Anonymous Scouts on Arizona Cardinals Draft Pick Robert Nkemdiche

One of the best things about the NFL Draft is the "anonymous scouts" and what they have to say about the prospects. It's easy to be an anonymous scout because you don't have to answer for your opinion. No matter how wrong you are, remember the Cam Newton report?

For the Arizona Cardinals we'll start with the look at Robert Nkemdiche and what the anonymous scouts had to say about the Arizona Cardinals first pick from Bob McGinn of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Third-year junior from Loganville, Ga. "He's definitely a top-10 talent," one scout said. "But he's got character (issues) so he'll slide."

Always amazing how these guys know exactly what all the teams are thinking. While it only takes one, it was the Arizona Cardinals who finally pulled the trigger on Nkemdiche. It was an obvious risk versus reward type of pick.

Among DEs, he posted the fastest 40 and best vertical jump (35), and his hands tied for the biggest (10 ¾). "I compared him to Chester McGlockton," one scout said in reference to the DT drafted 16th by Oakland in 1992 whose play didn't always match his rare ability. "He's just a great talent. He can do anything he wants to do. But he kind of picks his spots and takes time off.

We knew this was a concern before he was a Cardinal, but his special ability as an athlete at his size makes coaches believe they can keep the light turned on, all the time.  He's a unique player, one that doesn't come along very often.

"Three-year starter with 98 tackles (19 for loss) and 7 sacks. "Since his freshman year you'll see plays where he'll bull right through the guard," a third scout said. "Biggest issue I have with him is he's the same guy now. You wonder why he's not more developed and not more productive." Wonderlic of 18. "He's a different breed," a fourth scout said. "He marches to his own drummer. When he had the (drunken) fall at the hotel it confirmed a lot of suspicions that people had. Last week, he talked about having a panther as a pet. It's strictly personality. You wonder, ‘Is he a true football player? Is he dedicated to his craft? Or is he just out in la-la land somewhere?'"

That's the reality, he's just different, and in the NFL, different is a bad thing. It is not bad because you are not allowed to be unique, it is bad because it means you do not know what to expect from a player.  The unknown, that's the scary part.