Every year during the NFL draft, a team takes a chance on a prospect who might have a few questions in the hopes that he'll wind up being a future Pro Bowler.
These prospects take on various forms, from the fast-riser whose stock shoots up coming out of the NFL Scouting Combine to the troubled prospect viewed by some as a reclamation project. When it comes to the 2015 draft, NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah already has a handful of prospects in mind who could turn into future stars just as easily as they could flame out after a handful of seasons in the league.
"Wide receiver is the ultimate boom-or-bust position," Jeremiah said on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft." "Dorial Green-Beckham, to me, he is the ultimate boom-or-bust guy in this draft class. All the physical ability in the world, everybody knows about that ... but there's the off-the-field stuff."
Green-Beckham is tied for fifth on NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock's list of top wide receivers in this year's draft class, but most would agree that his potential is off the charts. A former No. 1 overall recruit coming out of high school, he physically compares to somebody like Lions' star Calvin Johnson, given his 6-foot-5, 237-pound frame and ability to post up near the end zone.Â
The biggest reason Green-Beckham isn't being discussed in the same vein as West Virginia's Kevin White and Alabama's Amari Cooper is simple: Teams are concerned about his off-the-field issues, which saw him get booted from Missouri and fail to see the field at Oklahoma because of transfer issues.Â
Jeremiah believes that boom-or-bust prospects fall into one of two main categories. Green-Beckham falls into the first, which covers those with off-the-field issues. The other category includes players such as LSU defensive end Danielle Hunter, who has great athletic ability but little production in college.
"He's the other side of the coin," Jeremiah said of Hunter. "Out of LSU, unbelievable pass rusher, freak athlete, but doesn't have much production. You love what he could be come, but he hasn't shown you anything production-wise."
The "Path to the Draft" crew identified four other potential boom-or-bust picks: Stanford offensive lineman Andrus Peat, Michigan wideout Devin Funchess, Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson, and Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. All are potential first-round picks.
Some general manager is going to stick his neck out for a prospect like Green-Beckham, and it will only be a matter of time before we discover whether the pick was a great one or a massive reach.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
