Eye on the Draft: Why Dorial Green-Beckham could be a Patriot


Despite needs at other positions sometimes there are times when a player falls to you and he is the best player available. This could happen this year with Dorial Green-Beckham.

The Patriots have not had the best luck drafting receivers in recent years, and with the recent Aaron Hernandez trial they could understandably shy away from a player with character issues That is exactly where Dorial Green-Beckham comes into play. He is an immensely talented player with a tremendous ceiling, but he could fall out of the league if some of his character issues come to the forefront.

He enrolled at Oklahoma in 2014 after being dismissed from the Missouri football team. He was ineligible to play in 2014 due to transfer rules. He was dismissed from the Missouri team after being a suspect of burglary and assault investigation. Allegedly pushing a female down stairs during this investigated incident. He faced no charges from the incident. In January 2014, he was arrested with two other men after being found with a pound of marijuana in the car. In 2012, he was arrested along with two other teammates for smoking in a campus parking lot. He is arguably one of the most polarizing players in this years draft class. Will a team be able to look past his priors?





Measurables:
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 237 lbs
Arm Length: 32 1/2"
Hands: 9"

Combine Results:
40 yard dash: 4.49
Bench Press: 13 reps @ 225 lbs
Vertical Jump: 33.5"
Broad Jump: 119"
3 Cone Drill: 6.89
20 yard shuttle: 4.45
60 yard shuttle: 11.89

Pro Day Results:
Vertical Jump: 33"
Broad Jump: 120"
20 yard shuttle: 4.36

Professional Comparisons:
This guy is an immensely talented player, if he had no off-field concerns he would be a top 10 pick. Purely from watching him play I cannot help but see a player like Calvin Johnson. At 6'5" and being a able to run a 4.49 he is a freakishly talented player on the field, but of course his off-field issues significantly lower his value. This guy can be the next Calvin Johnson if he can stay clean and stay on the field. He has elite size, and can dominate cornerbacks in the red zone. He has all the potential in the world.

Strengths:
Elite height. Elite weight, Elite speed. He towers over the cornerbacks he plays against and they do not stand a chance covering him in the red zone. He makes everything he does look effortless, he is so smooth in his game. Chews up ground quickly, and can get up on a cornerback quickly. Possesses a huge catch radius that any quarterback would love to throw to, turns guaranteed interceptions into catches. Has the ability to contort his body, and adjust to passes in the air. Watching him play is such a spectacle. He is a tremendous talent that just need to stay out of trouble.

At 0:36 you see his ability to completely take a cornerback out of a play. He uses his huge frame to block out the corner. He then shows off his hands and concentration to haul in this difficult pass.

At 2:27 he showcases his speed in this bubble screen. Not only does he possess elite size and catch radius but he can break a game with his play making ability.



Weaknesses:
His ability to play strong is a concern to some teams. He can at times shy away from contact and does not like to be hit. His size and catch radius are great but those skills have come with to the detriment of his route running abilities. He has a tendency to round routes, and run a simplistic route tree. Needs to work on his foot work near the sidelines, and his work ethic leaves a lot to be desired.

At 1:35 you see his inability to get in front of the cornerback and make a physical block. The cornerback ultimately makes a tackle for a loss due to Green-Beckham unwillingness to block.

At 3:21 he again avoids physical play and does not want to block for the running game. He needs to take more pride in his ability to block, and become a well rounded receiver. He has a tendency to take plays off just like this one.



Projections:
He is a top 10 talent. He would be an undrafted free agent if you evaluated him solely on his character. So in a league that values on the field over off the field he could be drafted anywhere from the middle of round 1 to early of round 3.

Will the Patriots draft him?
Not in the first round. There is no way they even look at this guy in the first round. His off field issues are too much for the Patriots to consider him, but if he falls to the 64th overall pick there is a chance that the Patriots could consider a player with this type of talent.


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