While character matters to Dorsey, he is also a believer in second chances and he gave a few of them on Saturday.
Here’s our in-depth analysis of the last 4 members of the draft class of 2018.
Callaway was given a first-round grade according to Dorsey, which is why he saw so much value here. The problem is that Callaway has had so many off the field problems, no one in the NFL wanted to touch him, that was until Dorsey swapped picks 114 and 175 with New England to move up to 105 and pick him. Callaway didn’t even play last season in Gainesville because he allegedly used stolen credit card information for bookstore purchases causing him to be suspended by the University for the season. Police cited Callaway during a May 2017 traffic stop for misdemeanor marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Florida suspended Callaway for spring practice in 2016 following a sexual assault allegation, which he was cleared of by a Title IX hearing officer. Callaway, who testified during the Title IX hearing that he was high on marijuana at the time of the alleged encounter, was never criminally charged following the allegation which were originally made in 2015. At the NFL Combine Callaway failed a marijuana test. We haven’t even touched on his football talent yet, but here we go. Callaway played just 2 seasons at Florida where he totaled 89 catches for 1,399 yards and 7 touchdowns. He added 3 more scores on kickoff and punt returns but did his must damage returning punts where he racked up 653 return yards and averaged 12.1 yards per return. The Browns feel he’ll be able to help fill their return void this fall. With Josh Gordon still trying to get his life together off the field and remain eligible to play and Corey Coleman, who has maturity issues of his own in addition to problems catching the football, entering a make or break third season, adding Callaway to the receiver room is a dicey proposition and gives the organization yet another major headache they now must deal with. It was a risky pick, but Dorsey feels the juice is worth the squeeze.
Avery was the lone linebacker added to the fold in the class which reinforces the belief that Dorsey is very comfortable with their current crop that includes starters Joe Schobert, Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey and reserves Tank Carder, Dominique Alexander, James Burgess and B.J. Bello. Avery is a 2-time first-team all-conference linebacker that set a school record with 22.0 tackles for loss in 2017. He totaled 45.0 in 4 seasons – 33 in the last 2 that also saw him rack up 161 tackles combined, break up 6 passes force 4 fumbles and recover another. A value pick in round 5 for Dorsey, Avery could easily find himself to be a key special teams contributor in 2018 as well as a rotational player for Gregg Williams.
Ratley tallied just 47 receptions for 920 yards and 8 touchdowns in 37 games for the Aggies over 3 seasons. His size and breakaway speed are intriguing. He emerged last season as a senior that saw 11 of his 30 catches in 2017 go for at least 25 yards, including 5 for 40 or more yards. A low risk with the potential for a high reward pick here by Dorsey.
Academic problems during the 2014 and 2015 seasons slowed Thomas’ development. In 2013 Thomas was among 5 recruits who allegedly had ACT test results changed by a test administrator. He was suspended for the entire 2014 season for academics and he served a 9-game NCAA suspension in 2015, purportedly because of the 2013 incident, but he did not play the remaining 3 games, preserving a year of eligibility. In April 2017, Thomas was among 13 players arrested for allegedly stealing property from a dorm room of a former teammate that was jailed on a rape charge. The theft charges against Thomas and 10 others were reduced to misdemeanors. On the field the last 2 years saw Thomas play in 22 games where he totaled 82 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 19 passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. While Thomas’ past problems are a concern, it’s difficult to fault Dorsey for taking a chance with the ninth member of his draft class midway through the sixth round.