Gareon Conley could reportedly slip to third round after rape accusation

Gareon Conley is widely considered to be one of the top two or three cornerbacks in the 2017 NFL Draft, and that would make him a lock to be taken in the first round under normal circumstances. But as of earlier this week, normal circumstances no longer surround the former Ohio State star.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on Wednesday that the feeling around the league is that Conley will slip all the way to somewhere near the end of the third round. Previous mock drafts had Conley going around the 15th pick or so.

Conley has been accused of raping a woman at a Cleveland hotel earlier this month. The woman says she met Conley in an elevator and he invited her back to his room, later having sex with her despite her telling him to stop. You can read more details here.

While Conley’s attorney insists the allegations are “ludicrous and ridiculous,” an investigation is ongoing and will not be concluded by the time the draft kicks off on Thursday night. That will almost certainly result in Conley falling down the board.