Tyler Higbee arrested: NFL Draft prospect charged with assault and fleeing police

We have made no secret here at Acme Packing Company that Western Kentucky's Tyler Higbee had been one of the most intriguing draft prospects of this year's class, at least based on his tape. With the Green Bay Packers needing long-term help at tight end and Higbee projecting as an athletic, pass-catching player at that position who could go in the middle rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft, the matchup seemed to make sense.

However, on Sunday the Bowling Green Daily News reported that Higbee was arrested over the weekend on several criminal counts, including second-degree assault, alcohol intoxication, and second-degree fleeing or evading police, all of which stemmed from an apparent fight early Sunday morning. More details were released Monday morning, including a description of the alleged victim's injuries, and this report paints an even uglier picture of the events of that night. There are "conflicting reports" from multiple involved individuals, including Higbee and his girlfriend, but what is certain is that one person is in the hospital with serious injuries, Higbee admitted to hitting the victim, and Higbee was described in the police report as trying to conceal himself from the police after the incident.

Furthermore, the second Daily News report contains comments from the police report that suggest a racial charge to the incident. One witness reported a white male "saying racial slurs" towards the victim, who Higbee himself described as "an individual of Middle Eastern descent." We suggest you read this article to get a more complete picture of the situation.

This arrest certainly comes at a time when a draft prospect can ill afford to have any trouble with the law. While Higbee was previously thought of as a mid-round prospect, this incident will certainly not help him in the eyes of NFL scouts. Granted, NFL teams have overlooked significant criminal actions by draft prospects in the past, so it is no foregone conclusion that Higbee's career is over before it has begun. However, there is a decent chance that he just gave away his shot at being drafted at all.