It was less than a month ago that former Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster was considered a lock to go in the top 10 of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He was seen as an imposing middle linebacker, someone that could change the game on its head due to his mere presence on the field.
Then something happened. It was dramatic. It shaped the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Foster got into a heated argument with a hospital worker in Indianapolis immediately prior to him taking to the field to work out for the league’s 32 teams. He was sent home from the combine (more on that here).
Now, as we inch closer to the NFL draft itself in Philadelphia next month, at least one team has already taken Foster off its draft board completely.
“He already had immaturity, issues with life skills. This is the same guy,” an evaluator for an NFL team told MMQB. “We’re not in the market.”
According to MMQB’s Robert Klemko, the unnamed executive in the report is employed by a team picking in the top-15 of the upcoming draft. We really won’t know how far this unfortunate situation will drop Foster until the draft itself plays out. We’ve seen off-field issues drop perceived top prospects all the way out of the draft completely in the past.
For his part, the former Crimson Tide standout was already under the microscope due to his potential presence at a nightclub in April of last year where a triple shooting occurred (per MMQB). While Foster himself has not been tied to any wrongoing, it’s something that is surely in the minds of NFL teams leading up to the draft.
Foster did meet with nearly two dozen teams after the incident in Indy took place. Whether that was enough to quiet any concerns remains to be seen.
A career starter at Alabama, Foster is coming off a 2016 campaign that saw him record 115 tackles (15 for loss) and five sacks. On the field, he’s surely an elite talent.