Today is the day for the skill players at the NFL Combine, quarterbacks, running backs and receivers.

My hot topic for the day is Beanie Wells, and how teams view him. His injury history seems to be holding him back from top-of-the-first-round status.

What's interesting is that there's clearly a difference between how NFL teams perceive a player's injury history. Witness Adrian Peterson, who was drafted No. 7 overall in 2007 despite missing big chunks of two seasons to injury.

Here's what Mike Mayock, NFL Network draft analyst, said about Peterson vs. Wells:

"It's running style," Mayock said. "When you put the tape on of Adrian Peterson, you saw a warrior, and he got hurt because he was a warrior. When you put the tape on of Beanie Wells, you know, he sometimes runs out of bounds (and) occasionally will avoid contact. So teams aren’t in love with his running style as they were Adrian Peterson. So they were both durability issues, but for different reasons."

In my opinion, I disagree with Mayock's assessment of Beanie avoiding contact. But I do think there are some legitimate questions about his nagging injuries and penchant to take himself out of games. Now, he played all of 2007 with a broken bone in his wrist -- so I'll never call him soft -- but clearly, there are some NFL teams who feel he has something to prove.

Most likely, unless Wells does something phenomenal here during drills, or unless something alarming pops up on the MRIs, Beanie will be the second RB taken, behind Georgia's Knowshon Moreno.

More on Beanie in tomorrow's paper, or sooner, if he says something outstanding later when he shows up for interviews.

The question was whether Ohio State offensive tackle Alex Boone felt he had more to prove physically or "as a person" here at the NFL Combine, and Boone didn't hesitate:

"I think it's more convincing teams I'm all right off the field," he said.

Indeed, Boone has a daunting task here: Look hundreds of professional football lifers in the eye and make the case that yes, he has had two alcohol-related arrests in the past three years, but no, it won't happen again and I'm worth spending money on.

What's troubling about Boone's case is that when he was charged with DUI back in 2006, he made a big deal of saying he was done with drinking, that he had had a problem, but he had kicked it.

Now, facing a charge of public intoxication stemming from a Feb. 1 arrest in California, it's a tougher sell to say, "I made a mistake; it won't happen again."

And NFL coaches won't let such a simple explanation slide. So Boone is telling them that after his DUI, he was sober for a year, but then felt that maybe he could handle social drinking again. Now, he says he is working with a counselor, and dealing with the fact that maybe, for him, he can't handle drinking in any amount.

Boone has always been a good talker. He says all the right things, but his actions haven't always matched his words.

I sensed here at the combine that he realizes that play time is over. It's not college anymore, he needs to wake up and get serious. He has all the necessary athletic ability to be a fine pro player, now he needs his head to grow into his body.

Boone is the only OSU player appearing for interviews today. Tomorrow, we'll try to catch up with Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline and Beanie Wells.

Other notes from a busy morning at Indy:

-- Miami head coach Tony Sparano (I so want to type "Soprano") defended former OSU receiver Ted Ginn. Sparano said Ginn works hard, is very coachable and made some big plays for the Dolphins last year.

Sparano was not the coach who drafted Ginn with the No. 9 overall pick in 2007, and I believe his draft position is what's hanging around Ginn's neck now. Had Ginn been a second-round pick, his young career would be viewed in a much more positive light.

-- Atlanta head coach Mike Smith praised former Buckeye TE Ben Hartsock, who the Falcons signed last spring. Hartsock had only 3 catches, but Smith said he was a major part of Atlanta's strong run game last season.

I'm driving over to Indianapolis tonight, where Dispatch colleague Scott Priestle and I will be covering the NFL combine for the next 4 days. He'll focus on the Browns, Bengals and general NFL stories, while I will bird-dog the OSU draft hopefuls.

I love Indy, it's one of my favorite downtowns -- full of nightlife and good restaurants. You can walk into a certain downtown Steak N Shake at midnight and stand a good chance of spotting some NFL coaches, too.

Anyway, there is no shortage of interesting storylines at the combine for the OSU guys.

It starts with Alex Boone, who will be available for interviews tomorrow. I can't imagine the agony he will undergo, getting grilled by dozens of NFL coaches, over and over, about all his off-the-field problems. Boone has done nothing but hurt himself in the past year -- first with a so-so season, which saw his draft stock drop from maybe 2nd-3rd round to now possibly not being drafted at all.

But he's not the only OSU player whose stock is slipping. There are some questions surrounding two almost-certain first-round picks -- CB Malcolm Jenkins and LB James Laurinaitis. Some analysts say Jenkins needs to run a good 40-yard dash on Tuesday, or he could be projected as a safety and slip from his current top-10 slot.

Safeties are not prized as highly as "shutdown" corners.

Laurinaitis, meanwhile, is the latest star college player to learn what it means to go from being adored to being picked apart by the pros' prying eyes. Scouts want Laurinaitis to prove he has the necessary speed and athleticism for the NFL.

On the positive side, Marcus Freeman's stock is rising a bit. He may now be a second-rounder, or no worse than third.

Beanie Wells is the consensus second-best running back in the draft, behind Georgia's Knowshown Moreno. I don't see that changing, it's just a matter of what's the second team that picks a running back?

Then there are two borderline juniors who came out early -- Brian Hartline and Donald Washington. Both need really good combines and Pro Days in order to be drafted.

The one player who won't be at Indy whose stock is rocketing is DT Nader Abdallah, who parlayed a great week at the Texas vs. The Nation all-star game into what looks like a pretty solid spot in the later rounds of the draft.

We'll catch up with Nader later.

One more note: I found it interesting that OSU strength coach Eric Lichter was not overseeing the pre-combine workouts this year, for the first time. That surprised me, as I know past players have really raved about the work Lichter has done with them.

Instead, assistant strength coach Doug Davis handled the workouts. Lichter explained it as no big deal, as Davis has worked under him for three years and knows what to do. Lichter said the feeling was he was needed more to work with the returning Buckeyes players.

I wonder if that came from Jim Tressel, who may have wanted to see his strength coach make the 2009 team his priority?

Anyway, check back here the next few days for updates from Indy.

Quarterback prospect Nick Montana -- second son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana -- showed up as planned Monday and Tuesday for an unofficial visit of Ohio State with his mother. Those familiar with the situation said his father apparently is not allowed to fly at the moment as he recovers from some sort of recent back surgery.
Sources said Jennifer Montana was more than up to the task of scoping out the school and the football facilities, though. She has, after all, helped send their three older children (two daughters and a son) off to college, to Joe Montana's alma mater Notre Dame.
Nick Montana -- as a junior he led private Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, Calif., to a 14-0 record and a state title in 2008 -- seems to want to go his own way. And as he told me last week, he is very intrigued with Ohio State and coach Jim Tressel. Ironically, Tressel was out of town the past couple of days due to a prior commitment.
But observers said Nick Montana, already offered a scholarship by OSU and several other schools, seemed to enjoy his visit, even commenting that he thought the Woody Hayes Athletic Center surpassed any pro football training facility he had seen. His mother was said to be impressed with, among other things, the academic support services available to student athletes.
They left Tuesday afternoon with a next next stop of Austin, Texas, where they planned to tour the Texas campus and facilities in a similar way. By the way, Nick Montana isn't skipping school; Oaks Christian is off this week.
Among the others who have offered him a scholarship are Louisiana State, South Carolina, Stanford and California, and there's a chance the Longhorns will do the same during his unofficial visit. Alabama and Tennessee are said to be considering him seriously, also.
He has said he would like to make up his mind before the start of his senior season.

. . . .not coming to Ohio State!

We've beaten this horse to death, but still, it's worth noting that the Akron Beacon-Journal is reporting this morning on one of its blogs that Harris will join the Akron Zips' staff as quarterbacks coach.

Akron coach J.D. Brookhart was on Harris' staff at Pittsburgh when Harris was head coach there. Harris has been out of coaching the past two years.

I've been of the mind since the Harris-to-OSU rumors first came up that there was little chance of Jim Tressel hiring a "guru" type assistant. Looking at his choices of assistants, Tressel prefers guys who he either had a previous connection with, and/or who are down-to-earth men who will subvert their ego for the common good.

For better or worse, that's the profile.