Rookie Player Profile: Dorial Green-Beckham

Doug Green

swot

Combine Review

Height – 6’5”
Weight – 237 pounds
Hands – 9”
Arm length – 32 ½”
40-yard dash – 4.49 seconds
20-yard shuttle – 4.45 seconds3-cone drill – 6.89 seconds
Vertical jump – 33.5”
Broad jump – 119”

Video Clip

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Strengths

Green-Beckham is a big, strong receiver who high-points the ball very well. He’s not a blazer, but runs well for a man his size. He has strong hands and a large catch radius. He glides across the field with an easy stride. His size/speed combination makes his a difficult matchup in coverage and a nightmare in the red zone.

His talent is apparent, but he is raw. As NFL draft analyst Mike Mayock was quoted as saying “He has no idea what he’s doing out there, but he’s a game-changer.”

The fact he is raw actually helps his case. He has not developed a lot of bad habits because he just goes out and plays without thinking. His “my ball” mentality, while not on the level of Dez Bryant, is quite apparent.

Weaknesses

He missed the 2015 season after being dismissed from Missouri following an arrest for drug possession. He spent last season on the campus of the University of Oklahoma where he practiced with the team, but never appeared in a game. He had several run-ins with the law during his time at Missouri, including allegations of domestic assault. Part of that could be maturity. Another part could be entitlement as he was the No. 1 recruit in the county coming out of high school and was even an outstanding basketball player.

Because of the missed season, his route-running (which wasn’t all that great to start with) is probably under-developed. Along the same vein, his football IQ is probably lacking and it may take him some time to get up to NFL game speed. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him get a lot of repetitions in the preseason to help accelerate his learning curve.

He also is not the most physical receiver, but he is a willing blocker.

Opportunities

On a Tennessee roster full of underachieving potential at wideout, Green-Beckham might be the most Titans receiver ever. Or, he could end up being a perennial All-Pro.

Tennessee is looking to build their offense around first-round pick Marcus Mariota. Because of that, the Titans, who were already flush with wide receivers, chose Green-Beckham in the second round. Clearly, the coaching staff will give DGB every chance to unlock his tremendous potential. The pair could form quite the combination for the coming years, perhaps looking a bit like Steve Young and Terrell Owens when they reach their prime, hopefully without the sit-ups in the driveway. Green-Beckham also has dominated at the collegiate level without decent quarterback play. No one was afraid of James Franklin, who is currently in the CFL. Mariota is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Even backup Zach Mettenberger would probably be better than what he played with in college. That has to make Green-Beckham owners very excited about his prospects.

Nate Washington and Kendall Wright finished last season as the Titans’ starters, but Green-Beckham should overtake at least one of them in camp, as long as he keeps his head on straight, though I wouldn’t expect a Odell Beckham/Mike Evans kind of rookie season out of Green-Beckham.

Threats

Green-Beckham’s biggest threat is himself. He needs to keep his focus on football and keep his nose clean. If he can do so and plays to his potential, the sky’s the limit.

As for competition on the field, he needs to overtake former second-round pick Justin Hunter, who could be considered a Green-Beckham prototype. Hunter has size and speed but was raw coming out of college and never found his place in the pro game. He will need to overtake either Washington or Wright to earn a starting spot.

Short-term expectations

As long as Green-Beckham stays on the active roster, he is a threat to go off. He may have some boom and bust to his game, but I think a rookie season that mirrored Philadelphia’s Jordan Matthews last season (67 catches, 872 yards, eight touchdowns) would not be out of the question. It generally takes rookie wide receivers a year or two to get their bearings. Couple that with a rookie quarterback in Mariota and this season could be capped a bit.

Long-term expectations

As stated above, if Green-Beckham gets his act together, his potential is almost limitless. He is a gifted receiver and will benefit from NFL-level coaching. Pairing him with a stable personality like Mariota will help him mature, which is his major area of weakness. If it all clicks, DGB could be a WR1 for a long, long time.

On the flipside, if his off-field troubles resurface, his stay in the NFL could be quick. He may get a couple of chances because of his massive talent, but he slipped into the second round because many teams were wary of him.

NFL Comparison

Green-Beckham’s comparisons are far-flung. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein suggested Justin Hunter in his draft profile. Associate Bucky Brooks threw out two names in his breakdown – he suggested Chicago’s Alshon Jeffery. But the comparison that Brooks made that sticks with me is former Steelers wideout Plaxico Burress. Both have big bodies and have some off-field issues. The name most often mentioned is Detroit’s Calvin Johnson based on his height and talent, but that’s a tough comparison to make as Johnson is much faster and came with a clean off-field record when he was drafted.

Rookie draft projection

Green-Beckham’s ADP currently checks in at No. 7 overall. While most consider Oakland’s Amari Cooper and Chicago’s Kevin White the top two wide receivers off the board, there is some debate about the third man and Green-Beckham is firmly in that discussion. If you want him, you’ll probably need to be in the Top 5 of your draft, perhaps even as high as No. 3 depending on how your league values running backs.

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