One of the 2015 NFL Draft's most interesting prospects is racking up the frequent flyer miles in a bid to convince teams he is worth a first-round pick.
Former Oklahoma/Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham made a pair of visits with wide receiver-needy teams, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Albert Breer, stopping by the Bengals on Thursday and the 49ers before that.
Green-Beckham represents an intriguing possibility for each franchise. A former No. 1 overall recruit who displayed plenty of potential in the limited time he was on the field in college, the 6-foot-5, 237-pound pass catcher has drawn comparisons to everybody from Calvin Johnsonto Julio Jones to Plaxico Burress.
While such talent would normally put a player automatically in the first round, there are several off-the-field issues Green-Beckham has to contend with that could cause him to fall until the second night of the draft.
Back in 2014, Green-Beckham was dismissed from Missouri after being the subject of a burglary and assault investigation by police in which he allegedly pushed a female down some stairs during the incident. He didn't face charges from the incident but did wind up transferring to Oklahoma, where he spent an entire season on the practice squad before declaring early for the draft. Throw in being arrested twice for marijuana-related incidents and there's plenty of research interested teams will want to do on "DGB" in order to determine if he's the right fit.
NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock ranks Green-Beckham as the No. 5 wide receiver in the draft in his updated positional rankings, and fellow analyst Bucky Brooks sees the young player as being a fit for the 49ers in particular. In Cincinnati, Green-Beckham could team up opposite A.J. Green to form a dangerous pass-catching tandem that would give opposing defenses plenty of fits.
The 49ers pick No. 15 overall, which might be early to draft Green-Beckham given his issues. Would he still be available when the 49ers pick in the second round (No. 46 overall)? That remains to be seen. The Bengals have done their fair share of reclamation projects when it comes to troubled players, so DGB could be an option at No. 21 overall or later.
One thing is for certain, though, Green-Beckham is likely doing everything he can on these visits to convince teams he's not going to have repeat incidents when he gets to the league.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
