubble of being a late-round pick or a free agent. . . . Receiver Brian Robiskie ran similar times to what he did in Indy, answering speed questions with a 40 time between 4.46 and 4.48. “I hoped I showed people I can run a little bit,” Robiskie said. He’s looking like a second-round pick at worst. . . . Among the 20 Buckeyes, tight end Rory Nicol didn’t work out because of a hamstring pull, and tackle Alex Boone only did the position drills, not the lifting and running he’d done at the combine. . . . Kicker Ryan Pretorius took part Friday, as did punter A.J. Trapasso, who also kicked off and kicked field goals for scouts. . . . Linebacker / defensive end Curtis Terry, coming back from season-ending fractures in both legs, was healthy enough to do everything but run the 40.

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