Could Randy Gregory Fall to the Arizona Cardinals?

After failing a drug test, the Arizona Cardinals may have a chance at the highly rated linebacker, who finds his draft stock falling.

University of Nebraska linebacker Randy Gregory recently failed a drug test at the NFL Combine and tested positive for marijuana. Heading into the draft, the 6 feet 5 inch Gregory was one of the highest rated linebackers and was expected to be a top 10 pick in this year’s draft.

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As the draft gets nearer and nearer, the First Team All Big Ten linebacker finds himself slowly moving out of the top 10 and is continuing to fall as the draft gets closer. The question is, can Gregory fall all the way to the bottom of the first round so the Arizona Cardinals will have a chance to take him?

In a previous post, I mentioned that Gregory would be a great addition to the Cardinals’ linebacking core and would be able to produce right away, while filling a void in the defense. Many mock drafts have Dante Fowler, Florida, Vic Beasley, Clemson, Bud Dupree, Kentucky, and Shane Ray, Missouri, being the first linebackers taken in the draft, and possibly in the top 10.

With there being a very limited amount of linebacker needy teams in picks 10-20 range, the Cardinals could very likely find themselves with the opportunity to take the explosive linebacker. Teams that could also be on Gregory watch in the middle portion of the first round are San Francisco at 15, Kansas City at 18, and Cleveland at 19.

The Arizona Cardinals would be the perfect destination for a player like Randy Gregory, who claims he hasn’t smoked since December, to put the past behind him and get his NFL career started on the right track. Bruce Arians and Steve Keim have always judged players based on their talent, and productivity. They shouldn’t have any second thoughts about selecting Gregory should they get the opportunity to draft him.

A player on the Cardinals roster that had a similar to story Gregory come draft time, is that of safety Tyrann Mathieu. Heading into the 2013 NFL Draft, Mathieu was surrounded with much more controversy than what Gregory has been. Though talented, Mathieu hadn’t played college football for a year and had a recurring problem with marijuana, and teams were unsure if they could hold Mathieu reliable for his actions.

With the assurance of Patrick Peterson, Keim and the organization took a shot on the Honey Badger and the rest is history. Similar results can happen with Gregory. If given proper guidance, Gregory would thrive in Arians’ regime. If the opportunity presents itself, the Cardinals shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on Randy Gregory.

The Arizona Cardinals have the 24th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.