Dorial Green-Beckham will be one of the most talented players in the 2015 NFL draft. And one of the riskiest players in the 2015 NFL draft.
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops confirmed today that Green-Beckham is entering the draft, leaving school without ever playing a down for the Sooners.
Based on talent alone, Green-Beckham is not only one of the best wide receivers in the draft but one of the best players at any position. At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds with impressive speed (he was a state champion in the 100-meter dash in high school), Green-Beckham is a physical freak who has been compared to Randy Moss and would easily be a first-round draft pick if there were no character questions.
But there are significant character questions. Green-Beckham burst onto the scene at Missouri as a true freshman in 2012 and had an excellent season as a sophomore in 2013, but he got into trouble off the field so many times that Missouri coach Gary Pinkel finally kicked him off the team, leading him to transfer to Oklahoma.
Perhaps most troubling to NFL teams is that one of Green-Beckham’s off-field incidents was an accusation that he pushed a woman down stairs in a domestic dispute. The NFL is particularly concerned about allegations of domestic violence after the Ray Rice case, and the team that drafts Green-Beckham will face significant criticism if he gets in trouble again.
But despite those concerns, some team will draft Green-Beckham. A guy with his talent will get a chance in the NFL. Here’s hoping he doesn’t throw it away.