ARLINGTON- Florida Gators wide receiver Antonio Callaway has a lot of promising talent. This receiver could make an offense go from two high-caliber receivers to three right away. He has the talent to be selected in the first three rounds. This sounds all too easy but some things are not as they seem. There is a reason to throw caution into the wind with Callaway.
His off the field behavior leaves little to be desired. Stealing credit card information and being around a 40-year-old career criminal will make scouts scream don’t take this guy quicker than saying pass on Johnny Manziel. In fact, Callaway’s history is so bad that taking Josh Gordon and Manziel might as be considered no risks at all. However , Gordon turned his life around so anything is possible.
However, we are dealing with more than just drug charges here as Callaway was cited for marijuana possession after his arrest when he was with the career criminal. The stolen credit card information and the career criminals history should give scouts the impression that Callaway is a terrible decision maker and can’t be trusted.
What about the fact that he became a first time father last month? Does this change anything? This life changing event may give Callaway a reason to change his ways in addition to attempting to start a career in the NFL.
Teams should still consider taking a chance on him. He ran a 4.41 40 yard dash and the game film proves that Callaway creates matchup problems for corner backs and safeties. According to NFL.com, his hands can be inconsistent at times. However, when he catches the ball and gets away from defenders, he is a touchdown threat every time. He isn’t the biggest receiver. He is 5-11 and 197 pounds so he needs to bulk up a bit. It is worth noting that Callaway gave Minkah Fitzpatrick a tough time so Callaway is definitely worth the risk despite the off field incidents. However, the team that drafts him must do everything possible and with reason, to ensure his troubled history doesn’t follow him to the NFL.
Projection
NFL.com projects Callaway to be a third or fourth round selection. However, given the troubled history, his draft stock isn’t as high as it would normally be. Callaway is more likely a sixth or seventh round pick. He caught 54 passes for 721 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 32 yards and one touchdown in 2016. He did not play in 2017 due to a suspension which also hurts his draft value.