Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche’s NFL draft stock likely took a hit Monday when he was charged with possession of marijuana stemming from an accident in which he fell from a hotel window in Atlanta over the weekend.
BREAKING | Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche has been charged with possession of marijuana: https://t.co/hGh3YTR0ma
— Daniel Paulling (@DanielPaulling) December 14, 2015
“The Atlanta Police Department said in a report released to The Clarion-Ledger on Monday morning that it found approximately seven rolled marijuana cigarettes in a hotel room tied to him at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead,” wrote Daniel Paulling.
This means Nkemdiche will likely have to be enrolled into the NFL’s drug program before he ever enter the league, which could drop him into the second round, or worse.
The outstanding defensive tackle is one of the players routinely mentioned as a guy who, before the incident, could have been drafted in the top five or 10 when the draft kicks off in April. However, he’ll have a lot of questions to answer now, and in this day and age when teams are more wary than ever of potential at-risk players this could cost him a lot of money.
More immediately, Nkemdiche could be in line to miss the Sugar Bowl if Ole Miss suspends him, much like Adolphus Washington was suspended after being cited for solicitation.
“We are still learning about the matter, but obviously Robert’s well-being is our greatest concern,” coach Hugh Freeze said in a statement released Sunday afternoon.