Former LSU defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois could become a dominant force in the NFL.But Jean-Francois may never start an NFL game — at least according to pundits. Jean-Francois, the only LSU underclassman to declare for the NFL draft, is considered a risky pick by draft analysts.”He could be a boom or a bust,” said Rene Nadeau, college football analyst for ESPN and TigerVision.Nadeau said the defensive lineman showed flashes of greatness but wasn’t consistent during his eight starts at LSU.”He’s either the guy that will end up being a really good player or a guy that’s going to be a tease player his entire career,” said NFL draft analyst Mike Detillier.Detillier thought Jean-Francois would be a first-round pick before last season. But the lineman has slipped down the draft board since then.”He’s probably a guy that will end up being a third, early fourth-round selection,” Detillier said. Detillier said the lineman has the potential to be successful in the NFL.”He’s the type of guy that you are going to need the right defensive line coach to push his buttons,” Detillier said. Nadeau also said Jean-Francois could be picked in the fourth or fifth round.Jean-Francois’ former teammate, junior safety Chad Jones, said “the Freak” has the size and skills to play in the NFL.”He’s going to do well and be in the NFL for awhile,” Jones said. “He’s one of the most athletic big guys I’ve ever seen. A lot of offensive linemen are going to have to step up their game if they’re going to handle Ricky Jean-Francois.”Jean-Francois was the No. 1 defensive line prospect in Florida out of Carol City High School. He set a Florida high school record with 6.5 sacks in one game.The lineman was redshirted in 2005 but produced as a backup in 2006. He played in 12 of 13 games and was named to the Freshman All-American Team by The Sporting News.He was suspended for 12 months in 2007 for academic reasons but came back for the Southeastern Conference Championship Game against Tennessee and the BCS National Championship Game against Ohio State. Jean-Francois was the Defensive Most Valuable Player in the national championship, racking up six tackles, half a sack and a blocked field goal.”He played a good game in the national championship, but he had Glenn Dorsey next to him,” Nadeau said.Senior defensive end Rahim Alem said Jean-Francois helped the defense in important games.”The games he played, we needed him,” Alem said. “Especially the Ohio State game, the two big plays he made — we needed them at the time.”A groin injury limited Jean-Francois to six starts in 2008.”He did not have the explosiveness that I had seen in earlier games,” Detillier said. “It had something to do with the groin injury. He was certainly bothered by that.”Besides playing as a lineman, he blocked three kicks in his career. Jean-Francois was also on the LSU track and field team and participated in the shot put. Character issues have affected Jean-Francois’ draft status. He famously called out Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, saying he would try to “take him out of the game,” before the teams’ matchup last season. “He has some maturity issues that have to be dealt with,” Detillier said.The lineman has also had a history of problems with grades, which may have been the reason he left for the draft as a junior.”It wasn’t a surprise that he came out,” Detillier said. “Grades have been a problem throughout his entire time at LSU.”Jones said there could have been various motivations for the lineman to leave early.”Maybe his family needed the money, or maybe he felt like it was time for him to go,” Jones said. “It’s not really up to me to make a decision on that. It’s all about him.”                                    —-Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]