Gareon Conley was considered a lock to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft prior to this week, but a sexual assault allegation could send the former Ohio State star tumbling down the board. Or, perhaps it won’t.
After speaking with several NFL teams about Conley, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports came away feeling like the star cornerback could still be picked in Round 1.
Perhaps I am in the minority, but more phone calls I make and more teams I talk to, more convinced I am Gareon Conley gets selected tonight
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) April 27, 2017
There has been some speculation that Conley will slip into at least the third round, but perhaps NFL teams feel more comfortable with his situation after speaking with investigators and Conley’s legal team.
Conley, who is considered one of the top two or three defensive backs available, was accused of raping a woman at a Cleveland hotel earlier this month. You can read details from the police report here.
If team officials feel confident that Conley has been wrongly accused, they might be fine using a high pick on him. But if there is any uncertainty at all surrounding the case, we shouldn’t expect him to hear his name called on Thursday night.
