Tuesday
NFL News, Top Posts2010 NFL draft preview: The day Dez Bryant began to slip and slide
Could forgetting a pair of cleats cost Oklahoma St. WR Dez Bryant millions of dollars? The answer is hell, yes.
Bryant forgot to bring his shoes to his own pro audition on Tuesday. As a result, he had to break in a new pair of cleats and slipped and slid his way to disappointing 40-yard dash times of 4.52 and 4.68, and just plain quit on two other drills.
For a player with so much at stake, you would have thought his footwear would have been at the Lufkin, Tex., field under lock and key. Days before Tuesday.
At the very least, he should have shown enough fortitude to fight through the adversity.
As a result, Bryant failed to quell and may have fueled the many concerns that have arisen since the 6-2, 224 lbs. receiver was suspended by the NCAA in October.
Bryant, who did not workout at the NFL scouting combine due to a hamstring injury and then skipped the Oklahoma St. pro day to host his own event in his hometown, may have just skidded all the way from the top-10 in the 2010 NFL draft into the 20s.
“I thought it went well, but there’s some things I could have done better. I showed the scouts that I’m in good condition and I ran better than I thought. My times in the 40 were inconsistent, but they all know I can run on the field,” Bryant told the Lufkin Daily News.
Not anymore.
“When you run 4.55 and you’re considered an elite receiver, and you’re not clean off the field — there were some issues today — I’m going to completely have to re-evaluate where I have this guy going in the draft,” said the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, who billed Bryant as the third-best prospect of the entire draft prior to the workout.
“This kid didn’t finish the short shuttle today, didn’t finish the three-cone. There are some red flags there.”
Bryant, who caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 TDs as a sophomore, has added about 10 to 15 pounds of muscle since his those halcyon days, but questions about his character and lack of drive have now become tangible concerns.
To be fair, Bryant still managed a 38-inch vertical leap, an 11-1 broad jump and has plenty of game tape that supports his status as the best receiver available. Tuesday’s exhibition however added another permanent tag: Buyer beware.
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