'Red Flags': NFL Draft Scouts Rip Cowboys WR Prospect George Pickens
FRISCO - We are nearing this week's NFL Draft, which means it is time for the final judgment of teams on players - regarding talent, promise, medical concerns, and maybe most ominously, behavioral concerns.
And now Georgia wide receiver George Pickens is hearing the whispers.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic published an NFL Draft piece on Tuesday highlighted by a series of unflattering (and of course, anonymous) viewpoints of Pickens, most recently projected by many to be a second-round pick.
One league source managed to say something flattering about Pickens having “a lot of upside,'' but then added, "but he can’t get out of his own way.”
Another, a wide receivers coach, claims Pickens has “some issues.” And yet another wide receivers coach asserts that Pickens has “just so many red flags, and they’re big red flags.”
“He’s got some growing up to do,” that second wideouts coach said.
At this point, there is little the player can do about the gossip except wait until after the draft, when he joins his new team and seeks to prove his critics wrong. Ole Miss QB Matt Corral finds himself in a similar situation, as do others.
Alongside this category of player is the prospect who is reportedly a "medical risk.'' The highest-profile player in that category is now Alabama tackle Evan Neal, who some think might be the best player in the whole class - but who is reportedly being scratched off some teams' boards.
Pickens has apparently overcome his torn ACL suffered in spring practice last year, which limited him to only four appearances this past season. But for his career, he put up 90 catches for 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns in 24 games.
But if NFL Draft watchers, Cowboys Nation and beyond, see him sliding this weekend? Now you'll know why.
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