The Countdown to the Combine has been on for over a week now and so has this series which takes a look at one prospect per day until February 24th when judgment day arrives for these aspiring NFL talents with something to prove. Each piece gives an in-depth look at what NFL scouts believe the prospect has already proven and just what stones are still unturned in their trek toward the NFL Draft. The prospects chosen may seem a bit random, but these will be some of the big name players with potential boom or bust aspects to their professional football futures.

After missing a year of football this past fall, scouts are going to be anxious to see just how Dez Bryant formerly of the Oklahoma State Cowboys looks running routes and making grabs at the Combine. Bryant put up monster numbers during his time in Stillwater, but the cloud over his head is the inappropriate contact with great Deion Sanders who allegedly was looking to hook Bryant up with an agent prior to the 2009 season. Those NCAA violations have caused some serious question marks about Bryant’s overall intelligence and just how committed he will be at the next level. Of course missing a year of live game action can’t help his draft status either as that’s one year of growth mentally, physically, and maturity that can never be recouped.

As for the upside, well there is plenty of that. It’s easy to liken Bryant to a Big XII standout from one year ago in Michael Crabtree coming out of school with his explosive cuts and seemless route running. One thing that could separate him from Crabtree is his deep play ability as Bryant has that extra gear to accelerate by defenders down the sideline and get himself open. A bit of refining in his underneath routes and willingness to go over the middle to make the tough catches will make him the complete package.

Interviews will play a large role in where Bryant ends up in April. Scouts are going to want to see a level of maturity and some contrition for the mistakes that he made leading into this year. As mentioned above, they will also be looking to make sure he hasn’t lost a step and still has the football IQ after a year away from the organized game. Crabtree somehow slipped to number ten overall and was a huge steal last year for the San Francisco 49ers and if Bryant gets out of the top ten picks, it could be déjà vu all over again. Look for him to be gone before pick number ten even gets on the clock.

Remember, the Countdown to the Combine is on and a new installment will be up daily from now until the NFL Scouting Combine begins on February 24th.

Picture Source #1

Picture Source #2



0 Comments

Dear Guest, please login to comment

Login with BlitzNation account

Create New Account | Forgot password?

OR login with Facebook


Please keep the comments clean by not posting advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks. Terms of Use.

Popular Blog Posts

Most Commented Posts

Newsletter

Categories


Archives



Follow Us


Tips

We love to hear from our users! Let us know what you'd like us to write about at tips@blitznation.com.

Contests

Current: Coming Soon!

Past: Madden 2010 Video Game or Game Controllers

About BlitzNation

BlitzNation is a community for passionate NFL fans from all across the nation, sharing their love of football with other die hard football fans. We'll cover every angle of the game, from the start of kickoff till the final whistle, all from a fan's perspective.