Is Robert Nkemdiche Destined For A Draft Day Slide

Mar 01, 2016 09:15 AM EST
Robert Nkemdiche
Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche pushing away offensive linemen. "

Robert Nkemdiche from purely a talent perspective is a top 20 pick with a ton of talent however his off the field issues could cost him dearly during the 2016 NFL Draft. Nkemdiche was arrested on Marijuana possession and took a tumble out of an Atlanta hotel window. Nkemdiche was fine but ever since then NFL teams have been trying to figure him out from afar.  The 2016 NFL Combine provided the perfect opportunity for NFL players to showcase their skills both on and off the field. Nkemdiche was seen to be pretty odd as well as a tremendous risk to a franchise according to SEC Country.

The best NFL comparison of Nkemdiche seems to be Shariff Floyd of the Minnesota Vikings. Nkemdiche recorded a 4.87 forty at the 2016 NFL Combine along with 28 bench press reps, a 35 inch vertical, and a 116.0 for the broad jump. Coming in at 6'4, weighing 296 pounds Nkemdiche did not have great statistical production coming out of Ole Miss. This should be a concern for any team looking for just a great pass rusher coming regardless of any off the field issues. There are 7 teams that could use their first round pick on Nkemdiche and they are mostly towards the end of the first round. The Chicago Bears will be the first team on the board who could legitimately want to take Nkemdiche as they need help all along the defensive line.

Selecting right after the Bears will be the New Orleans Saints, who could use another solid defensive lineman. The only problem is the Saints have already dealt with a bad personality and off the field issues before with Junior Gallette so it is a long shot that they will sign up for that all over again in the first round. The next team interested in Nkemdiche does not come until the 17th overall selection in the NFL Draft with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are rebuilding this defense from scratch however 17 could still be too high to take a player with such bad character issues. This leaves the final 4 teams who desperately need defensive lineman, the Buffalo Bills, the Washington Redskins, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Kansas City Chiefs according to Redskins.com. Out of all of these teams, the Seahawks look to be the most likely to bring Nkemdiche aboard especially considering he would need to fall to the 26th overall pick according to The Seattle Times. Getting Russell Wilson some offensive lineman who could pass protect may be one of their main issues, however it is not nearly as bad as lacking a pass rush. 

 

 

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