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A year ago, tight end Orson Charles torpedoed his draft stock with a March DUI. There was a chance Charles could have gone as high as the late second or early third round, but the boneheaded decision probably helped conspire to drop him into the fourth round.
Now another highly-regarded Georgia prospect has made a similar mistake. Projected first round linebacker Alex Ogletree was cited for a DUI, giving teams plenty to ponder as the draft approaches in April.
There's no denying Ogletree's talent. He's one of the best linebackers in the class, a bruiser with quality pass coverage abilities and outsized strength for his 6'3", 232 pound frame. If we were looking only at on-the-field production and ability, there's no question he'll make it off the board before the Falcons pick in the first.
We're not, though. The DUI is a stupid decision on its own, but Ogletree received a four game suspension during the 2012 season for a positive drug test. That's two infractions in less than a half a year, and if you're an NFL general manager, that's probably enough to give you pause. Add in the theft of a scooter back in 2010 (really), and there's a pattern here.
Talent usually wins when it comes to prospects, but teams are always wary about investing first round picks in guys who may display poor judgement and not live up to their contracts. I think this will cost Ogletree a few spots, at minimum.
If Ogletree slips to the end of the first, would you take him?