On the field, Nebraska outside linebacker Randy Gregory is a top-10 player and the best pass rusher in the 2015 NFL Draft. It's everything else that has scared teams off. Gregory failed a drug test at the February combine, and NFL Newtork reported on Friday that Gregory missed interviews with individual teams in the lead up to the draft.
Gregory is in Chicago for the draft and remained in the green room for much of the second round trying to remain upbeat.
“Obviously I wanted to be drafted early," he told ESPN. "That’s the main goal. I honestly think I’m elite. But I also have problems. I have some issues I’m taking care of, and those I think are up in the air, obviously, because I haven’t been picked yet."
In addition to marijuana usage, the specifics of Gregory's "problems" remain a mystery. On Wednesday, NFL Network's Albert Breer and Ian Rapoport hinted at what they might be.
At least three general managers view him as a top-five talent. But according to more than a dozen coaches, scouts, personnel chiefs and GMs, there is concern about Gregory's ability to handle the mental rigors of professional football. And just how far he drops in this week's draft will likely hinge on the individual psychological profiles (and the results of related testing) put together by each team, according to multiple veteran evaluators. He has been taken off a several team's draft boards, according to multiple sources.
Meanwhile, Yahoo.com's Rand Getlin spoke with Gregory early Friday morning.
“I didn’t sleep last night because I feel like I let my family and the people who believe in me down, and I’m sorry for that. But I’m going to use this as fuel," Gregory said. “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.”
It took 60 picks and Jerry Jones and Dallas Cowboys taking a chance, but Gregory will finally get his chance at redemption.
Now is the time to get Randy Gregory I know this kid and it's unfortunate that he slipped but he's a steal 2nd rd https://t.co/IBXqZKHwLk
— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) May 1, 2015
