The thought of the Cowboys drafting a defender, any defender, from the SEC makes sense to some people, but one of the prime would-be candidates for that is finding himself in some trouble this week.
Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick was arrested in Manatee County, Fla. early Tuesday morning for possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, PFT reported, and was released after posting a $120 bond.
Kirkpatrick was one of four SEC defenders, three from Alabama, who were tabbed for the Cowboys in NFL.com's first wave of mock drafts on Tuesday morning.
He is widely considered a first-round pick, if not a top-10 selection, but an untimely arrest, even for a misdemeanor such as this, could hurt his stock with some teams.
For the Cowboys, his arrest creates a couple things to consider.
For one, it might knock the early entrant down into their range at No. 14 overall, creating a potential value pick, a big, physical cornerback who would probably be capable of starting in his first season. On the other hand, the Cowboys have placed an emphasis on drafting high-character players in recent years, with professionalism of high importance to Jason Garrett.
Tuesday's run-in with the law doesn't make Kirkpatrick a bad person, but it may suggest something about his judgment, considering he only applied for the draft last week.
If you were picking for the Cowboys, would you draft Kirkpatrick in the first round, or any player with a police record?
