By: Dan

There have been a few Web sites out there that have reported that former Florida star Percy Harvin failed a drug test at the NFL combine because of marijuana.
It’s important to note that some of the major sports Web sites, like espn.com, have not run with the story. There have been confirmed reports that one of the athletes, Boston College’s B.J. Raji, actually did fail his drug test. This is in addition to a drug test he failed during his playing days at BC.

If the reports are true, there were players who not only tested positive for marijuana (Harvin, Raji and Illinois’ Vontae Davis) but also players who tested positive for steroids in USC’s Clay Matthews and Brian Cushing. Once again, these reports have not been confirmed.

Assuming that the reports are accurate, NFL executives will be faced with some tough decisions. A lot of people believe that smoking marijuana is not a big deal. But for owners and general managers, smoking pot might be an indication of poor judgment. In the case of Raji, another failed drug test might send up red flags as far as a potential addiction problem.

For the players accused of taking steroids, people making decisions on draft day will probably be faced with more difficult questions. Namely, how good can these players be without steroids?

Although steroid use or pot use could drop draft status, I would have to think that steroid allegations would have a more adverse effect on a player than allegations of using recreational drugs. Again, how effective could a steroid user be in the NFL, where drug testing is far more stringent than it is on the college ranks? On the other hand, marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug (unless the person is a competitive eater). It might show bad judgment, but it probably wouldn’t raise any questions about a player’s performance, unless that player happened to be an addict.

In short, if these allegations against Cushing are proven to be true, he could see his draft stock plummet. I’ve seen some draft boards have him as high as No. 15 to the Houston Texans. A positive steroids test could cost him millions of dollars. Harvin, on the other hand, shouldn’t lose much steam and should still get drafted in the first round.