Draft season is known for generating countless evaluations of prospects — many of them conflicting. Narratives can cause a player’s stock to rise or fall, even if teams don’t necessarily buy into media-driven storylines.
An anonymous NFL scout took a shot at Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond, questioning both his skill set and what they described as “diva-like” behavior. Bond, however, didn’t hesitate to respond.
Chad Ochocinco Defends Isaiah Bond After Scout Criticism
During the “Nightcap Show,” hosted by former NFL players Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco, Sharpe read a comment from an NFL scout about wide receiver Isaiah Bond — a declared prospect for the upcoming NFL Draft in late April — that said:
“Prototypical, what you would think of in a wide receiver? Just generic boilerplate, selfish diva wide receiver.”
. @isaiahbond_ responds to anonymous NFL scout that called him a “selfish diva” wide receiver@ShannonSharpe @ochocinco @ShayShayMedia_ pic.twitter.com/GWz836PbUo
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) April 3, 2025
Bond responded to the comments calmly, maintaining confidence in both his game and his personality.
“My response to that is, I mean, this season I did suffer a high ankle sprain, grade three. And I mean, when others told me to sit it down and shut it down, I chose to stay and fight with my teammates and win a national championship.”
Bond suffered the injury during Texas’ loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship back in December. However, the receiver recovered in time to play in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Ohio State.
Chad Ochocinco, a former wide receiver who played 11 seasons in the NFL, backed the young prospect — emphasizing that every great player at the position needs to be selfish in some kind of way.
“Hey, you just heard the comparison? You heard everything you just said? All the receivers, all the great ones? All the great ones? Yeah. Gotta be a little selfish. Just like that. You gotta be a little selfish. Everybody got a little diva in them. I’m not even sure where the word came from, but all the great ones had that same divaish in them. In order to be great, you gotta be.”
Ochocinco went on, emphasizing that once a player gets drafted, it doesn’t matter where he goes — what truly matters is what he does once he gets there and gets to work.
Bond is described as an undersized wide receiver, but one with the potential to make an immediate impact on the outside.
He’s a sharp route-runner with big-play ability, and his versatility makes him a fit in a wide range of NFL schemes. Bond ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash and will be just 21 years old on draft night.
In the latest three-round mock draft from PFSN, Jacob Infante has Bond being selected by the Carolina Panthers with the No. 57 overall pick in the second round. Whether the “diva” trait is accurate for Bond remains to be seen. What is a certainty is that he’ll have multiple teams looking his way come draft night.