NFL Draft: Top 10 Character Concerns
It's that time of year again, one where NFL scouts go back and forth on anything from the quickness of some one's feet, to the quickness of their thinking.
Down to every last bench press and shuttle run, everyone is looking for something that someone hasn't seen yet in terms of any aspect of a player's game.
This list is consisted of highly talented players (potential first- or second- round picks) whose character may weigh down their draft stock, or hurt their team in the long run.
10. Jimmy Smith, Cornerback, Colorado
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Some things Jimmy Smith has done are have made him fall down draft boards. Not addressing them directly in interviews with NFL teams has gotten him booted off boards completely.
Having Drew Rosenhaus as an agent might automatically throw up some red flags (or white ones from teams that were originally looking at him). Smith has failed several drug tests in just his time at Colorado, and is also said to have many other character problems.
Smith was shady in his interviews with media. Even when he was asked about his arrest on underage possession of alcohol, he replied, "I walked outside with a red cup that had nothing in it and you can't have a red cup in Boulder, so I got caught for that."
That answer doesn't persuade me into changing my stance on Smith at all. Rosenhaus may need to work with this kid on his BS answers a bit.
9. Orlando Franklin, Guard/Tackle
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Orlando Franklin may have "bust" written all over him. Franklin has no problem with his amount of passion in games, but preparation for it might be a different story.
Scouts have gone as far as to call him "lazy," and that can't bode well for Franklin's draft status. Some think he's a second-rounder, some say he'll fall all the way down to fourth.
Franklin didn't complete NCAA course requirements to go to UM in 2006, but did in '07. No other reports said he had any other problems with grades or anything class-wise.
Above all, Franklin's toughness has been questioned, along with his football IQ.
He's still a work in progress if he wants to sustain success at the next level, and according to several sources, he's hard to coach. Not a good combination.
8. Phil Taylor, Defensive Tackle, Baylor
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Phil Taylor once was a Nittany Lion, playing for the great Joe Pa himself. This was until he got into a fight on campus in 2008, eventually leading to him being booted off the team. He then transferred to the Baylor Bears.
After pleading guilty to disorderly conduct misdemeanor from the brawl, he headed to Texas, where he excelled at Baylor as an athlete, and many have said he has cleaned up his act since the transfer.
Even with his supposedly revamped attitude, there's no denying that Taylor had conditioning problems when fall practices began at Baylor the past two years.
Call it being a defensive tackle, or call it bad work ethic, but either way, his production was really not that good. He had two sacks in two years at Baylor.
Many see Taylor as a potential bust, despite having the mix of athletic ability and size. Reading many stories on him, it's kind of a mixed bag.
Many think he's improved drastically when it comes to his intangibles, but there's still several who think his character concerns of the past are still present.
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7. Titus Young, Wide Receiver, Boise State
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If Titus Young had been on this list two years ago, he would have been higher on it, but seeing as he supposedly has matured some, he isn't as far up.
Young has drawn comparisons to DeSean Jackson, in skill set and body. How about adding character to the list, as well? Young has been flagged for his post-touchdown antics, being penalized for excessive celebration a few times.
On-field commitment may be a problem as well for Young. The fact he was suspended for 10 games in 2008 is another red flag.
His maturity may also still be an issue going forward. It's a high risk but could also be a high reward.
6. Greg Little, Wide Receiver, North Carolina
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The first of two UNC benefit busters on this list, Greg Little, like his teammate in front of him on the list, was kicked off the football squad at North Carolina after his dealings with an agent.
Little has been known to go a bit overboard with his emotions on the field, and that he lacks work ethic. Attitude problems also have hurt his draft stock. The site cdsdraft.com summed it up by saying he was second- or third-round talent, with intangibles for the seventh round.
Little was supposedly liked for the most part by his coaches, so there's one positive to throw in. The fact that he has a low maturity level won't help him, though.
So while he has a passion playing the game itself, the real question is his desire preparing for games. We'll see who takes a shot at this wideout, and how far he slips.
5. Ryan Mallett, Quarterback, Arkansas
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Ryan Mallett has a cannon for an arm, but needed help maturing as a passer. While he's improved that part of his game, his overall maturity may still be far behind in progression.
Mallett was arrested in 2009 and transferred to Arkansas, with speculation that his Michigan coaches (where he was before) were not fond of the 6'6" rocket launcher.
It was noticeable that while his body language wasn't the best last year after making a bad throw, it was a major improvement from before. But composure still plagues the former Razorback.
From on-the-field issues (not being able to close out big games), to off-field problems (arrested for public intoxication), he still has a lot to learn. Until then, the red flags are up.
4. Marvin Austin, Defensive Tackle, North Carolina
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Like I said, there are two former Tar Heels on the list, so I give you Marvin Austin. This is not just based on his dealings with agents, but that obviously helps his high ranking on this list.
As most know, Austin was suspended all of last season, after receiving "improper benefits" from agents. He was also suspended for a pair of games in the 2009 season. There's plenty of teams staying clear of him, due to maturity and work ethic concerns.
He's also been deemed as a selfish player. Being immature, lazy, and selfish isn't going to improve his draft spot one bit, and the fact he didn't even play a snap last year makes even more people wonder.
Austin also, according to Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly, had poor interview sessions with NFL teams.
It all adds up to a mess for Austin, who Nawrocki described as a "excuse-making con artist." And blaming your school instead of owning up to the whole agent situation throws even more snow on his avalanche down draft boards.
3. Cam Newton, Quarterback, Auburn
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No folks, he's not No. 1. As much as a problem he could create with media in his off-the-field issues, I think he can create just as many problems for opposing defenses in the NFL.
To many, he's the villain, the cheater, the guy that the NCAA let off the hook. But the whole recruiting fiasco isn't the only problem Newton has. With his smug look, he comes off cocky and selfish. And that's because he is.
Cam Newton might as well have "Phony" written across his forehead. I've finally come to that conclusion on him. His wish to be an entertainment icon could most certainly happen, but why would he talk about such things?
Newton never had any problems as far as on the field for Auburn last season. I'm interested to see if he starts losing on the team that drafts him, if he will begin to point fingers or complain to the media. Just a thought.
Newton has all the talent in the world, but he has quite a bit of baggage to go with it.
2. Jonathan Baldwin, Wide Receiver, Pitt
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Jonathan Baldwin has long been considered a huge distraction for the rest of the locker room. Attitude problems were the norm in his time as a Pitt Panther, and he will need to show serious improvement in the area if he is to be drafted on the opening night.
Baldwin has "selfish" written all over him, and you could consider him the most self-centered player in the entire draft this year. Must be a wide receiver thing. His relationship with coaches wasn't good, but the chemistry with his QB might have been even worse.
When NFLDraftScout.com interviewed him to ask him if he was leaving early to go to the draft, he eventually replied, "Heck yeah, I'm leaving. It can only get worse. They had me running a lot of deep routes (this year) and yards were hard to come by...it felt like they were purposely trying to disrupt my draft stock."
Sound like some one you would want to play with? I know my answer to that question. Baldwin may be just another cocky wideout, but he could really be a locker-room cancer.
1. Nick Fairley, Defensive Tackle, Auburn
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Just to think Cam Newton didn't even have the biggest character problems on his own team. Nick Fairley gets the honor of biggest red-flag prospect, with his extreme immaturity among many other things.
He supposedly blew off a dinner with Dolphins coach Tony Sparano and GM Jeff Ireland, but there's been a mixed story with that. He has been late when meeting with NFL teams at the combine, though, and many say he's lacking commitment.
On top of that, he's clearly a dirty player, with a career at Auburn filled with cheap shots. Work ethic has been a big problem, along with his intangibles overall, and that's clearly a huge turn-off for any team.
Fairley has pretty much threw his chances away when it comes to being not only the top pick, but maybe a Top 10 pick.
I'm not sure how far he will fall, but his character has single-handedly knocked him several spots down draft boards.
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