I don't think that's true. People dug in on a position years ago and are holding out hope to be proven somewhat right.
My problem with this discussion, which comes up over and over, is your point about potential. Hogan is a rare athlete with a great combination of size, speed and strength. The fact that he hasn't played football for that long makes me think that he will continue to get better. The only thing that I can think of is that people discount his athleticism because he's white. IDK.