In the 2005 NFL draft the Tennessee Titans, coached by Jeff Fisher, took a chance on the troubled but talented Pacman Jones. Fisher eventually found that Pacman was more trouble than he’s worth, but that didn’t stop him from taking another troubled but talented cornerback this year.
With the 39th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Fisher’s St. Louis Rams selected Janoris Jenkins, the extremely talented cornerback who started his college career at Florida but got kicked off the team and had to finish college at North Alabama.
If Jenkins keeps his nose clean, he’ll be a second-round steal. Some observers believe Jenkins is the best cover corner in this draft, and during his junior year at Florida he played very well against the likes of A.J. Green and Julio Jones.
But Jenkins was arrested three times at Florida, once for a bar fight and twice for marijuana possession, and according to some reports he continued using marijuana even after it cost him his place on the Florida team. The question is whether the Rams can keep Jenkins out of off-field trouble. If they can they should be thrilled: They just got a high first-round talent in the second round.