When college football ended, Randy Gregory was considered a lock to go in the top 10, and many draft experts had him going as high as the top five. However, he failed a marijuana drug test during the NFL Combine and will have to start the season in the NFL substance abuse program. This comes on the heels of Gregory already having had issues with marijuana while at Nebraska.
Given how much scrutiny the NFL faced last year for players getting into trouble with law, teams are extra cautious about drafting a player with red flags. This has caused most draft experts to speculate that Gregory's stock will take a hit on draft day. NFL media analyst Mike Mayock went as far as to suggest that Gregory could fall to the second round.
If he is there at 20, will the Eagles give him a look? Let's break it down further.
Gregory dominated college football as one of the elite pass rushers in the country. In just 10 starts in his first year at Nebraska, he racked up 66 tackles with 19 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, one pass batted, one forced fumble and an interception. He played most of 2014 injured, which limited his production. Still, he put up impressive numbers: Gregory totaled 56 tackles with 8.5 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, one forced fumble, three passes broken up and one interception for the year.
He was a Second Team All-American and First Team Big-10.
He has drawn comparisons to Denver's Von Miller, and is projected by many to be a perennial pro bowl talent at the next level.
Here is a scouting report of Gregory from NFL.com:
STRENGTHS
Tall with long levers and a lean, sinewy build. Batted down four passes in 2014. Stronger than expected at point of attack. Able to lock out and stay square against big offensive tackles and can whip most tight ends. Unhinges and gets tentacles on running backs bursting through gap. Room for more thickness on long frame. Competitive and shows toughness against run. Can chase and limit outside runs with speed. Secondary motor to stay in hunt downfield as tackler. Explosive hips. Gets instant change of direction to hound quarterbacks in play-action. Played standing up and with hand in ground. Rushed occasionally from ILB spot. Stride and second gear for quick close. Has bend and hips to convert speed to power. Showed improved timing and understanding of how to set up inside pass-rush move as season progressed. Hands are a blur. Explosive play traits to overwhelm technically deficient tackles. Can counter and recover from cut blocks. Flashes plus hand-feet coordination. As blitzer from ILB, will coil and explode into guard on contact step. More than tough enough. Willing to take on pulling guards with low pad level and aggressive pop.
WEAKNESSES
Thin through trunk and will play with a narrow base, causing balance issues. Almost always last player out of his stance at snap. Technique and feel as pass rusher lacking at this point. Thinks rather than plays. Takes occasional false steps as stand-up rusher. Time-waster. Too much time stutter-stepping tackles rather than exploding upfield. Fails to stress the high side of tackles to get them rocking. Makes it too easy for tackles to quick-set him. Plays man in front of him rather than "seeing through" to quarterback. Lacks creativity as rusher. Gets punched with his shoulders still squared rather than on an angle, which robs ability to turn edge. Doesn't process what he sees very quickly. Marginal play strength in pass rush and can be redirected. Was manhandled by Wisconsin blockers on two long touchdown runs by Melvin Gordon. Issues with positive drug tests are a significant concern.
BOTTOM LINE
A 3-4 outside linebacker with the length, toughness and closing burst to immediately help a run defense. Gregory could stand to add more weight to his frame and needs plenty of technique work and a patient coach for his pass-rush skill to match his traits. Gregory's draft stock has been clouded with a positive drug test at the combine to go with failed tests for marijuana while at Nebraska. High-ceiling, low-floor prospect.
Video Highlights:
One thing that will immediately pop out to you when watching Gregory play is that he never gives up on a play. He is known for having a high motor and being relentless in pursuit of the football, and it shows. Check out the play he makes at the 30 second mark. Simply incredible that he was able to get back up and make the play.
When you look at a Spider Chart from MockDraftTables.com, they usually are split pretty evenly: some high rankings, some in the middle, some at the bottom. But check out Gregory's numbers:
It's not often that you see a guy ranked that high almost across the board. Coupled with his great production in college, it's no wonder he was once considered a top prospect in this draft.
The Verdict: There is no doubting Gregory's talent. He has Pro Bowl potential written all over him and will be able to be obtained at a discount given his issues with failed drug tests. In a way, it reminds me of Dez Bryant — an elite talent that fell during the draft because of off field concerns. I think if you asked the Cowboys, they have no regrets taking him 24th overall.
But will Kelly take the risk? We all know that Kelly places a big emphasis on culture. Some people have mistaken that as meaning he only wants squeaky clean guys. But that is not necessarily the case. He stuck by LeGarrette Blount in college after he was suspended for punching a player at the end of a game, and stood by Riley Cooper and Lane Johnson despite their recent issues. While it's impossible to know for sure, it seems like Kelly will deal with a player's issues if he buys into Kelly's culture and training requirements.
The Eagles brought Gregory in for a visit, so they obviously have some interest. Assuming they feel comfortable with his background, the Eagles should absolutely consider Gregory at 20. It is very hard to get an elite pass rusher unless you are near the top of the draft. This could be the rare opportunity to do so, and Gregory might be worth the risk, off-field issues notwithstanding.
Patrick Causey is a writer for Eagledelphia and can be followed on Twitter @PhillySportsJD
