CHICAGO -- Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory, whose slide to the second day of the 2015 NFL Draft was precipitated by a failed drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine and questions about his mental makeup, put the blame squarely on his own shoulders Friday morning. And he vowed to use the snub as career motivation, much the wayBroncos first-rounder Shane Ray did after he fell to the No. 23 overall pick on Thursday.
Still, while Ray's tone was defiant, Gregory came across as much more somber in speaking with Yahoo! Sports.
"Honestly, I'm extremely disappointed. I didn't sleep last night because I feel like I let my family down and the people who believe in me down, and I'm sorry for that," Gregory said. "But I'm going to use that as fuel. The franchise that drafts me won't have to worry about me off the field, but the teams that didn't select me will have to worry about me on the field."
Gregory and Alabama safety Landon Collins are two of the top prospects that are attending the draft in Chicago and still available heading into Day 2 (Rounds 2-3). Others include Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney, Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong, Penn State offensive tackle Donovan Smith and Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith.
Said Gregory: "I feel like I'm the best defensive player in the draft and the team that gets me is going to get a great pro. I've learned a lot from this experience and I hope players who come behind me learned from this too."
Gregory's pass-rushing skills make him one of the top-10 overall talents in the draft, according to NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock, who foresaw some three weeks ago that Gregory's slide could enter the second day of the draft.
The Chicago Bears, who need pass-rush help but chose wide receiver Kevin White in the first round, could be a possibility for Gregory with the No. 39 overall pick Friday night.
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