WR Dorial Green-Beckham NFL Draft Fits: Chiefs, Seahawks, 49ers
By Erik Lambert
Jan 3, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (15) catches a pass while defended by Oklahoma State Cowboys safety Daytawion Lowe (8) and cornerback Tyler Patmon (26) in the game at the 2014 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Missouri beat Oklahoma State 41-31. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The phrase “boom-or-bust prospect” comes up every year during the NFL draft. It encompasses those players who have the talent of a top 10 pick but also a colorful history attached to their names, be it something to do with work ethic, injuries or off-the-field problems. One of the most notable players inhabiting that category for 2015 is Dorial Green-Beckham.
The wide receiver has a long list of issues following him throughout college. His upbringing wasn’t the most stable as a kid and that haunted him at Missouri where he earned a reputation for being lazy and also got into frequent trouble including two arrests for marijuana possession and dismissal from the team for alleged involvement in a burglary and shoving a female student down a flight of stairs.
How much of that is true is unknown but it paints a clear picture. Green-Beckham has immaturity and loose cannon written all over him. Yet his sheer physical talent is perhaps the best the league has seen coming out of college since Calvin Johnson.
- 6’5″
- 237 lbs
- 5 inch arms
- Sub-4.5 speed
Also keep in mind he’s not in prime physical shape because he didn’t play at all in 2014 due to NCAA rules when he transferred to Oklahoma. So there is an even higher ceiling than where he’s at now. It’s only a question of when a team takes him on draft weekend. The question is who are best equipped to do so?
Kansas City Chiefs
With a case like Green-Beckham it’s obvious that the team who takes must provide one thing above all else: structure. That typically requires a good head coach who can keep him under relative control. In that case the Kansas City Chiefs make tons of sense.
Andy Reid has a long history in the league of coaching outspoken wide receivers. Freddie Mitchell, Terrell Owens and DeSean Jackson are three big ones that come to mind. All three had their issues but Reid was still able to get the most out of them. Owens had 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in 14 games in 2004. Jackson reached back-to-back Pro Bowls under him in 2009 and 2010. By this point Reid is well-versed in managing a personality like DGB.
Seattle Seahawks
The same situation applies to the Seattle Seahawks. Their head coach, Pete Carroll has a long track record of dealing with mercurial personalities such as Percy Harvin or Richard Sherman but he’s always maintained enough stability to get everybody pulling in the right direction.
Seattle has needs at the receiver position, which became painfully evident in the Super Bowl when the Patriots shut them down in the second half. Their lack of a real #1 option may have cost them the game. It may not be their primary offensive style but that doesn’t decrease the need. The Seahawks could do so much more damage if they developed Green-Beckham into what he can be.
San Francisco 49ers
Michael Crabtree is on his way out, as is Stevie Johnson. The San Francisco 49ers are getting awfully thin at the receiver position. That needs to change and people expect them to do so in the draft. Is Green-Beckham worth the #15 pick? Not likely but he becomes an option if they trade back or if he’s still there in the 2nd round.
Unlike the other teams though, their structure will not come from the coaching staff but instead the presence of wide receiver Anquan Boldin. The 34-year old has done it all in the league and knows what it takes to succeed. He would make the perfect mentor to the young receiver. In return Green-Beckham could provide them that deep threat ability they’re searching for.