Randy Gregory Failed Combine Drug Test; May Slide in NFL Draft

One of the top prospects in this year's NFL Draft could be in for a big slide on Draft Day.

Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory admitted Wednesday he failed a drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine for marijuana use. Failing any drug test isn't good, but failing one during the biggest job interview of your life can cause any big-time prospect to slide in the draft.

"I blame myself," Gregory said. "And I know it sounds cliché, but there's really no one else I can blame. Am I worried? Yeah, I'm worried. At the same time, I'm confident. I know I'm going to be all right in the end."

Gregory was once viewed as a consensus top-three prospect, but it's not even a certainty now that he goes in the top 10. This isn't the only issue Gregory has had though.

He reportedly began training for the combine at 218 pounds. That's extremely light for a 3-4 outside linebacker, let alone a 4-3 defensive end like most project him to be.

Still, it's hard to pass on a dominant pass-rusher like Gregory. He frequently commanded double-teams in college while racking up 17.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss. He may be the biggest case of character vs. talent in any one prospect in this year's draft.

It's also worth noting that because of his failed combine test, Gregory will come into the NFL already in Stage 1 of the league's substance abuse program.

"(Marijuana) could end my career," Gregory said. "This incident right now is a step toward ending my career. The last thing I want to do is fail another drug test and be out of the league.

"I want it on the record. I want people to understand I know I messed up. I'm owning up to it. I realize it. But at the same time, I'm taking the right steps to get better and to fix it."