Report: Cowboys Remove Percy Harvin From Draft Board

A month ago, Percy Harvin was the main attraction at Florida's Pro Day. NFL Network's Mike Mayock was in attendance, came away impressed, and the early word was that Harvin had wrapped up his first-round-draft position. Now it was just a matter of how high he might go.

In the weeks that followed, Harvin has endured questions about his intelligence, as well as the ubiquitous (and still unsubstantiated) character concerns. Now, with the draft 11 days away, Harvin's draft stock is slipping -- that's the perception, anyway.

Via ESPN.com's Matt Mosley:

In case you haven't heard, Florida's Percy Harvin appears to be in a draft free-fall right now based on character concerns. According to a Valley Ranch source, the Cowboys have taken Harvin off their board, which shouldn't be an issue since their first pick is No. 51 overall.

Not helping Harvin's cause: Florida's legacy of turning out less-than-spectacular NFL wide receivers. Mosley points to a Cold, Hard Football Facts post lowlighting the Gators' abysmal history. Since 1991, 16 Florida wideouts have been drafted into the league -- nine in the first two rounds -- and CFF identifies Darrell Jackson as the "only player who's clearly lived up to or exceeded expectations." Not exactly a wide receiver factory.

Maybe Harvin changes all that. He's more versatile than any Gators receiver that preceded him, but now he has other problems. Namely: dealing with the perception that his on-field talents come with off-field baggage. It's one thing for the Steelers or Colts to remove a name from their draft board because of character issues. It's something entirely different when the Cowboys do it.