The literal drop came first, then the fall from grace, and finally, the tumble in the NFL draft.
One incident defined Robert Nkemdiche in the months between his college regular season finale and the first round on Thursday. The Cardinals’ choice at No. 29 had the talent of a top-10 pick, but that possibility was erased when he fell from a fourth-floor hotel window in December and was charged with marijuana possession by the responding officers.
The star defensive tackle from Ole Miss was tagged with the catch-all “character concern” label, making teams wary of picking him, which began his slide down draft boards.