He has great size and bulk, with long arms and big hands that can make spectacular catches. He was passed over by a lot of teams and didn't get picked until the seventh round. No, I'm not talking about Marques Colston, I am referring to Adrian Arrington. Just when you thought the Saints were done drafting on day two, the team pulled the trigger on a trade and gave up a 2009 6th round pick to Green Bay for their 7th round pick this year. With it, they Saints selected WR Adrian Arrington.
Arrington has the prototypical body of an NFL wide receiver. He is tall, lean and has long arms. He is very quick and agile and has a great vertical leap to go up and get balls, making him a great target in the endzone. His favorite position on the line is in the slot.
Unfortunately, there seem to be more negatives than positives at this point. Arrington has a slight lack of experience, and was a starter for only one year, in the shadow of Mario Manningham. He was only a junior when he declared, passing up a chance to stay one more year at Michigan, getting more football knowledge and coming out of the shadow of Mannigham. Character issues are a huge concern with Adrian, and are the reason this mid-rounder fell all the way to the final round. He is known for being selfish and lazy. He avoids contact and prefers not to block. The real red flag with Arrington however, and the reason he slipped to the seventh round, is his character. He was suspended a couple of times in college and also had a run in with the law.
Arrington was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence in 2006 after having an argument with his girlfriend at 3 a.m. According to the police report, he grabbed her keys from her and pushed her out of her car after she came to pick him up at a bar. Charges were never filed. - Times-Pic
There is a huge upside here though, and if he can shed his troubled past, bad attitude, and both he and the Saints are willing to put in all of the work it takes to become an NFL receiver, he has the potential to be a number two guy next to Colston in due time.
Player Info
| Name | School | Position | Hometown | DOB | Ht. | Wt. | 40-Yard | Vertical |
| Adrian Arrington | Michigan | WR | Cedar Rapids, IA | 11/7/85 | 6'2" | 203 | 4.55 | 36" |
College Stats
| Year | GP | Rec | Yards | Yards Per Catch | TD |
| 2004 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 13 | 40 | 544 | 13.6 | 8 |
| 2007 | 13 | 67 | 882 | 13.2 | 8 |
| Totals | 35 | 109 | 1,438 | 13.2 | 16 |
Check out New Era Scouting , FF Toolbox and the New Orleans Saints Official Website for more scouting and info on Arrington.
The following comes from NFL.com , NFL Draft Countdown and ESPN Insider , respectively.
The Good...
Positives: Tall frame with fair upper body strength. ... Very long arms. ... Good timing and hands on jump balls. ... Makes great catches look easy at times. ... Presents big target to the quarterback. ... Lined up in slot and flanker.
Strengths:
Smooth athlete...Nice size and bulk with long arms..Good hands and will make the spectacular catch...Great leaping ability and ball skills...Can do some damage after the catch..Tough...Will work the middle of the field...Still improving and has upside.
Strengths: He is tall with decent bulk and room on his frame to get bigger. Possesses long arms and a big wingspan to shield defenders. Is a bigger target with soft hands. Very smooth and fluid athlete. At his best working against zone and soft-man coverage. Adept at finding soft spots in zone and creating passing windows for his quarterback. Shows good leaping ability and can catch the ball thrown over his head. Not afraid to go over the middle and will make the tough catch in traffic. Gives a good effort as a run blocker.
The Bad...
Negatives: A bit thin in the hips. ... Takes time to get to top speed. ... Inconsistent concentration on easier catches or ones over the middle. ... Hasn't proven himself to be a reliable go-to receiver. ... Not especially quick coming into or out of breaks. ... Should sink his hips more. ... Routes needs to be tighter, as he rounds off too many. ... A bit lazy when ball isn't going to him. ... Inconsistent effort on run blocking. ... Lacks experience -- redshirted his true sophomore season with an injury. ... Some off-field issues (domestic assault charge, another undisclosed incident) led to suspension for the 2005 Alamo Bowl and 2007 spring practice.
Weaknesses:
Does not have great timed speed or quickness...Is not very explosive and lacks a burst...Needs to get stronger...Is not a great route runner...Lack of concentration leads to some drops...Questionable motor...Marginal blocker...Doesn't have a ton of experience...Was never the featured target in college...Has character concerns.
Weaknesses: Biggest weakness is his lack of explosiveness. He does not show good burst off the line of scrimmage. Takes too long to reach top-gear. Is a fluid route runner but lacks burst coming out of breaks. Could really struggle to separate from upper-echelon cover corners at the next level. Does not display a second-gear after the catch or when attempting to track down the deep ball. Is still a bit lean and can improve his overall strength.
NFL.com Q&A...
- Growing up, who was your favorite NFL player and why?
- Jerry Rice, because he was a great player and gave 100 percent effort all the time.
- In college, what player hit you the hardest? Who was the recipient of your best hit?
- Aaron McManiss.
- What TV-show marathon will keep you on the couch all day?
- Law and Order.
- What celebrity would play you in the movie version of your life and why?
- Denzel Washington, because he is real laid back like myself.
- What is one thing your teammates don't know about you?
- I'm really good at math.
- What reality TV show would you like to be on and why?
- Snoop Dogg's Fatherhood because he is funny.
- What's your proudest moment in football? Proudest moment off the field?
- Winning the 2008 Capital One Bowl; Working/visiting Mott's Children's Hospital.
- When you play Madden, what team do you use? Do you put yourself on the team?
- Patriots; No.
- Who has been the biggest influence on your football career and how?
- Lloyd Carr, because he helped me grow as an athlete and as a person.