INDIANAPOLIS - At 6 feet 5 and 237 pounds, Dorial Green-Beckham doesn't blend into many rooms.
The way Green-Beckham commanded attention when he entered the media room at the NFL Scouting Combine Thursday, then, was nothing new for the 21-year-old wide receiver. It will be the same Saturday morning when he participates in the on-field workout with the other receivers attending this year's combine.
Big and fast and sporting a catch radius that spans an entire zip code, Green-Beckham is hard to miss.
But after two marijuana arrests and an alleged domestic violence incident that got Green-Beckham booted from Missouri's program, can you draft him and trust him?
That's something that will be debated in draft rooms across the NFL over the next several weeks. The Green-Beckham discussion underscores where the Cleveland Browns are, too, as both a team looking for playmakers and a team that's recently dealt with maturity issues and players who let off-field baggage affect on-field performance.
In last year's first round, the Browns selected cornerback Justin Gilbert and quarterback Johnny Manziel. Gilbert made some plays but ended up suspended by the team for the season finale and is now dealing with what coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer have called a "very personal" issue. Manziel showed little in two starts, showed up in plenty of Instagram pictures and checked himself into rehab, presumably for addicting substances, late last month. The Browns will also play 2015 without wide receiver Josh Gordon, who's suspended at least a year for violating terms of his post-DUI deal with the NFL; Gordon was suspended 10 games last season for violating the league's drug policy.
There's risk involved with every draft pick. With the Browns holding picks Nos. 12 and 19 in the first round this year, there could be extra risk with any player whose background or maturity level could make the Browns think twice.
"I don't think we're going to change our protocol," Pettine said at the combine. "I think we're very thorough in what we do. I don't think you can overreact to it and have guys scare you off that you feel can make the team better.
"It's all risk, but you have the ability to manage it. I think if you go down every NFL roster, you're going to find some higher-risk character guys than others. Our roster is no different."
There's no joking about whatever it is that Gilbert and Manziel are battling. But in answering a question about character and background this week, Pettine joked that the Browns aren't just "going to add players to our roster who are in the National Honor Society and the school choir."
He's right.
But if the Browns don't make better picks than they did in last year's first round -- and if Gilbert and Manziel don't eventually become consistent contributors -- somebody besides Farmer and Pettine will soon be doing the drafting for the Browns.
"I will say we have made changes (to the scouting process)," Farmer said. "We made our adjustments, and I think we'll be more prepared this year because of the different timeframe of me having the position for a year now instead of getting that appointment late February last year.
"(But) it's hard to think you're going to win football games (with) somebody who's not going to have a little bit of dirt underneath their fingernails. They're all not going to be exact, they're all not going to be the best people from a lot of perspectives. But we're looking for the combination of people and talent."
The No. 1 player in the country coming out of high school, Green-Beckham looked and played the part over two seasons at Missouri. He was kicked off Missouri's team last spring following an arrest for marijuana and an incident where he allegedly forced his way into an apartment and pushed a female Missouri student down some stairs while trying to see his girlfriend, a friend of the alleged victim.
He transferred to Oklahoma and practiced with the team last fall before entering this year's draft.
"All the decisions I've made, I wish I could take it back," Green-Beckham said at the combine. "It happened. I was young. I made mistakes. I understand that. I just want to focus on one thing and just look forward to just this draft and being the best I can be."
A day after Green-Beckham said that, talented and highly scrutinized Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston spoke at the same podium. He talked of growing up, of wanting to prove himself, of "being the face of a franchise" and understanding what that would take.
Winston sounded a lot like Manziel did at the same podium last year.
Whether or not they're interested in Winston, Green-Beckham or any other of the numerous draft prospects who have some growing up to do and/or some poor decisions to explain, the Browns have a lot of homework to do.
And, potentially, some very difficult decisions to make.
