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Alec Ogletree is a highly touted, highly talented linebacker from the University of Georgia, and he is eligible for this year's NFL Draft. If you're familiar with the name, it's because he's looked at by most draft analysts as the top inside linebacker prospect in this year's draft, and a likely first-round pick. He had a history of off-the-field problems, however, including a drug charge that cost him four games in his final collegiate season based on a school-enforced suspension.
Ogletree now has another major issue to tackle, as his agent recently notified Pro Football Talk that the linebacker was pulled over and cited for Driving Under the Influence about a week ago:
Last weekend, my client Alec Ogletree was pulled over for speeding and a lane violation in Arizona...After the officers smelled alcohol, they conducted tests and also cited him for DUI. Although Alec regrets this incident terribly, he is thankful that there was no accident and that no one was hurt.
This is just about the worst time for a draft prospect to have a major lapse in judgment, as the scouting combine is just days away. There's no doubt that Ogletree will have some hard questions to answer in interviews next week.
It will be interesting to see if this affects his draft stock. Currently, Ogletree is projected by most analysts in the top 20 picks, with Mel Kiper projecting him to go 8th overall to Buffalo and Todd McShay guessing 19th to the New York Giants. It's entirely possible that this incident could cause him to slip into the bottom half of the first round, and potentially to 26th overall where the Green Bay Packers will draft.
If he's available at 26, would you consider drafting him with such a serious incident so close to the biggest job interview of his life?