Unfortunately, Georgia‘s Alec Ogletree is one of those draft picks that comes as a risk considering his off-the-field issues as he was arrested on DUI charges back in February. On top of this incident, Ogletree was also suspended for part of the regular season after failing a drug test–so there’s plenty of baggage when it comes to this star linebacker.
Still, Ogletree is one of the most athletic linebackers from this year’s draft class and he has great speed–which could make him worth the risk if he can manage to focus on football and stay out of trouble. As bad as it sounds, there aren’t as many standout linebackers from this year’s class when compared to previous years and it’s no secret Ogletree will be considered one of the top linebackers–it’s just a matter of whether he’s selected in the first or second round.
The potential is certainly there for Ogletree to make an immediate impact as a rookie, but it’s off the field issues that will determine how successful he is at the pro level. Playing in the NFL is completely different from playing at the college level and there’s a lot more responsibility involved with their hefty contracts.
Hopefully, Ogletree figures out a way to mature quickly now that he’s going to be playing in the big leagues. Otherwise, he may be looking for a new team to play for shortly after he already gets there.
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