INDIANAPOLIS — It’s safe to say all of the Ohio State defensive prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine have met with the New England Patriots in the past five days.
That’s because one of their former teammates is now a scout with the Patriots and in Indianapolis for the combine. Camren Williams, who played for Ohio State from 2012 to 2015, joined the Patriots as a scouting assistant in February 2016. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick also is close with Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano.
And it’s a good year to have familiarity with Ohio State defenders. Here’s who was invited to the combine from the Buckeyes:
DE Sam Hubbard, Round 1
CB Denzel Ward, Round 1
LB Jerome Baker, Round 2-3
DE Jalyn Holmes, Round 3
DE Tyquan Lewis, Round 5-6
SS Damon Webb, Round 6-7
LB Chris Worley, Round 7
“He’s a professional,” Hubbard said of Williams. “I always knew when I was playing with him that he would have success, and now he’s with the Patriots. It’s great to have that connection. I’ve talked to him every day since I’ve been here. He’s doing great.”
Hubbard, who’s 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, has a formal interview scheduled with the Patriots, who need help at pass rusher, on Saturday night. Hubbard, who almost went to Notre Dame on a lacrosse scholarship, which Patriots head coach Bill Belichick might enjoy, had seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in 2017.
Holmes, who’s a bigger defensive lineman at 6-foot-5, 283 pounds, had two sacks and three tackles for loss in 2017.
“I was talking to (Williams) this morning,” Holmes said. “Cam was one of the older guys when I got in as a freshman. He made the transition a lot easier for me. He was an older guy who you could talk to. He could actually be understanding. He wasn’t so hard on the young guys. He was a great help while I was there, and he still is. He still gives me, Sam and Tyquan tips about what to expect from these NFL teams, so he’s always been a good leader for us.”
Baker, who’s just 6-foot-1, 229 pounds, is looking to set a combine linebacker record for the fastest 40-yard dash. The current mark stands at 4.41 seconds.
“That’s one of the smartest players I ever met,” Baker said. “I remember there was times Coach (Luke Fickell), he would ask him questions. That’s how smart he is. He’s a very, very, very bright young man. We had a great relationship. He definitely taught me a lot.”
Fickell was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Ohio State in 2015. He’s now the head coach of the University of Cincinnati.
Baker has seen Williams around Indianapolis, and he’s had informal meetings with the Patriots.
Worthy had an informal meeting with Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores and has seen Williams around Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center.
“We had a really close relationship,” Worthy said. “That whole linebacker group for the years he was there, we were really close. It was good just to talk to him and get some insights about the process and the ways to go more smoothly for me.”
