Whether La’el Collins can enter the 2016 NFL Draft depends on the league’s whims

La’el Collins is in a situation unlike anything we’ve ever seen from an NFL Draft prospect. The highly regarded offensive tackle out of LSU had to fly back to Louisiana just ahead of draft day to be questioned in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend. Police said that Collins is not considered a suspect, but it appears he will undergo a test to determine the paternity of the child, who died after delivery. In the meantime, he has fallen to Day 3 of the draft after being considered a surefire first-round talent entering the week.

Collins is losing a lot of money because of this situation, putting him in a precarious spot. No doubt he wants to play in the NFL next season, but he won’t be earning his maximum potential contract if he does. He and his representatives said that he would wait until the 2016 draft if he was bypassed on Day 2, but that plan may not work out as well as initially expected.

If Collins is not drafted Saturday, he won’t be able to try again next year. This is according to the NFL Network’s Albert Breer. Per NFL rules, a player who becomes a free agent after the NFL Draft cannot enter the draft again.

If Collins is drafted Saturday, he can refuse to sign a contract and enter the 2016 draft. The reasoning is a little unclear, given what the NFL’s own rules stipulate. An NFL team would own Collins’ rights for a year, and would be free to do as they want with those rights. Collins would be free to refuse to sign any contract, though, allowing him to wait for a potentially better contract in 2016.

Collins’ situation is unprecedented, so perhaps it isn’t a surprise that the NFL seems to be making up a ruling on the spot. Don’t expect this to be the last we hear on the offensive tackle.