Blackmon and the NFL
By John Helsley
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During the lead up to OSU’s Alamo Bowl win over Arizona, I wrote about the pros and cons of Brandon Weeden’s upcoming decision on whether to enter the NFL Draft.
Most analysts thought it wise for Weeden to return for another year of college ball, due to his limited body of work. They said Weeden would greatly benefit from the kind of reps he’ll only get in college, since he’d almost assuredly be wearing his ballcap backward on the sideline as a No. 2 or 3 quarterback.
Justin Blackmon, however, is a different story.
Blackmon’s stock has been a steady rise this season, as he kept producing and compiling ridiculous stats — incredibly consistent stats — throughout the season. Cowboys coach Mike Gundy is on record saying that Blackmon should return, but if the high opinions regarding the draft-eligible sophomore are on target, the lure of big money may be too hard to pass up.
Here’s the early take on Blackmon from Pro Football Weekly:
Blackmon: Top half of first round… beat (Prince) Amukamara and Aaron Williams. Few receivers are as strong, physical or competitive as Anquan Boldin, but Blackmon plays the game with a similar football temperament. After being suspended one game for a DUI arrest, the redshirt sophomore returned to catch 13-173-1 against Baylor, not to mention running 69 yards around the corner for a score. He’s intensely competitive, plays with confidence and has terrific ball skills, taking the ball away from defensive backs in the air as he did repeatedly to Nebraska’s Prince Amukamara. He overcomes his lack of foot speed with deceptively sharp route running, strong hands and great concentration in traffic, running as fast as he needs to. Although he still needs to mature, his style of play would attract some interest in the top half of the first round if he were to declare.
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