ESPN is reporting this morning that its draft expert, Mel Kiper Jr., has moved Auburn quarterback Cam Newton up to the No. 3 position on his mock draft chart. Kiper appears to have made this move despite Newton’s problems related to alleged theft and cheating while at the University of Florida.
While at Florida, Newton allegedly took a laptop from a fellow student’s dorm room, and allegedly put his name on a paper written for him by another student. If one subscribes to a key tenet long held by HR professionals that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, then any team considering drafting Newton needs to do an extremely thorough job of vetting him and understanding how pervasive the alleged behavior might be.
Based on decades of experience in the vetting and screening business, we at Sports Intelligence Analysts know that if these allegations are true, they are quite possibly just the tip of the iceberg, and that such behavior is unlikely to go away any time soon. Giving a young man with a potentially questionable character millions of dollars and celebrity status almost beyond comprehension can turn out to be a behavioral tsunami for a team and its owners. Just ask the Atlanta Falcons!
Kiper’s listing of Newton as the No. 3 choice in the draft means he could go to the Buffalo Bills. Whether it’s the Bills or another team in dire need of a quarterback that ultimately drafts Newton, it would be well advised to remember the old adage, buyer beware!
No comments:
Post a Comment