by Mark Kriegel

Updated: April 26, 2008, 5:34 PM EST 375 comments

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The subject of skepticism this year is Darren McFadden, easily the most talented running back available. McFadden, the second leading rusher in SEC history, was twice the winner of the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's outstanding back, and twice a runner-up for the Heisman. At 211 pounds, he's been timed running 40 yards in 4.33 seconds. Unfortunately, it is not so easy to calibrate a man's character.

McFadden, at the ripe old age of 20, already faces one paternity suit and, quite likely, a couple more this summer. He has been involved in two well-publicized nightclub altercations, during one of which — back in July 2006 — he broke his big toe. These incidents have been cited as "red flags" as it concerns his moral fiber.

At that touchy-feely exercise in self-actualization, otherwise known as the NFL Combine, team representatives invariably asked McFadden to explain himself. "The more and more they talked to me, and people who know me, they understand Darren McFadden isn't a bad guy," he said yesterday in New York. "He doesn't go out and make trouble. He's a good guy."

I don't know if he's a good guy. Then again, I don't know what constitutes evidence of good character when a kid grows up with 11 brothers and sisters — ranging in age from 40 to 14 — and a mother who lost 10 years as a crackhead. It's easier to measure how much he can bench. It is easier still to detect the whiff of hypocrisy in this entire affair.

Once again, the dons of amateur athletics lead the way. Whatever their concerns about McFadden's character — and such concerns could have cost the erstwhile student-athlete millions in draft position — they have no objections to him being on the cover for "NCAA Football '09."

Now consider the character of this year's first pick, Jake Long, left tackle from Michigan. Aside from the obvious — size, speed and strength — what did everybody absolutely love about him? His mean streak, of course. No one cares if he is a Rhodes Scholar. Jake Long is good (or at least, said to be) because he's nasty.

This is nothing new, either. Go back decades. If teams like the Cowboys and the Raiders — whose fans love nothing more than a good old silver and black villain — had drafted "character guys," they'd have never won Super Bowls. Remember when the Steelers, among others, passed on Dan Marino, due to rumors of his character deficiency? How'd that work out for them?

Let's stop pretending this is a normal game played by normal people. I'm not saying you need a roster that resembles a police lineup (though for a while there the Bengals were getting good by drafting bad). The fact is, you need a certain vicious instinct just to survive college ball, much less prosper in the pros. You want a football player? You want some mean and nasty. Actually, you want a lot.

There were plenty of red flags around Randy Moss, but somehow the Vikings (and later the Patriots) were able to look past them. (Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)

You want rectitude? Get it somewhere else. This is the NFL — even the coaches cheat. Consider some of the great character risks coming out of college: Randy Moss and Corey Dillon and Warren Sapp and, come to think of it, just about everyone drafted out of the University of Miami.

I hear you already: "What about guys like Lawrence Phillips?"

But Lawrence Phillips didn't fail in the NFL because he was a despicable person. He failed because he wasn't good enough. If you're good enough, you'll get your shot. As a matter of fact, you'll probably get a second, third and fourth shot, too. Ask Pacman Jones, who'll suit up for the Cowboys this year just as Tank Johnson did last season. Michael Vick will be back, too — as long as he can still play.

The character issue isn't the issue. It's the knucklehead issue. In this respect, NFL franchises aren't unlike those you work for. They don't want embarrassment. They don't want guys missing work. They don't want knuckleheads.

On the field, ballplayers might benefit from much the same qualities Michael Vick tried to instill in his dogs. But the league also prefers them to be personable when approached by a sideline reporter. Hence, in a way, a sociopath like O.J. Simpson remains the NFL ideal.

It says here that Darren McFadden should do just fine. In anticipation of Saturday's draft, he embarked on a campaign to sell himself as a "good kid." I don't know if that qualifies as penitence, but it's evidence of a rational mind. He understands what's at stake, and recognizes that perception is money. The knuckleheads never get that.