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New Orleans Saints Draft Prospects: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri

By Andrew Schuster

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Dec 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (15) runs for a touchdown pass against Auburn Tigers defensive back Ryan Smith (24) during the second quarter of the 2013 SEC Championship game at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

After trading away tight end Jimmy Graham and receiver Kenny Stills, the New Orleans Saints are in the market for a new wideout, preferably a big man who can stretch the field.  When it comes to skill set and upside, Missouri WR Dorial Green-Beckham is a top-tier product and arguably the best at his position in this rookie class.

However, when it comes to behavioral issues, he’s considered a high-risk prospect.  Green-Beckham actually enrolled at Oklahoma in 2014 after being dismissed from Mizzou for multiple off-field mishaps – two different marijuana charges and the subject of an assault case after allegedly pushing a woman down a flight of stairs.  He was ineligible to play in 2014 at OU due to transfer rules.

Are Sean Payton and his New Orleans Saints willing to take the risk on somebody that could make an immediate impact on the football field?  History tells us no, but an athlete with the type of skill set that Dorial Green-Beckham presents would be hard to pass up on with the No. 31 overall selection in the first round.

He’s a physical specimen with a rare combination of size, speed and strength.  An incredible wide receiver with smooth, long strides, exquisite route separation skills and the ability to make highlight-reel plays with an out-of-this-world catch radius, Green-Beckham is the “real deal.” However, his potentially bright future all relies on whether or not he can stay out of trouble.  The NFL does not need another Josh Gordon.

From MUTigers.com:

"HIGH SCHOOLRanked by Rivals as the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation at any position, as well as the nation’s top wide receiver … Revealed his selection live on ESPNU on National Signing Day in a nationally-televised ceremony … ESPN ranked him as the No. 3 overall prospect in the country at any position, as well as the No. 1 receiver in the nation and the No. 1 player in the state of Missouri … Named the national player of the year in 2011 by Sports Illustrated, Parade Magazine, and USA Today … Was also a two-time 1st-Team USA Today All-American selection … Amassed a national prep record of 6,353 receiving yards and 75 receiving touchdowns … Closed his prep career with eye-popping numbers which included 119 receptions for 2,233 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior … Named to every national All-American team, including the prestigious Parade All-American squad … Made 78 catches as a junior for 1,703 yards and 15 scores … His sophomore stats included 66 catches for 1,616 yards and 23 touchdowns, after he posted 37 catches for 801 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman.2012 SEASONWon honorable mention freshman all-American honors by College Football News for a year which included 28 receptions for 395 yards and a team-best 5 receiving TDs … Production really picked up in the last half of the season, as he accumulated 21 of his 28 catches, 267 of his 395 yards and 4 of his 5 TDs in his final five games … Closed the year with a 4-catch, 55-yard, 1-TD outing at Texas A&M, with his score coming on a beautiful leaping grab in the endzone for a 28-yard TD … Had a 70-yard catch-and-run TD in the home finale against Syracuse on the third snap of the game which quickly put Mizzou up, 7-0 … Ended that game with two receptions for 79 yards … Had a solid first showing against Southeastern Louisiana, tying for the team lead with three receptions while hauling in 32 yards … In the third quarter, hauled in a 29-yard reception, his longest of the game … Was involved in the running game against Arizona State, picking up 19 yards on four carries … Had just one catch against UCF but it was a big one, as he hauled in a pass down the seam from QB James Franklin, broke a tackle, and went 80-yards for a touchdown to give Mizzou a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter … It was the longest reception at MU since Blaine Gabbert hit Danario Alexander for an 84-yard touchdown back in 2009 … Did not play against Vanderbilt, and was held without a reception the next week against Alabama … Led Mizzou with seven catches in Mizzou’s 33-10 homecoming win over Kentucky, totaling 25 yards … Led Mizzou in receptions for the second consecutive game with six grabs for 73 yards in the Tigers’ 14-7 loss at Florida … Had just two catches for the Tigers in the 51-48, four overtime win over Tennessee, but they were huge as they included a 25-yard TD strike on 4th-and-12 with 47 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and a 10-yard catch on third down in the third overtime."

From SoonerSports.com:

"2013 (at Missouri)Second Team All-SEC by the Associated Press … started all 14 games … led the team with four receptions for 53 yards in the Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma State (1/3) … posted a season-high 144 receiving yards on six catches, including two touchdowns in the SEC Championship game against Auburn (12/7) … hauled in a team-high seven catches for 93 yards and a touchdown against Texas A&M (11/30) … recorded two receptions for 14 yards at Ole Miss (11/23) … set Missouri single-game record for touchdown receptions in a game with four against Kentucky (11/9), while totaling seven catches for 100 yards on the day … caught two passes, one of which was a touchdown, for 22 yards and added a run of three yards against Tennessee (11/2) … recorded a catch for six yards against South Carolina (10/26) … hauled in three passes for 52 yards versus Florida (10/19) … posted four receptions for 35 yards at Georgia (10/12) … caught two passes for 30 yards at Vanderbilt (10/5) … led the team in receiving yards with 95 on four catches, two of which were for touchdowns, against Arkansas State (9/28) … posted a team-high 105 receiving yards on eight catches, one of which was a touchdown, at Indiana (9/21) … caught five passes for 51 yards and a touchdown against Toledo (9/7) … led the team with 83 receiving yards on four catches against Murray State (8/31)."

NFL Scouting Combine Measurables:

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 237 LBS

Arm length: 32 1/2 inches

Hands: 9 inches

40-yard dash: 4.49 secs

Bench press (225 LBS): 13 reps

Vertical jump: 33.5 inches

Broad jump: 119 inches

3-cone drill: 6.89 secs

20-yard shuttle: 4.45 secs

60-yard shuttle: 11.89 secs

With Marques Colston on decline and the Graham/Stills trades, Dorial Green-Beckham could come in and immediately compete for a starting job, or at least a big role in the Crescent City.

However, due to his past off-field issues, I don’t see the New Orleans Saints gambling on him, especially with the uncanny abilities of Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis — finding diamonds in the ruff in later rounds of the selection process.  A guy with a comparable skill set to that of Dorial Green-Beckham is Georgia Tech WR Darren Waller, who could wind up being a huge steal in the fifth or sixth round if he doesn’t continue his rapid climb up the big board.

But even if we don’t like Dorial Green-Beckham for his behavioral problems, we can’t help but admire and respect his physical attributes and the level of excitement he could potentially bring to the National Football League.  We’ll have to wait and see till April 30 how the Black and Gold use their pair of first-round draft picks.

Next: 5 Reasons Why Drew Brees Will Bounce Back

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