Oklahoma wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham has so many of the traits that NFL teams want in a top tier wide receiver. He’s tall, has long arms, has good speed and is strong enough to battle tough NFL cornerbacks. He could be used in several different ways in a creative offense and use his big body to win jump balls if needed.
However, Dorial Green-Beckham’s off the field problems could be the one thing that keeps him from being a top selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. There are questions about his work ethic, he has been arrested twice for drugs and has been suspended twice by his college team. His off the field issues eventually led to his release from the Missouri football program and he transferred to Oklahoma, where he sat out the season prior to declaring for the draft.
Where Dorial Green-Beckham is drafted will depend solely on a team’s willingness to risk his potential versus possible character concerns. After the issues surrounding high profile players like Josh Gordon, I expect most teams will be quite trigger shy when it comes to drafting Green-Beckham.
Jan 3, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (15) during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the 2014 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Missouri won 41-31. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Combine Measurables:
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 237 pounds
- Arm Length: 32.5″
- Hand Size: 9″
- 40 Yard Dash: 4.49 seconds
- Bench Press: 13 reps
- Vertical Jump: 33.5″
- Broad Jump: 119″
- 3 Cone Drill: 6.89 seconds
- 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.45 seconds
- 60 Yard Shuttle: 11.89 seconds
Draft Projection
Dorial Green-Beckham is the #23 overall prospect according to CBS Sports and is their #5 wide receiver available in the 2015 NFL Draft class.
NFL Player Comparison
- NFL.com: Justin Hunter, Tennessee Titans
- CBSSports.com: Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
Fit For The Vikings
If Minnesota doesn’t see a starting caliber wide receiver in either Charles Johnson or Cordarrelle Patterson, they could spend one of their top picks on a pass catcher to play opposite the newly acquired Mike Wallace.
My Take
I’m a bit of a chicken when it comes to character issues surrounding a top prospect. We’ve seen quite a few players fail after being unable to adjust to life in the NFL and following their guidelines. Because of this, I don’t even rate Dorial Green-Beckham as a first or second round prospect. It would have to take a mighty big fall for me to want Minnesota to be interested in him.
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