Michael Crabtree Comes Up Short

Posted by: Shaun Dolence

Michael Crabtree. 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. A body that resembles Larry Fitzgerald. Potential to be a dominant wide receiver in the NFL.

Uh, no

Well, at least for part of it.

Michael Crabtree, who was listed at 6-foot-3 in the Texas Tech media guide, unpredictably measured in at 6-1 3/8 at the NFL combine. Crabtree is regarded by most as the best receiver in this year’s class, but he isn’t off to a very good start in proving his worth; he isn’t even going to work out at the combine, opting to wait until his Pro Day at Texas Tech instead.

I’m not claiming that a lack of two inches is going to make Crabtree a bust, but there is a pretty significant difference between 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-1 when you’re potentially a top pick in the draft. The next thing that could seriously hurt Crabtree’s stock is his speed – if Crabtree doesn’t run a sub-4.5 40 yard dash, he could possibly drop out of the top five. I’ve heard that the Seahawks will likely look elsewhere if he doesn’t run a 4.5 or better.

The combine is well-known for intensely evaluating prospective draft choices; overrating some players, and dropping the value of others. Crabtree will likely be the target of a lot of criticism up until the draft – all warranted if he doesn’t prove himself in his workouts.

We’ll have to wait and see how he performs at his Pro Day. Until then, I would like to hear your opinions of Crabtree: NFL bust, dominant Pro Bowl receiver, or somewhere in between?