Prior to failing a drug test for marijuana at the NFL Scouting Combine, Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory was considered a strong candidate to be a top-five pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Now, the former Cornhuskers star can forget about being a top-five pick, and he won't even land in the top 10, according to NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah.
"That's another strike against him, and that's unfortunate. And for Randy Gregory, this is not the kind of draft class you want to have this issue in, because we are loaded at the edge rusher position," Jeremiah said on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft" Thursday. "So if you're a team, and you have a similar grade on these guys, it's going to obviously drop Randy Gregory down the board. ... I think he'll go in the first round, but I do think he's going to slide out of the top 10."
NFL clubs were already aware that Gregory had tested positive for marijuana twice while at Nebraska in 2014, according to NFL Media's Kimberly Jones, but the latest positive test triggers his entrance into the NFL's substance abuse program. And that will compel NFL clubs to exercise caution, particularly in a draft teeming with gifted pass rushers. Those include Florida's Dante Fowler, Clemson's Vic Beasley and Missouri's Shane Ray.
The first club outside the top 10 with a need for a pass rusher is the New Orleans Saints at No. 14. Still, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, the Atlanta Falcons shouldn't be counted out as a possibility for Gregory with the No. 8 overall pick.
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