Reuben Foster provides NFL teams with yet another red flag

There’s little question Reuben Foster is a very talented linebacker. He’s arguably one of the best defenders in this year’s class. But there’s no denying Foster has some red flags that could potentially push him down in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The latest concern with Foster is a failed drug test. The Alabama linebacker told NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport that the results of his test turned up diluted, which means it will be treated as a positive test. Foster explained his side of his story.

"I couldn't eat much, but I had to drink water and Gatorade," said Foster, who began the process as the consensus top linebacker based on his game tape and measurables. "Then a few coaches said something about me being too light. And I'm a coach-pleaser. I don't care what everybody thinks, but I care what coaches think. So I drank and ate as much as I could without throwing up. Then I went in there, drinking and drinking water, trying to flush out my system from whatever was making me sick and trying to keep my weight up and took the test."

A failed drug test isn’t the only issue with Foster. There’s the incident where he got sent home early from the NFL Combine. There’s the rumor his shoulder wasn’t healed at the Combine medical recheck and he might need another surgery (which his agent has denied). There’s also questions about the people around him in his life.

Put all the concerns together and it’s not very encouraging. Foster may fall further in the draft than originally expected.

Should the Eagles draft Foster if he’s there at No. 14? I had the Eagles selecting him in the SB Nation NFL writer’s mock draft. I think I’ve come off that stance after hearing some more information about the terms of it realistically happening, though. Note that Foster is not one of the five players the Eagles are rumored to be targeting with the No. 14 pick.

The Eagles has been doing their homework on Foster. They had him in for a pre-draft visit. We’ll see if they feel comfortable drafting him or not.