The Cowboys may have gotten a steal by landing Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory in the second round, or they may have gambled away a second-round pick. Gregory, a first-round talent on every board, slipped due to mysterious concerns about his “ability to handle the rigors of the NFL”—inane football jargon for questions about his mental health status, purportedly related to anxiety and/or depression.


Of course, it’s easier for teams just to say they were scared off by his failed drug tests. Gregory, who’s been saying all the right things, addressed his marijuana issues in a radio interview immediately after being drafted. Via the Dallas Morning News:

“That’s something I’ve definitely been working on and something I can definitely fix,” Gregory said. “I’m 22 years old but I think I carry myself real well and I think I need to carry myself a little bit better as far as decision making goes. I think a lot of people are getting tied up in the weed and think it’s just a weed problem. I don’t think it’s a weed problem. I think it’s decision making. I think I’m immature. I’m definitely working on that. I want to prove everyone wrong and I want to do it with this team.”


It’s impossible to know whether Gregory is making excuses for really liking weed, or hinting at larger issues that might be beyond his control. But he was reportedly very up-front with teams about his personal struggles during his pre-draft meetings, so there’s no reason to think he’s getting shy now.

How his NFL career plays out will be interesting to watch. But in the meantime, he’s clearly excited to be a Cowboy.