One of the big fears of NFL GMs is to spend a high draft pick on a player who never ends up panning out. Since I would hate to see this happen to anyone, here is some advice regarding some sought after prospects who will not work out at the next level.
Johnny Manziel QB Texas A&M: Johnny Football has been one of the most productive and polarizing figures in college football over the last two seasons. His smaller stature is not a huge concern as other quarterbacks have overcome this to put together nice careers. I think that the comparison to Russell Wilson are outrageous however. Wilson is a once in a generation talent when it comes to football acumen and drive to succeed. Manziel is selfish and immature which would give me pause if I were considering drafting him to be a leader. I think that Manziel flames out a la Vince Young who was also very gifted but not very mature.
Carlos Hyde RB Ohio State: Hyde has had a very nice college career but he looks very "Ron Dayne" to me, though less oversized for his height. There is nothing exceptional about his game, aside from being part of a great team and a complementary scheme. Hyde can break some tackles, but not as many as he should and his burst is subpar. On longer drives he seems to wear down and his talents do not fit the needs of present day NFL teams. For my money, there are too many better options in this draft to spend a high pick on Hyde.
Jeremy Hill RB LSU: This is more of a character question than actual doubt regarding his skill level. Hill is an excellent prospect who could flourish in the NFL-but he won't. His rap sheet includes multiple off field issues which were fairly serious in nature. Roger Goodell rules the NFL with an iron fist and Hill will be on his watch list from the start. The team that drafts Hill is taking a huge risk and may end up with nothing to show for it but regret and an empty roster spot.
Kelvin Benjamin WR Florida St.: Benjamin has some impressive physical gifts including a massive frame; you can't teach height. He is very raw and sometimes does not concentrate when attempting a catch. There have been some comparisons to Plaxico Burress which could turn out to be accurate. In my opinion Stephen Hill would be a better comparison than Burress. He could pan out after a couple of seasons, but whatever team chooses Benjamin had better have the depth to take on a project.
Allen Robinson WR Penn St.: A strong, physical receiver with off the charts abilities after the catch will be attractive to a lot of teams. But Robinson is going to struggle to get open at the next level due to average speed and fair route-running skills. His focus has been questioned and he has has unspecified disciplinary issues while at Penn St. Robinson seems to be more risk than reward though he could be solid in an ideal system. A first or second round pick would be much too high.
These are some players that I would avoid given where they are likely to be taken in the draft. Benjamin and Robinson would be decent targets at the right price, but they will be taken too high to consider. I know that not everyone will agree with this list, so please leave some comments and let me know what you think.
