Baltimore Ravens can’t draft Dorial Green-Beckham
Feb 21, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham catches a pass during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dorial Green-Beckham has captured the imaginations of fans with his size and speed, measuring at 6’5″ and clocking a 4.49 40-yard dash. People love those kinds of numbers. What they shouldn’t love is his history of violence against women and drug use. Considering the Baltimore Ravens‘ current situation, Dorial Green-Beckham should not be an option in the first round. In fact, the Ravens shouldn’t touch DGB even if he goes undrafted.
I don’t want DGB to fail. I don’t cheer for anyone to fail. I want him to stay out of trouble, continue to grow as a person and have a successful NFL career. But it can’t happen in Baltimore, for so many reasons.
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Let’s start with the off-field stuff. The Ravens are already on thin ice. They definitely lost some fans with their handling of the Ray Rice saga, and taking Dorial Green-Beckham, who reportedly pushed a woman down a flight of stairs, would absolutely send the wrong message at this point. If the Ravens want to talk the talk about being part of the solution, rather than the problem with regards to the issue of violence against women, then they absolutely cannot have Dorial Green-Beckham in purple and black.
I’ll admit, DGB’s tape is pretty impressive. He can make jump ball grabs almost as well as DeVante Parker, and he’s a more natural athlete. Smooth is the word that best describes DGB, which is not something many 6’5″ guys can say.
That said, his route tree is limited. Mike Mayock broke it down best:
"I watched every target to him in 2013, and he has no idea what he’s doing, but he changes games."
DGB didn’t get a lot of separation on his routes, he didn’t always track the ball well, and he doesn’t always catch the ball cleanly. His nine-inch hands are smaller than ideal for a receiver in the league, and his 4.45 20-yard shuttle was third worst among receivers.
His physicality is also questionable. At 237 pounds, DGB benched just 13 reps of 225. That is not a great number for a guy who weighs 200 pounds, let alone 237. Either DGB doesn’t work hard in the weight room, or he just isn’t naturally super strong. Either way, that shows in his tape, as he struggles with physical coverage.
Those are legitimate on-field concerns that seem to be going ignored right now.
Despite those on-field warts, I could see DGB posting double-digit touchdowns on a consistent basis if he stays out of trouble. But should anyone want to bet on that big old “if”?
Considering DGB’s overwhelming physical skills, someone will take a chance on him. Maybe a team can even keep him out of trouble. I hope so, for his sake. But it shouldn’t be the Ravens. They just can’t afford another public relations nightmare, and he isn’t worth the risk.