*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Football Character Concerns Hurt Vasher
Updated Oct. 9, 2020By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
There aren’t many NFL prospects who have the skill set of Texas Tech’s T.J. Vasher. The 6-foot-6, 210-pounder has some scouts calling his style of play is similar to Bengals star A.J. Green, the fourth-overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Sources say that while Vasher is not a burner, he has very good quickness, outstanding to exceptional hands, smooth route running, superb ball adjustment, and decent ability after the catch. Considering his great size and mismatch length, Vasher makes highlight-reel acrobatic catches and is a red-zone weapon. There is no doubt that Vasher has the skill set of an early-round pick. Team sources, however, state that character concerns are weighing down Vasher’s draft grades, and they think he could end up going on Day 2 or in the mid-rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Team sources say that Vasher has maturity and motivation issues. They have are concerned that Vasher is not driven to be great. His training and off-the-field habits are not what teams look for, so they see a lot of issues in his football character. The work ethic and football concerns also could help to explain Vasher’s lack of production in college despite his excellent skill set playing in a conference that struggles to play defense. As a freshman (29-545-6), sophomore (54-687-7) and junior (42-515-6), Vasher did not produce up to his skill set.
There still is time for Vasher to improve his draft grade, but he has to immediately start showing a new work ethic, desire, and a dedication to be great. Vasher needs to produce well as a senior and interview well with teams while showing more maturity. He also needs to run well in pre-draft workouts. Slow 40 times could be catastrophic for his draft stock. Vasher has a rare skill set, but he needs make some immediate changes to be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
