About an hour after showing NFL teams why they should covet him at UF’s Pro Scout Day last Wednesday, former Gators defensive end Carlos Dunlap flashed a glimpse of why they should hesitate to throw millions of dollars his way.
Dunlap impressed during his workout, improving on all his times and reps from the NFL Combine, but when asked by reporters about whether character questions have affected his draft stock, Dunlap’s answer included this line: “I don’t want to sound cocky or confident, but I’m the humblest guy there is.”
Hearing the ever-polite Dunlap brag about being humble was funny and even endearing, but it also highlighted the flaw that seems to have some on the fence about the 6-foot-6, 290-pounder: immaturity.
Dunlap notched 18.5 sacks during the last two seasons against frequent double teams, but his DUI arrest in December and questions about his work ethic have plagued his reputation.
It’s not that Dunlap isn’t a nice guy, he just has to prove he has a killer instinct and is willing to work to reach his full potential.
“Physically, he’s in the elite category in terms of the gifts he has,” ESPN analyst Todd McShay said. “He’s freakish physically, it’s just a matter of maturity level and growing up.
“If he grows up in a hurry, realizes the gifts he has, puts the time in and wants to take advantage of them, he could have a special career in the NFL.”
It’s clear Dunlap knows about these concerns, as he went out of his way to address them, probably on the advice of his agent, Todd France.
He made several comments about “never settling,” “improving” and “competition,” and he offered a pretty heartfelt statement about the DUI that kept him out of Florida’s loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Championship.
“That was one of the worst times of my life,” Dunlap said. “I never want to go through it or put anyone else through it again. I’m still dealing with it today with my probation and knowing I could possibly have made a difference in the game.
“It might not even have been making a play, maybe just disrupting a play that might have helped change the game or helped my teammates. That’s something I’m going to live with, being the competitor I am, and that’s something I have to deal with.”
The Carolina Panthers — who Dunlap, a South Carolina native, has said several times would be his ideal team — showed the most interest at Pro Day. Dunlap held a half-hour workout with Panthers defensive line coach Brian Baker, and Carolina could use a defensive end after losing Julius Peppers to the Bears and a $91.5 million contract earlier this month.
Baker mostly focused on testing Dunlap’s flexibility and seeing how he takes instructions, and he said Dunlap has already proven himself in the most crucial area, on game film.
Baker also said the DUI arrest isn’t a huge issue.
“As long as a guy is a good guy — and I don’t think a DUI makes him a bad guy, I think he made a bad decision,” Baker said. “If a guy is a good guy, I’m okay with him. If a guy is a turd, I don’t like him.”
Dunlap isn’t a turd, but he still has something to prove.
He’s probably a good fit for the Panthers, whose first pick is midway through the second round, but if he wants the early first-round slot draft gurus like Mel Kiper predicted he’d have before this season, he needs to show he’s also the most grown-up guy there is.
