RS12
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QB Tyler Bray, Tennessee
When he arrived in Knoxville as a freshman, not many people expected Tyler Bray to play four years of college football. As one of the most highly touted quarterbacks in his class, most around the Tennessee football program expected him to play three years and then depart as a first round draft pick.
Bray did end up leaving after his junior season, but he’s certainly not the top quarterback that many thought he would be. Unfortunately, that’s due in large part to big question marks surrounding his maturity and character. Whether it be his throat slashing gestures to the opposing team’s sideline, throwing beer bottles at cars or citation stemming from an incident on a jet ski, Bray often times struggled to show the maturity that NFL teams look for in quarterbacks.
There are some larger concerns as well. There have been whispers around Knoxville since his arrival that he didn’t respect his coaches, refused to participate in a rehab program his athletic trainers put together for him, and even reports that he’d call his own plays when he didn’t like what the coaches told him to run. Those are traits that could easily destroy a locker room, and are going to make teams very hesitant to draft him early.
TE Travis Kelce, Cincinnati
In a time where every team in the league is looking to expand their offense by adding a versatile weapon at the tight end position, a player like Travis Kelce should be looking to be drafted somewhere in the second round. Unfortunately, Kelce’s actual draft position could be lower due to a character issue that the public doesn’t know too much about.
What is known is that in 2010, Kelce was suspended for the entire season for reasons that have never been disclosed to the public. Kelce has declined to discuss the subject public with the exception of saying that he’s moved on and grown from the incident. However, according to The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, an anonymous NFL scout has referred to Kelce as “a train wreck” in regards to his character.
There’s plenty to like about Kelce. He might be the toughest tight end in this class, and his brother’s successful NFL career provide him with a strong mentor and example. However, without some good explanations to NFL teams about what exactly went on in 2010, he may be too big of a risk for many teams to look to.
DB Tyrann Mathieu, Louisiana State
There’s probably not a player with more well documented character concerns than Tyrann Mathieu. Thanks to some big plays in big games, as well as his Honey Badger persona, Mathieu became one of the most popular players in college football. When LSU finally had to dismiss him from the program due to multiple violations of the school’s drug policy, it was one of the biggest sports stories in the country.
It’s appeared as though Mathieu has taken some positive steps in rebuilding his image in the eyes of NFL teams. He spent a month in rehab to deal with his substance abuse issues, he’s made it known he no longer wants to be referred to as the Honey Badger, and by most accounts he’s done well in interviews with teams.
Still, it’s not all been positive in recent months for Mathieu. His disappointing four reps on the bench press in Indianapolis will cause teams to wonder just how seriously he’s approached his preparation for the Draft. If Mathieu can show that that poor showing was an anomaly, and that he’s truly taken the steps necessary to turn things around, he could become one of the most interesting prospects in this class.
WR Da'Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech
There may not be a player with a more concerning background in this draft than Da’Rick Rogers. With multiple failed drug tests, clashes with coaches, reports of a diva attitude, and ultimately a dismissal from Tennessee’s program, Rogers has red flags in just about every category that would scare NFL teams away.
The most well documented issues in Rogers’ background are drug related. He’s admitted to failing multiple drug tests while at UT and those were a big factor in his departure from the program. There were also numerous stand offs with the coaches during his time at Tennessee, including an infamous episode a day before Tennessee played Kentucky that left some around the program expecting Rogers to be dismissed prior to kickoff.
Those are all huge issues that will cause the first round talent to drop to the second day of the draft or beyond, but there are some encouraging aspects to this particular case. Rogers is reported to have passed all of the several drug tests he was given while at Tennessee Tech, and since he let Knoxville there haven’t been any more reported run-ins with coaches. He sounded humbled and matured in interviews leading up to the draft. If he’s truly learned from his mistakes, he could prove to be one of the biggest steals in the draft.
WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee
Tyler Bray and Da’Rick Rogers aren’t the only former Volunteers that will have teams doing some extra work on their backgrounds. While Cordarrelle Patterson doesn’t have quite the red flags that Rogers and Bray do, there are still some maturity issues that raise some questions.
It’s not been uncommon to hear Patterson described as a “6’3 toddler”. It’s not uncommon to see Patterson take several plays off in a row on film, or give up on plays once it’s clear the ball isn’t coming his way. Furthermore, it’s been rumored that Patterson never grasped the playbook and just ran wherever Bray wanted him to as opposed to actually running a route. There’s no doubt that Patterson has elite physical traits, but if he doesn’t gain some maturity it’s questionable as to just how successful he’ll be in the NFL.
LB Alec Ogletree, Georgia
http://www.optimumscouting.com/draf...op-ten-prospects-with-character-concerns.html
When he arrived in Knoxville as a freshman, not many people expected Tyler Bray to play four years of college football. As one of the most highly touted quarterbacks in his class, most around the Tennessee football program expected him to play three years and then depart as a first round draft pick.
Bray did end up leaving after his junior season, but he’s certainly not the top quarterback that many thought he would be. Unfortunately, that’s due in large part to big question marks surrounding his maturity and character. Whether it be his throat slashing gestures to the opposing team’s sideline, throwing beer bottles at cars or citation stemming from an incident on a jet ski, Bray often times struggled to show the maturity that NFL teams look for in quarterbacks.
There are some larger concerns as well. There have been whispers around Knoxville since his arrival that he didn’t respect his coaches, refused to participate in a rehab program his athletic trainers put together for him, and even reports that he’d call his own plays when he didn’t like what the coaches told him to run. Those are traits that could easily destroy a locker room, and are going to make teams very hesitant to draft him early.
TE Travis Kelce, Cincinnati
In a time where every team in the league is looking to expand their offense by adding a versatile weapon at the tight end position, a player like Travis Kelce should be looking to be drafted somewhere in the second round. Unfortunately, Kelce’s actual draft position could be lower due to a character issue that the public doesn’t know too much about.
What is known is that in 2010, Kelce was suspended for the entire season for reasons that have never been disclosed to the public. Kelce has declined to discuss the subject public with the exception of saying that he’s moved on and grown from the incident. However, according to The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, an anonymous NFL scout has referred to Kelce as “a train wreck” in regards to his character.
There’s plenty to like about Kelce. He might be the toughest tight end in this class, and his brother’s successful NFL career provide him with a strong mentor and example. However, without some good explanations to NFL teams about what exactly went on in 2010, he may be too big of a risk for many teams to look to.
DB Tyrann Mathieu, Louisiana State
There’s probably not a player with more well documented character concerns than Tyrann Mathieu. Thanks to some big plays in big games, as well as his Honey Badger persona, Mathieu became one of the most popular players in college football. When LSU finally had to dismiss him from the program due to multiple violations of the school’s drug policy, it was one of the biggest sports stories in the country.
It’s appeared as though Mathieu has taken some positive steps in rebuilding his image in the eyes of NFL teams. He spent a month in rehab to deal with his substance abuse issues, he’s made it known he no longer wants to be referred to as the Honey Badger, and by most accounts he’s done well in interviews with teams.
Still, it’s not all been positive in recent months for Mathieu. His disappointing four reps on the bench press in Indianapolis will cause teams to wonder just how seriously he’s approached his preparation for the Draft. If Mathieu can show that that poor showing was an anomaly, and that he’s truly taken the steps necessary to turn things around, he could become one of the most interesting prospects in this class.
WR Da'Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech
There may not be a player with a more concerning background in this draft than Da’Rick Rogers. With multiple failed drug tests, clashes with coaches, reports of a diva attitude, and ultimately a dismissal from Tennessee’s program, Rogers has red flags in just about every category that would scare NFL teams away.
The most well documented issues in Rogers’ background are drug related. He’s admitted to failing multiple drug tests while at UT and those were a big factor in his departure from the program. There were also numerous stand offs with the coaches during his time at Tennessee, including an infamous episode a day before Tennessee played Kentucky that left some around the program expecting Rogers to be dismissed prior to kickoff.
Those are all huge issues that will cause the first round talent to drop to the second day of the draft or beyond, but there are some encouraging aspects to this particular case. Rogers is reported to have passed all of the several drug tests he was given while at Tennessee Tech, and since he let Knoxville there haven’t been any more reported run-ins with coaches. He sounded humbled and matured in interviews leading up to the draft. If he’s truly learned from his mistakes, he could prove to be one of the biggest steals in the draft.
WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee
Tyler Bray and Da’Rick Rogers aren’t the only former Volunteers that will have teams doing some extra work on their backgrounds. While Cordarrelle Patterson doesn’t have quite the red flags that Rogers and Bray do, there are still some maturity issues that raise some questions.
It’s not been uncommon to hear Patterson described as a “6’3 toddler”. It’s not uncommon to see Patterson take several plays off in a row on film, or give up on plays once it’s clear the ball isn’t coming his way. Furthermore, it’s been rumored that Patterson never grasped the playbook and just ran wherever Bray wanted him to as opposed to actually running a route. There’s no doubt that Patterson has elite physical traits, but if he doesn’t gain some maturity it’s questionable as to just how successful he’ll be in the NFL.
LB Alec Ogletree, Georgia
http://www.optimumscouting.com/draf...op-ten-prospects-with-character-concerns.html
