5 of the most dramatic Draft-day slides in NFL history ft. Aaron Rodgers
The NFL Draft is just days away, with teams making their final assessments on players and their respective values.
Franchises know how vitally critical first-round selections are and look to guard themselves against making mistakes.
However, with such caution comes uncertainty which spreads throughout the NFL. Teams can begin to panic about players dropping a couple of spots and wonder what’s wrong with the prospect?
As a direct consequence of this, there have been some rather dramatic draft-day slides, which have later shaped the NFL.
What are 5 of the most chaotic Draft-day slides in NFL history?
#1 - La’el Collins, OT, 2015
La’el Collins was a projected first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, with his talents being those of a potentially elite offensive tackle.
Teams did their homework on the prospect, analyzed his ability, and determined his value on their boards. Then a bombshell hit...
Just two days before the event was due to begin, La’el Collins was named as a person of interest to police concerning a murder investigation.
Collins wasn’t a suspect, yet it was announced that Baton Rouge police wanted to speak to him in connection with the murder of Brittney Mills.
Collins knew the woman in question and was considered romantically involved with her, hence why they needed to speak to him.
Alas, these details weren’t made especially clear, and given the recent history involving Aaron Hernandez, NFL teams were petrified of what might be uncovered with regards to Collins.
At no point did Collins not cooperate with the investigation, even leaving Chicago the day before the draft to return to Baton Rouge and talk to the authorities.
Unfortunately, the damage was done. His reputation was knocked, and teams didn’t hesitate to take him off their boards.
Baton Rouge police refused to speak with Collins until after the NFL draft, which was a bizarre choice that cost the offensive tackle a lot of money.
NFL fans watched as Collins went unselected in the first round, then the second round, and every round that followed.
Despite desperate attempts by his agent to delay the process, Collins had no choice but to sign with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent, by which time the Baton Rouge police had cleared him and confirmed he was never even a suspect in the murder case.
Multiple teams then clamored to sign him, realizing his innocence, and he would agree to a three-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys.
#2 - Laremy Tunsil, OT, 2016
Laremy Tunsil was the best offensive lineman in the 2016 NFL Draft and, perhaps, the best player on the board outright.
He was the lock #1 pick in 2016, with the Tennessee Titans expected to select him there once the evening began until they traded the pick to the Rams.
Yet, social media would then have a sizable impact on Tunsil's future as an NFL player.
Just hours before the draft began, an image was uploaded to Tunsil’s Twitter account, showing him smoking a bong while wearing a gas mask.
Absolutely surreal moment. I think everyone I know texted me after I said bong and gas mask on national TV.
Side note: Laremy Tunsil becoming one of the best LTs in the NFL with one of the best contracts is an incredible post-script to having to deal with this on draft night. twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman…
The intricacies of the upload weren’t apparent immediately, and teams panicked, especially given the NFL’s well-documented policy on marijuana use.
His agent’s pleas of a social media hack weren’t enough to convince teams of the offensive tackle’s professionalism. Several clubs refused to take a risk on a player who may well have been subject to disciplinary action as soon as he arrived in the NFL.
While the NFL draft had been on television for years by this point, this was the first occasion where real-time social media posts were influencing proceedings.
Fans felt as though they were part of the show while they watched media personnel scramble to try and find out more information as it happened right then and there.
Having been a sure thing at the No. 1 pick, Tunsil’s slide ended at pick No. 13 when the Miami Dolphins brought an end to the madness.