The NFL’s pre-draft process has been a whirlwind for Ohio State cornerback and Massillon graduate Gareon Conley.
Flight after flight. Meeting after meeting. Long day after long day.
“It’s kind of crazy,” Conley said Friday in a phone interview with the Beacon Journal. “I’m embracing it, though.”
He made an official pre-draft visit to Browns headquarters last week. He visited the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans this week, and he has visits scheduled for next week with the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets.
“It was good [to visit the Browns],” said Conley, who was born in Massillon and also lived in Akron and Canton as a youngster. “Coach [Hue] Jackson, he was real cool. All the coaches were real cool.”
Conley’s meeting with the Browns won’t be his only pit stop in Northeast Ohio.
He’ll take photographs with fans and sign autographs from 1-3 p.m. Saturday at the Giant Eagle in Massillon.
The store’s address is 2032 Lincoln Way E.
“Conley Island” T-shirts and hats will be on sale at Giant Eagle and online at www.conleyisland.com.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of “Conley Island” merchandise will go to Canton’s Refuge of Hope Ministries, which provides food for the hungry and emergency shelter for homeless men in need.
“I just want to help people out,” Conley said. “I want to see everybody happy.”
NFLDraftScout.com projects Conley to become a first- or second-round pick later this month.
Conley, 6 feet and 195 pounds, made a strong case for himself to be taken in the opening round last month during the NFL Scouting Combine and Ohio State’s pro day.
At the combine, Conley posted an official time of 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash, ranking ninth among corners.
He also placed sixth in the vertical jump (37 inches) and fourth in the broad jump (129 inches). He bench-pressed 225 pounds 11 times. He impressed in on-field drills during the combine and his pro day.
“I tried to just let all my field work do the talking, not talk about it, not be over cocky, but just go out there and trust my technique, trust myself, have confidence and do what I do,” said Conley, a two-year starter at Ohio State who had two interceptions in 2015 and four in 2016.
“[Becoming a professional athlete has] always been my goal and my dream. Coming from Massillon, a big football program, and going to Ohio State, which is another big football program, it’s just an honor to be in this position.”
Important meeting
The Browns hosted Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes on a pre-draft visit, a league source confirmed.
Mahomes arrived in Cleveland on Thursday and left town on Friday afternoon after spending time with the organization.
So the Browns have now completed private workouts and visits with each of the four top-rated quarterbacks in this year’s draft — Mahomes, North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer.
Because Trubisky is from Mentor, he was able to participate in the Browns’ local prospect day last week, working out for the team and visiting its headquarters in one fell swoop.
As for Mahomes, he’s projected to become a first- or second-round selection.
The Browns have two first-round picks (Nos. 1 and 12 overall) and are expected to select Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett with the top choice.
A quarterback, though, could be their target a bit later, whether it’s at No. 12 overall, at another spot in the first round via a trade or at the beginning of the second round (No. 33 overall).
Offseason schedule
The Browns published the key dates of their offseason workout program on their website.
The program begins April 17.
Players report for rookie minicamp May 11, and it runs from May 12-14.
A total of 10 organized team activities will be held May 23-25, May 30-June 1 and June 5-8.
Players report for mandatory minicamp June 12, and it runs from June 13-15.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.