Senior Bowl: Janoris Jenkins and High-Risk Prospects Under the Microscope

The Senior Bowl has several story lines, but none as intriguing as the performance and development of its talented, yet high-risk prospects. These are the prospects that have talent evaluators salivating, but cause general managers to lose sleep.

The concern can stem from different factors, but three of the most common are character, age and injury.

Here are three talented prospects that epitomize each concern:

Character:

Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

Jenkins has always been considered a first-round talent. At 5'10", 195 pounds and 4.4 speed, he has the physical tools. His off-the-field issues have been the concern. So much so, that Jenkins was kicked off the Florida team after two drug-related arrests. the 23-year-old transferred to North Alabama, where he was a given a second chance by head coach Terry Bowden.

Bowden did his homework on Jenkins first. He knew about the talent, but he wanted to see if his missteps were correctable character issues. He said this in reference to the investigation he did on Jenkins:

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I talked to everybody that I could possibly talk to at Florida who had a relationship with him. From Urban Meyer to Will Muschamp to Jeremy Foley, they all said he is a guy who made a mistake. But it does not represent his character or his time at Florida. They all thought he deserved a second chance.

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Jenkins has not disappointed at tiny North Alabama. He was an AP All-American and showed the ability to impact games as a cover corner and explosive kick and punt returner. ESPN's Todd McShay recently said this of Jenkins, as he observed him in Senior Bowl practice:"Still the CB he once was. First-round corner in terms of man-to-man coverage skills."

As I said, talent was never the concern. Teams don't want to have another Adam "Pacman" Jones on their hands.

Jenkins will be selected by a team in the first round, but close attention will be paid to him in team interviews. He will be grilled hard, as teams try to gauge if he has matured and outgrown his issues.

Age:

Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

If Weeden were 21 years old, he'd probably be a mid-first round pick, but he isn't. He's 28. Many of us may automatically think of Chris Weinke, the Heisman Trophy-winning QB from Florida State in 2000. Weinke also was 28 when he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers.

Weeden is a better pro prospect than Weinke. He has better arm strength, and his experience in a pro-style offense gives him an edge. Weeden had an awesome senior season, leading the Cowboys to a 12-1 record while throwing for 4,727 yards, 37 touchdowns and only 13 interceptions.

Todd McShay chimed in on Weeden's progress during Senior Bowl practice."Has had a really good week of practices. Showing that he has the arm strength, ability to make all the throws."

Still, teams will hesitate to pull the trigger on a prospect who will turn 30 in his second year in the NFL. The draft is about upside, and that age issue certainly limits his possibilities.

Injury:

Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M

Gray is an ultra-fast RB who suffered a shoulder injury last season and failed a physical at the Senior Bowl this week. He will be held out of that game, and the injury could drastically affect his draft stock.

Gray is projected as a third-round selection because of his game-breaking speed. But teams will be extra cautious as he nurses his bum shoulder. Bringing players in with pre-existing injuries is a no-no, to say the least. 

If healthy, Gray has shown he can be a productive player. In 2011, he rushed for 1,045 yards and 12 TDs. Teams will have to wait for the scouting combine to get a closer look at Gray and his injured shoulder.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.

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