I have told you about my guys. Now let's talk about guys you want to avoid like the plague. What players are you sure won't make it in the pros?
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Without ESPN, I think this guy would be a fifth round pick. Anytime I hear a phrase like, "rebuild his delivery" mentioned in the same sentence as a quarterback expected to go early, I consider it a red flag. What you have is a guy whose success came in an option system based on his power running. Even his advocates say his mechanics are woeful. He also isn't very accurate. In some ways, his success hindered his development. Teams were so afraid of his running that they loaded up inside, giving him wide open windows to hit receivers. He never had to develop pinpoint accuracy. I'm also afraid of a guy who seeks contact and already has a concussion.
Yes, I know he is a great leader, a hard worker, and has top notch intangibles. So did Jason White. So did Ken Dorsey. So did Craig Krenzel. Just because ESPN personalities swooned over his every move doesn't make him the first guy to wear eye black, pump his fist, or give a speech to his teammates. He screams "major project." Tebow was a great college player, but he's a developmental player in the NFL.
I also don't buy the "he's a safe pick because he could move to tight end" logic. Having the prototypical size to play a position doesn't mean a guy will have success there. He would have to learn technique and the inner workings of the position from square one. How many converted quarterbacks really become top notch players at a receiver position? Antwaan Randle-El may be the best, and he's was a number three receiver in his prime.
Taylor Mays, S, USC
"He runs like a cornerback and hits like a linebacker." The problem is when he is running, he doesn't recognize the football and doesn't stick with receivers. When he's hitting, he isn't fundamentally sound. He makes highlight reel hits but doesn't wrap ball carriers enough. Mays is more of an athlete than a football player. You can dominate physically in college. Everybody is really athletic in the NFL.
Jevean Snead, QB, Ole Miss
I watched a lot of Ole Miss last year. I left almost every game with two thoughts. The first was Dexter McCluster is a playmaker. The second was Jevean Snead was horrible. He may have all of the physical tools, but Snead has none of the necessities of a good quarterback. He is very inaccurate, makes terrible decisions with the football, has poor mechanics, and panics in the face of a pass rush. He was arguably the most disappointing player on one of college football's biggest underachieving teams in 2009. Todd McShay is nuts to like this guy's potential.
Jason Paul-Pierre, DE, South Florida
I never like guys who get picked high for their athletic potential opposed to what they did on the field. Paul-Pierre put up one good season in a mediocre conference. He's way too risky to go as high as some team will choose him.
Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
I think character concerns get overblown when it comes to Draft prospects. People do irresponsible things in college. Heck, it's a part of college. There's irresponsible, though, and there's getting a DUI before the biggest game of the season like Dunlap. It shows a lack of dedication to team. I may not be high on Tebow's pro potential, but something tells me he was studying game film that night, and his sole focus was Alabama that week. Combine that with a questionable motor and an underachieving junior year, and there are enough red flags to make me want no part of the guy.
What guys do you want to avoid at all costs?