NFL Draft 2013: Scouts Question Cordarrelle Patterson Football Smarts

Former Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson blew up the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine and has quickly become the most talked about wide receiver in this year’s draft class and a potential top 15 pick. While Patterson’s athleticism and dynamic playmaking ability is making teams fall in love, some scouts are concerned about the complexity of an offense that Patterson will be able to grasp.

“He’s explosive. He’s dynamic. He runs consistent 4.4s, I’m just not sure how smart he is,” one scout told the Times of Trenton. “You’re going to have to keep it simple for him. But the kid is really dynamic.”

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Patterson is certainly generating a lot of buzz, but the question of his ability to hand a complicated offense will continue to surface. However, one thing that people need to remember is that no prospect ever comes in to the league as a finished product and there is always room for growth and learning.

Patterson will be one of those players who will come in and try to make an immediate impact like he did when he joined Tennessee.

NFL Films’ Greg Cosell seems to believe that the athleticism and size of Patterson is going to be enough to overcome the questions about his ability to understand the playbook.

Cosell also added, “One thing to always remember. No one comes into NFL a finished product. What can be coached and what can’t. That’s key question in evaluation.”

So it is going to be up to NFL teams to determine whether or not Patterson’s football IQ really is a concern. What do you think? Would you take a chance on the former Tennessee wide receiver early in the first-round or is there another pass catcher that you would prefer your team to select in April’s draft?

As always, let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section.