Justin Blackmon has long been considered one of the best wide receivers available in the 2012 NFL Draft. But that is not a consensus opinion among general managers. In fact, some GMs have a second round grade on Blackmon, according to Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly.
Some general managers graded Justin Blackmon as a second round pick
I’ve made it known over the past few months that I prefer Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd to Blackmon. But never did I consider Blackmon a second round pick. Nawrocki pointed to the same issues that most have harped on, Blackmon’s lack of size and elite speed.
But another interesting concern was raised by Nawrocki, which Evan Silva pointed out on Twitter today. Following Oklahoma State’s victory in the Fiesta Bowl, Blackmon went straight to Vegas rather than returning to school, which has raised some red flags, according to Nawrocki. It’s worth noting that Oklahoma State was on winter break at the time, so Blackmon wasn’t skipping out on school or anything. Also, Nawrocki was also wary of Cam Newton a year ago for similar reasons, and we all know how that worked out.
Floyd has seen his draft stock take a big hit over the course of the last year due to alcohol-related arrests, but Blackmon rarely gets mentioned as a “character concern.” It’s worth noting that Blackmon has a DUI to his name in addition to this Vegas ordeal. I’m not convinced either receiver presents a major character concern, but each comes with similar baggage.
The Blackmon-Floyd argument is becoming one of the most interesting story lines leading up to the NFL Draft.
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