Did George Farmer Make the Wrong NFL Draft Decision?

Following a decent end to the 2014 season, USC wide receiver George Farmer announced his intentions to enter the 2015 NFL Draft. The former five-star recruit wound up signing with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent, raising the question if he made the right decision or not.

On the surface, going undrafted looks like a pretty clear no. An extra year would have done Farmer plenty of good, especially when he looked to be a starting receiver following the departure of first round draft pick Nelson Agholor.

But Farmer entered the draft knowing exactly what the stakes were.

He threw his name in the ring knowing that he would have to find a way to prove his worth to NFL general managers, as he lacked draft buzz in January.

Farmer knew that he didn’t have a college résumé worth picking in the draft and would have to manufacture a compelling body of work to get his name called in Chicago. He nearly did just that.

The former Serra receiver attended one of the NFL’s regional combines as reported by Lindsey Thiry in February, and at USC’s Pro Day, ran a blazing fast 4.35 electronically timed 40-yard dash.

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

And just last month, NFL draft guru Matt Miller was “intrigued”, while a profile from Mike Waldner of the Daily Breeze said that there were whispers from NFL scouts that he would be drafted.

Obviously, it didn’t end up happening. But for Farmer to get that close is somewhat of an accomplishment.

After all, this is a guy that only caught 30 passes in college, 25 of them coming as a junior.

So while the narrative will beat Farmer over the head for declaring early, he’s not exactly the victim of misinformation or draft stock decay that early USC entrants of yesteryear were.

Whatever reasons you want to believe led Farmer to declare for the draft, whether it be concerns of playing time, a limited health window or finances, he entered knowing full well what the situation was and got it.

That lessens the sting of what screams “bad decision”.

Perhaps more appropriately, Farmer’s choice should be labeled as the “I wouldn’t have done that but more power to him because I’m not in his shoes and lack his perspective” decision.

He’ll get his opportunity with the Cowboys and if the pro game is kinder to his health than college was, he just might stick.

Did George Farmer make the right decision to enter the NFL draft early?

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