DaytonDailyNews.com

Ohio State outside linebacker and Wayne graduate Marcus Freeman has performed as of late as if he is trying to persuade the Detroit Lions to select him with the first overall pick in April's draft.

Although being selected with the No. 1 pick seems highly unlikely for the former Buckeye, Freeman is proving that he belongs among the elite linebackers entering the draft. He has performed brilliantly in each of his last three showings, starting with the Senior Bowl, NFL draft combine and Pro Day.

Friday March 13, was no bad omen for Freeman as he blew NFL teams away with his performance at the school's pro day. He ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash; posted a 4.06 short-shuttle and ran a 6.60 in the 3-cone drill. Freeman had the fastest time among linebackers at the combine in the short-shuttle with a 4.12 and beat that time at the school workout. If that wasn't enough, his performance during position drills was near-perfect.

"People talked about how well I did at the combine, but for me I knew those weren't my best times," Freeman said Sunday. "I wanted to go into the pro day and make sure that I did my best. I was very pleased with my performance after the workout was over."

The linebacker left a lasting impression on the coaches in attendance, improving on all his numbers from the combine.

Freeman said the combine can be a bit overwhelming; he was more relaxed going through the drills at Ohio State and it showed.

How does he stack up?

"In my heart I feel that I can compete with anyone," Freeman said. "After April 26, it doesn't matter where you are drafted. Everybody makes this big hoorah about where you're going to go in the draft, but after April 26 you're all in the NFL. It's about what you do after that. And for me, I think I can play with the best of them. I think you have to have that mindset."

Freeman said he respects the game of the linebackers projected ahead of him, but is confident that he can play at their level.

Freeman appears to be stacking up quite well with the pool of talent. A number of teams have expressed interest. The St. Louis Rams worked him out last Monday and he will have a private workout with the Miami Dolphins next week. Freeman is also scheduled to travel to Dallas to meet with the Cowboys early next month.

I believe teammate James Laurinaitis summed it up best in terms of Freeman's ability when he said "Marcus is athletically gifted and is the total package."

According to one NFL scout, Freeman has solidified himself as one of the premier outside 'backers in this draft and a Day 1 prospect.

Jungle Love

"Being from Huber Heights, the Bengals are the team I rooted for as a kid," Freeman said. "I think we all say to play in the NFL is a blessing, but to play for the Bengals and be close to home would be an exciting experience.

"Even being coached by the team at the Senior Bowl was eye-opening. To have Marvin Lewis as your head coach and having him give you your gear was truly an experience. Things are starting to come full circle. That dream you had as a kid is almost a reality. I would love to play in Cincinnati and I have one out of 32 chances to do that. If it happens, it happens. If not, then I look forward to the game where I can come to Cincinnati and play."

That could be twice a season. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who was at Ohio State's pro day, was impressed with Freeman as was Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.

Carlos "Big C" Holmes covers the NFL for Dayton Daily News.

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