How Michigan offensive linemen Ryan Hayes, Olusegun Oluwatimi performed at the NFL Combine
Michigan Wolverines football had nine players at the 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Combine — tied for the third-most of any school — and its duo of offensive linemen rounded out the event Sunday. Tackle Ryan Hayes and center Olusegun Oluwatimi went through testing and on-field drills on the final day of the event.
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Here were measurements for both players:
| Prospect | Height | Weight | Arm Length | Hand Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Hayes | 6-6 | 298 pounds | 32 1/2″ | 10″ |
| Olusegun Oluwatimi | 6-2 1/2 | 309 pounds | 32 3/4″ | 8 5/8″ |
Hayes was listed at 6-7, 305 during his final season at Michigan. Meanwhile, Oluwatimi was listed at 6-3, 307. Hayes is down a bit of weight and Oluwatimi is up two pounds.
The most impressive feat between the two linemen was Hayes’ 3-cone drill. He ran it in 7.39 seconds, which ranked third among offensive lineman.
Hayes ran a 5.18-second 40-yard dash (18 of 36 offensive linemen), with a 1.78-second 10-yard split (11th of 36). The 10-yard split is considered almost more important for the position, and he was only four tenths of a second short of what NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah calls an “elite” 1.74 time.
A former tight end in high school, Hayes’ speed and quickness might be his best traits. Jeremiah raised some concerns with his strength, though.
“Ryan Hayes — he’s another one where I kind of thought power was the issue there,” Jeremiah said on the broadcast. “[Lukas] Van Ness], who we saw put on a show here from Iowa, got through him a little bit. But overall, that Michigan offensive line, I think, as a group just played so well together.”
Hayes had a 30.00″ vertical jump (16th of 40 offensive linemen) and 8’7″ broad jump (30th of 39).
Oluwatimi’s day was highlighted by his 9’2″ broad jump, which slotted ninth among offensive linemen. His 29.00″ vertical was tied for 20th out of 40 players at his position.
Oluwatimi checked in 32nd of 36 offensive linemen with a 5.38-second 40-yard dash. His 1.86-second 10-yard split ranked in that same position. He did not participate in the 3-cone drill or 20-yard shuttle.
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The Michigan lineman was named the nation’s top center and best interior lineman regardless of side of the ball for the 2022 season. But he’s not necessarily considered a top NFL Draft prospect. Appearing on the NFL Network broadcast, former Michigan left tackle Taylor Lewan, a current NFL free agent, asked Jeremiah how that could be.
“Part of that is just, we have a pretty good interior group,” Jeremiah explained of the draft class. “We have four, five plug and play guys as centers this year. So just the sheer numbers of it, when you look at historically, only a handful usually get drafted. So I think that’s what’s pushing these guys out a little bit.”
Jeremiah did laud Oluwatimi’s level of experience.
“When guys have played a ton of ball, especially in the Big Ten — 49 starts for Oluwatimi — it just makes the evaluation so much easier, man,” Jeremiah said.
“And it depends on the program you go to, too,” Lewan chimed in. “Sometimes, you see these guys that go to bigger-time SEC schools — I won’t point any individual ones out — they have a lot of tread worn off the tires.
“I have been to Ann Arbor with the strength coach they have there. His focus on keeping guys’ hips and knees and ankles … keeping those guys all running like a well-oiled machine is such a high focus for him. He’s gotta be one of the best strength coaches in all of college football.”
