Fansided

NFL rejects La’el Collins’ request to be removed from draft

By Alexandra Huber

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The NFL has rejected La’el Collins’ request to be removed from the 2015 NFL Draft.

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Draft prospect La’el Collins’ request to be removed from the NFL Draft and placed into the supplemental draft has been rejected by the NFL, according to ESPN.

News broke on Thursday morning that Collins’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, was petitioning the NFL to have his client removed from the draft in an effort to clear his name. Collins is wanted for questioning in the death of his ex-girlfriend, Brittany Mills, but is not considered a suspect.

Collins, a former LSU Tiger, is currently in Baton Rouge, Louisiana waiting to meet with authorities.

“He’s not a suspect, but we are seeking to question him,” said Cpl. Don Coppola of the Baton Rouge Police Department. “He knew the victim. We’re not sure of the exact nature of the relationship. But for the investigation and through the investigation, we’re exhausting all avenues to locate this young lady’s killer.”

Although Collins is not a suspect in the shooting of Mills, teams have privately said that he will not be drafted unless the police clear him entirely. That, clearly, is unlikely to happen before Saturday, the last day of the draft.

As a result of the NFL’s ruling, Collins will not be able to enter the supplemental draft, which will take place this summer, and his name will remain in the pool for all seven rounds. If he is not taken in the draft, a likely reality given the nature of the situation, he will have to wait for a team to potentially sign him as an undrafted free agent.

Until now, there has not been a situation in which the supplemental draft has been used because of legal issues. Traditionally, the supplemental draft is a way for players who have had a change in their eligibility status to get drafted.

The timing of this is nothing short of terrible for Collins, who was previously thought of as a first-round pick.

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