Former Ohio State football players Reid Fragel, Jake Stoneburner take on NFL Combine gauntlet

Pat Brennan
Sat, 23 Feb 2013 19:00:00 +0000
Sports

INDIANAPOLIS – The NFL Scouting Combine, a pinnacle of anatomical scrutiny in the world of sports, has already seen two former Ohio State football players endure its challenges. Five additional Buckeyes will face the gauntlet that is the Combine in the days to come.

Former OSU right tackle Reid Fragel and former tight end Jake Stoneburner had their respective chances to impress NFL coaches and scouts, as they were put through a series of timed or measured drills along with the rest of the Combine’s offensive lineman, tight ends and specialists Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Tests included the 40-yard dash, bench press (225 pounds), vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle run.

Fragel posted a 5.14-second run in the 40-yard dash, a 7.62 run in the three-cone drill and a 4.68 shuttle run, according to NFL.com. Fragel’s 33 repetitions on the bench press was sixth best in his position group. Fragel, the tight end-turned-offensive lineman with a year of experience at right tackle, posted the fourth-best broad jump in his position group at 9-foot-5, as well as a 30-inch vertical jump, according to NFL.com.

Stoneburner, who was a tight end invitee to the Combine despite switching to wide receiver for his senior campaign at OSU, showed his speed in the 40-yard dash when he clocked in with a time of 4.65 seconds, according to NFL.com.

Stoneburner’s 4.27-second 20-yard shuttle run time was the best time posted in his position group, as was his 11.5-second 60-yard shuttle run.

The Dublin, Ohio, native also impressed with a 9-foot-8 broad jump – the fifth best mark in his position group. The tight end, who caught 13 touchdowns and 53 passes in his OSU career, had a 34.5-inch vertical jump (fourth best among tight ends), a 116-inch broad jump and a 7.12-second three-cone drill, according to NFL.com.

Neither player was made available to the media following their workout.

Next up for the troupe of former Buckeyes is Zach Boren, a fullback-turned-linebacker invited to the Combine as a fullback (Boren had 12 rushing attempts for 40 yards and two touchdowns during OSU’s 2012 season).

The remaining four Buckeyes at the Combine, including former defensive lineman and team captain John Simon, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, linebacker Etienne Sabino and defensive end Nathan Williams, are scheduled to take the field for their tests on Monday. Combine activities conclude on Tuesday when defensive backs hit the turf.

Sunday’s Combine activities begin at 9 a.m.