New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan took considerable heat for his 2018 third-round choice (72nd overall) of Canadian-bred defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd.
The 6-foot-4, 320-pound 25-year-old college senior from Division II Fort Hays State (via Vancouver’s Simon Fraser) wowed at the Senior Bowl with his physically dominant blend of size, strength, and power.
But some league experts disliked what they saw, insisting that he was too old and slow with a limited growth curve.
Following a nondescript rookie campaign — in which he was exposed as a liability against the run with obvious tackling deficiencies — Shepherd started 2019 on the suspended list after two failed blood tests for performance-enhancing drugs while recovering from both shoulder surgery and a groin injury.