DaytonDailyNews.com

The whirlwind days leading up to the NFL draft remind Quinn Pitcock of the time when he was a hotshot high school prospect at Piqua, but with a new twist.

Although stressful at times, the recruiting process at least allowed him to determine his fate. But his future now is somebody else's hands.

"You can't choose; they choose you," he said. "That's the biggest thing, not knowing where I'll be in a couple months."

The Ohio State defensive tackle could be selected on the first day of the draft Saturday, perhaps as high as the second round. But he doesn't plan to watch the drama unfold on ESPN.

"I've decided go play some golf and go fishing — to get away from it and wait for a call," he said. "It's such a long process, there's no way you can sit there and watch it. I'll try to keep my mind on something else."

The Lombardi Award finalist had three seasons of solid production as a starter, including eight sacks last year, and tested well at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.

At 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, he showed uncommon athleticism by running the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds and had a vertical leap of 34 inches.

"He's essentially a run-stuffer, but he proved he had some pass-rushing abilities," draft analyst Jerry Jones said. "He's a good, instinctive kid."

Jones sees Pitcock going late in the third round and having a lengthy career.

"The lunch-pail guys, the blue-collar guys, play in the league a long time," he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.