Percy Harvin: Worth the Risk?

The much-anticipated wide receiver from the University of Florida National Championship football team has had some bumps in the road on his way to being picked in the first round (22nd overall) by the Minnesota Vikings.

With many issues on and off the field, the question that arises is one of overall worth, not just athletic ability and speed.

Percy Harvin, who spent most of his junior season for the Gators on the sidelines due to a foot injury, will have surgery to repair a hole in his foot before the 2009 season.

He participated only in the 40-yard dash at the combine and did not participate in any other drills or exercises because of his foot ailment. Harvin was also hospitalized after his first workout as a Viking earlier this week because of severe dehydration and lack of conditioning.

This series of events should be a concern for the Vikings as they move forward. Harvin seems to be injury prone and has a little frame which will not bode well for him when he starts taking hits from the big boys in the NFL.

Besides the injury concerns, which seem to be many and quite frequent, Harvin seems to have some off the field issues as well.

Harvin failed a drug test at the NFL combine during his short stay in Indianapolis. The drug tests are not random nor are they secretive in any way. This would seem to be a huge red flag for NFL teams who were looking to take Harvin early in the first round in the 2009 player draft.

Harvin tested positive for marijuana, which means at some point prior to the combine, he did the drug despite knowing he would be tested for banned substances.

That means one of two things: He does not care about the consequences, or he is just not very smart. Either way, his behavior should be corrected and focused on by the Vikings now that he represents the franchise.

The question for the Vikings, then, is whether Harvin was worth the risk of off-the-field issues overshadowing the on-the-field successes.

The verdict is still out, but I'm skeptical Harvin will have a big impact in his first couple  seasons in the NFL. Speed alone does not make you a good player in the NFL and even with his great hands, he doesn't fit a particular profile for any position. He could fit as a slot receiver or a scat back, as well as a special teams specialist, much like Devin Hester in his first years with Chicago.

With his injuries and overall size, as well as an indecisive place for Harvin in the Viking offense, I will have to wait and see if he pans out to be worth the pick.

If he stays out of trouble off the field and manages to stay healthy, he will likely be a decent "big play" option for the Vikings in the 2009 season.