Flyerla
If you were to have attended the NFL Draft Combine this year, there was a certain tight end who would have stood out to you and it wasn’t Eric Ebron. Colt Lyerla, formerly of the Oregon Ducks, posted some amazing numbers this year, including a 4.61 40-yard dash (third behind AC Leonard and Ebron), a 39″ vertical (first by a whopping four inches) and a 128″ broad jump (tied for first with Leonard). Based on that performance and some on field strengths that are inarguable, you’d think he would be one of the top tight ends taken in the NFL Draft. However, the evaluation of Colt Lyerla requires much more than crunching numbers on a page – it includes a reviewing a host of bad decisions, broken promises, unrealized potential and an apparently serious drug problem.
Let’s start from the beginning.
The former Hillsboro (Oregon) High School star was once ranked as the #4 OLB nationally by Scout.com, as he played both ways as a running back and linebacker in High School. He was named to the second team All-State in Oregon at linebacker and first team All-State at running back during his Senior season. According to Scout.com, he also broke the vertical leap and broad jump record at 2010 National Underclassman combine with 40-inch vertical and 10’10” broad jump, which are right around the same numbers he posted at the combine. He played running back and tight end on offense that season and had 39 total touchdowns, with almost 2,700 combined yards rushing and receiving. In short, he was a blue chip high school stud.
He played sparingly at Oregon in his first year, catching just seven passes for 147 yards and five touchdowns. The following season he showed flashes of greatness as he posted a 25/392/6 line. This past season was supposed to be the one where we saw Lyerla make good on his massive potential and be a key offensive player for the Ducks.
And so the real story begins.
[inlinead]Instead of blossoming as a star, he clashed with coaches as they tried to get him to get with the program. After missing the Ducks’ Sept. 14 game against Tennessee with what Lyerla called the “stomach flu,” Head Coach Mark Helfrich characterized his absence as “circumstance,” leaving many to believe something was happening behind the scenes. On October 7th, Lyerla abruptly quit the team as speculation started to grow that he was becoming a major distraction. On October 11th, he had his driver’s license suspended after he received his fourth traffic citation in a 24-month period. It all came to a head on October 23rd when Lyerla was caught inhaling a “white, powdery substance” inside a parked car in Eugene – this substance was later proven to be cocaine. He made the problem worse when he ran from police as they tried to continue the investigation at his home.
When you fast forward to the combine, Lyerla was grilled in the interview process. He said all the right things like, “I can’t really say too much about that (the arrest), but it’s something I deeply, deeply regret and it’s a mistake I’ll have to live with the rest of my life.” He added, “I think the biggest thing was just making the choice to move away from home and get myself in a place to where I’m only doing positive things,” he said. “Just continuing to stay on the right track. … Mainly, it was having a big sit-down with my family and coming to an agreement with myself as far as the negative things I was doing and what I need to do to change.”
Unfortunately for Colt, those words didn’t give NFL front offices enough confidence to take him as he went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft. What’s even more telling is the Eagles were not one of the teams believed to be interested in signing Lyerla as an undrafted free agent when the draft was over. If Chip Kelly wasn’t interested, it shows you just how far Lyerla’s stock has dropped. In fact, Lyerla was one of the last players to even receive an invite to any rookie mini-camp and wasn’t immediately signed like many of the others.
The Packers were finally the team that stepped up to the plate and invited Lyerla to their rookie minicamp over the weekend. He was predictably impressive, so they signed him on Monday. He still has a massive hill to climb in order to make the team, but this 6’5″, 245 pound tight end has first round talent. He is a true athlete who can seemingly catch anything other than common sense. There’s no doubt if he had his head on straight, he would have been taken somewhere in the first two days of the draft. His true athletic upside is that of Rob Gronkowski. Seriously.
So, now what?
As I mentioned yesterday, if I’m a dynasty league owner, Lyerla is a player who I’d certainly be taking a good look at. He’s obviously an incredible boom or bust selection, but the upside here is undeniable. I see value with Lyerla in the late third or early fourth round in rookie drafts as a player who could reasonably outperform the best tight ends in this draft (including Ebron) or just as easily be out of the league in a month. When you get to that point in a rookie draft, every selection has an element of risk associated with it, but there will be few (if any) players available with the amount of talent or difference making ability Lyerla possesses. For his sake, let’s just hope he’s truly turned things around.
He’s likely going to break your heart, but the chance he pans out may just be too much to pass up.
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Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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