NFL Rumors: Ronnie Stanley's Standing Affected With Work Ethic Concerns

By Jenn Loro - 01 Apr '16 14:21PM

Notre Dame Football team members have taken to the practice field in South Bend, Indiana for their final field practice ahead of the NFL draft during their ProDay Thursday. For most of them, it's a farewell to the best years of college football. For some, it is just the beginning of towards a possible future career in the professional league.

But for offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, this NFL draft is an opportunity to make a good impression among talent scouts which could suggest a fresh start of his NFL career.

This came out amidst rumors that the Golden Domer's hopes may go down the drain and affect his draft chances.

"There are a lot of questions on his mental toughness and work ethic. He's a very gifted athlete, but has only average strength. He didn't lift at the Combine and said last week he thought he would do 20 reps at his Pro Day. That's awful for an elite offensive lineman. He has to really come out and work hard at his Pro Day," remarked an anonymous NFL source as quoted by NJ.com.

Despite rumored concerns stated above, a number of pundits believe that Stanley's sporting prowess is something many observers don't want to miss out on. NFL pass-rusher Stephen White even considered him a better prospect than Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss which according to many analysts will be this year's top draft.

"Stanley showed great maturity in acknowledging his weaknesses and returning to school to work on them and improve his game. While Stanley's core power is still a concern, he showed improved strength and run blocking prowess this year and should be ready to come in and start right away for a team looking to protect a high-end quarterback," said he Tunsil as quoted by the Bleacher Report.

Echoing Tunsil's observation, Stanley's stock appears to have received a positive commendation from sports writers in a recently conducted SB Nation NFL writers mock draft.

"The best choice, though, is Stanley. The Giants have been trying for years now to complete an overhaul of their offensive line. Stanley could be the final piece, and he could be a security blanket in the event that Ereck Flowers, last year's first-round pick, does not develop at left tackle the way the Giants think he will. Protecting Eli Manning and extending his career is a major priority for the Giants, so Stanley is the pick," wrote NFL writer Dan Kadar as quoted in news piece by the Inquisitr.