This is a GOOD reason why we shouldn't touch a WR in the 1st.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by dmek25

for every good scouting report, there is another bad one. i guarantee there are more teams out there that would love to have Cromartie on their team, then not. and the player in this draft that i think is running the biggest sham, is Howie Longs son. the guy is no where near the player that people are predicting to be a first rounder. had 2 or 3 games, max, that was outstanding in. all the other games, he disappeared. just a workout guy. too me, very similar to Mike Mumula. anyone remember him?

Very rarely, does a player come along that you already know enough about him before he gets drafted to say that he's a lock to be a top 5 pick, but there are really no questions Chris Long has to answer.

With absolutely no relation to Howie, this kid still has the stuff to be a top 5 selection. The fact that he's got the same blood as an NFL hall of famer gives you insight into his mental makeup that we have very little ability to judge on other prospects.

We use the phrase "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" to make an excuse for a kid who gets into trouble, and instead to blame the parents for the mismanagement of the undisciplined child. That phrase can work in a good sense too. Clearly he's got elite talent, but while all the other players with elite talent are relative unknowns in terms of work ethic, you KNOW that Chris Long won't have any issues with handling the mental load of the NFL because his gene set has already been proven to handle it.

Now I'm not saying that every NFL player will have a kid who will also grow up to be an NFL player. Obviously, that's not the case, but in Long's case...he would be a top 5 pick in the draft if he had NO ties to Howie, and the fact that he does makes him as close to a sure thing as the draft can offer.