Neither a disappointing performance at the NFL Scouting Combine nor questions about attitude and character have prevented Texas Christian linebacker Paul Dawson from having a busy schedule where visits to NFL clubs are concerned.
Dawson revealed in a pre-draft diary entry for USA Today that the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs all have arranged visits with him. That's a lot of activity for the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Dawson could play inside or outside linebacker at the next level, and has a reputation for being especially stingy against the run.
Dawson ran a disappointing 4.93 40-yard dash at the combine, and was none too pleased with the criticism that followed. Dawson noted in the diary that he felt a hamstring tweak at the end of his 40 clocking, something NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock noticed just as it happened.
"I think he pulled up at the end. I thought he slowed down a couple of yards before the end," Mayock said at the time. "There was something weird about that."
Mayock has Dawson rated as the top linebacker available in the draft. Inside linebacker, in particular, is considered a weak position for the 2015 draft, however, and Dawson doesn't appear in the Top 50 list of NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah.
Concern over Dawson's character and speed could be good news for an NFL club hoping to get him at a bargain slot in the draft. Dawson, for his part, noted in the diary that he plans to repeat his combine testing at TCU's pro day on March 27.
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