Damon Arnette nearly left Ohio State for the NFL after his junior season.

He stayed after honest conversations with former Buckeye legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, who told Arnette flat out that he was not ready.

Arnette listened and feels he is reaping the rewards from that decision.

"I'm more confident," Arnette said at the NFL Combine in late February. "I feel I'm more technically sound. That dawg in me that I had I feel that's just who I am now instead of being it sometimes. Smarter. I'm more mature on and off the field. And I feel like overall I'm just more ready now than I was last year."

Arnette played four years at OSU, totalling 53 career games with 38 career starts. He had at least one interception each season, including a 96-yard return for a touchdown this past year.

He played primarily press coverage for the Buckeyes and even took that physical style in helping stop the run.

Arnette doing so in the shadow of 1st round Marshon Lattimore, Denzel Ward, and Jeff Okudah opposite him.

"Always being overlooked," Arnette said. "Always being the underdog in everything. Literally everything I do. Coming out of high school, three star. It took me a while to get my stuff together at Ohio State. And naturally I've always been in the shadows just grinding. I'll go through my own personal issues, but at the end of the day I always rise up on top."

He has good size for a corner, standing 6' and 195 pounds. While Arnette feels his footwork is some of the best in this draft class, his overall speed is not, posing a 4.56 seconds time in the 40 at the Combine.

Arnette brings position flexibility, able to play outside or in and even offered up moving to safety if asked.

Still, his athleticism does not match that of some of the top CBs, pushing him down to a likely mid-2nd to 3rd round selection.