Gareon Conley To Fall To Round 3?

Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley insists that sexual assault allegations against him are “completely false,” but they’re still going to have a negative effect on his draft stock. Conley, perhaps a top 10 pick-to-be before the allegations came to light Tuesday, now looks unlikely to come off the board before the third round, a league source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Gareon Conley (vertical)

Drafting Conley in the third would be a major coup for a team if his name is cleared, which he is “completely confident” will happen. But there will be risk associated with him until that occurs (if it even does), as Florio notes. In the event Conley is ultimately convicted of a first-degree felony, the club that selects him will have wasted a valuable pick on a player who shouldn’t have been drafted at all.

Judging solely on talent, Conley should be a first-round lock. The two-year starter with the Buckeyes is a safe bet on the field, leading PFR to regard him as a top five pick in its latest mock draft (though that was before this off-field incident came to the fore). Now, on the eve of the draft, he’s perhaps the riskiest player in this year’s class.

View Comments (18)