Should The Atlanta Falcons Still Target Randy Gregory?

If you have been following the NFL Draft process closely, the name of Randy Gregory is not new to you. He is known to be one of the finest pass rusher of this upcoming Draft class; some believe he could be the 8th pick overall for the Atlanta Falcons.

Unfortunately, the linebacker out of Nebraska stole the headlines for the last couple of days and it is not for a good reason. Randy Gregory revealed himself on Wednesday that he tested positive for a drug test at the Scouting Combine.

"“I blame myself,” Gregory told NFL.com. “And I know it sounds cliché, but there’s really no one else I can blame.”"

More from Atlanta Falcons Draft

• Atlanta Falcons trade up for a quarterback in this full mock draft
• Atlanta Falcons: 3 trade packages to land first-overall pick
• 4 QBs Atlanta Falcons could target in rumored trade for No. 1 pick
• 3 Things Atlanta Falcons fans learned from Terry Fontenot at combine presser
• NFL insider says Atlanta Falcons will make play for No. 1 pick in draft

Live Feed

Predominantly Orange

During his press conference, Gregory confessed he first smoked marijuana after graduating from Hamilton Southeastern High School (Indiana), and before enrolling at Arizona Western Community College in 2011. Then, he failed academically to qualify at Purdue, which has been a disappointment. He started to smoke marijuana again to cover his anxiety. Gregory transferred to Nebraska in 2013 where he tested positive for two drug tests in January and April 2014. He was already given a last chance by the Cornhuskers’ staff and allegedly said he didn’t smoke since December. Gregory failed the Scouting Combine drug test in April.

"“I was worse at Nebraska than I’ve ever been at any other time of my life,” he told NFL.com. “But I know how I am now. I think if teams really look at how I am now more so than the past, they’ll see I’m making strides to get better, as a person and as a player.”"

Let’s be honest. Randy Gregory may not fell down the charts because of its marijuana use, a lot of players smoked and will continue to smoke. He will drop some significant spots because he didn’t pass the “dumb test”. He knew the Scouting Combine was coming months ahead but still failed the drug test.

This situation will definitely raise a few questions and scare teams. Picking Randy Gregory, who seems to be a instable young man, is a risky choice. NFL franchises rarely make risky choices in the first round, even more within the top-10.

"“I want people to really understand that I know I made a mistake, for one,” Gregory recognized. “That I knew what I had coming up (the combine), and I still made that mistake. That was dumb.”"

How is it going to affect the Atlanta Falcons? They might not draft him in the first round, at the 8th overall spot. Coming out of the University of Georgia, the linebacker Justin Houston was projected to be picked in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He failed the Scouting Combine drug test and fell immediately down the charts. Houston ended up drafted in the 3rd round by the Kansas City Chiefs. The same fate could happen to Randy Gregory.

The Atlanta Falcons could find the Nebraska alumnus in the 2nd or 3rd round. Although, many red flags has been thrown at Randy Gregory. Some NFL executives and teams were already aware and concerned of these off-field issues. The linebacker would have to pass the Comrade Filter first, which is not a given knowing Thomas Dimitroff.

However, the need of a pass-rusher may bend the filter a little bit. Remember, Ra’Shede Hageman was considered last year as an unstable man off the field but was still draft by the previous coaching staff. Randy Gregory is raw but insanely talented. He also has incredible athletic abilities, fitting perfectly for the LEO position which is still a need as of today.

Join the discussion and tell us if you would draft Randy Gregory with the 8th overall pick? Would you want him on the Atlanta Falcons at all despite his talent?