Ryan Day explains how Ohio State scripted Pro Day

With the NFL Combine in the books, prospects can use Pro Days to increase their NFL Draft stock. Ohio State held its Pro Day Wednesday, and Ryan Day spoke about how he planned things out to help Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson succeed.

Day has experience looking for NFL talent after spending two seasons in the league as a quarterbacks coach. He also knows how intense Pro Days can be for prospects, so he found ways to lighten things a bit to make things easier.

“We just got together and thought long and hard about how we wanted to do it,” Day told NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales. “The first thing we wanted to do was have some fun. Sometimes, when you get in these environments … the guys get nervous, it gets quiet in here. So we turned the music up. Went through a routine that they wanted to do. Things that they felt comfortable with. I just told them to have some fun. It was great to have these guys out here. I thought it was a really good day.”

Music wasn’t the only technique Day used to make sure Olave and Wilson were comfortable. He also had CJ Stroud throw passes to them, which was by design considering the two combined for 1,994 yards and 25 touchdowns from Stroud.

But there was another reason Stroud threw the passes. All 32 teams were in attendance for the event, which means the NFL representatives also saw Stroud in action. That could work in his favor as he prepares to enter the draft down the road.

“It was great to get him out here,” Day said. “I thought what an opportunity for him to get out here and kind of have a dry run on this thing. I think he was able to have some fun, as well.”

Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave: By the numbers

Wilson and Olave were two of Stroud’s top targets for Ohio State in 2021. In fact, Stroud threw to them during the Pro Day, which gave scouts a chance to see what he can do before he tests the draft waters one day.

Wilson totaled 70 receptions for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns on the year, while Olave was close behind with 65 catches for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. During the NFL Combine, Olave ended up as the faster of the two with a 4.26 40-yard dash, but Wilson wasn’t far off. He ran it in 4.37 seconds.