Like any commentary piece here at eDraft, this article represents the opinion of the author and not necessarily other members of the eDraft team or its affiliations.

"I would smoke “in a white classmate’s sparkling new van....In the dorm room of some brother...And I would smoke on the beach with a couple of Hawaiian kids.”

-President Barack Obama in his book "Dreams of My Father."

Is marijuana accepted as a cultural norm, like drinking? No, I won't go that far in this article. What I will say is that it is 100 percent legal in two states and it is legal for medical use in 17 others. 

Former President Bill Clinton once indicated that he smoked marijuana, but didn't enhale. Current President, Barack Obama, went a step further by indicating "Of course I enhaled, isn't that the point?" 

So why are NFL Draft pundits pushing Tyrann Mathieu down their draft boards because he was caught smoking pot multiple times during his collegiate career? It's not like he was arrested for sexual assault, gun charges or domestic violence. He just joined a vast majority of college students that actually partake in the recreational use of marijuana. 

Of course, I am not condoning it. Smoking marijuana recreationally is still illegal in 48 states. In reality, "Honey Badger" has broken the law multiple times. Does this make him a bad kid? No. Did it make him an immature college student? Of course it did. 

That being said, the thought of blacklisting him from the NFL because he was/is addicted to a substance is beyond ridiculous. This at a time when 49ers' cornerback Chris Culliver didn't miss one game for spewing anti-gay rhetoric the week leading up to the Super Bowl. This at a time when Alfonzo Dennard received a suspended 30-day jail sentence for punching a cop. This at a time when it seems like the entire NFL is in the midst of a DUI epidemic that seemingly puts the lives of complete strangers at risk. This at a time when the use of more harmful substances called PEDs threaten to destroy the foundation and credibility of the league we have all come to love.  So, instead of focusing on those issues; draft pundits continue to attack Mathieu in a never-ending stream of ignorance-filled Tweets, irrational rants on podcats and the radio and mainstream articles that seem to lack research. 

For his part, Mathieu has owned up to his past mistakes. He has come clean about failing 10 drug tests, took part in a rehabilitation program and seemed to interview extremely well at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Yes, he has done everything right over the last few months. 

Still, these skeptics want to attack Mathieu for something that took place in his past. They want to utilize him as some sort of example or poster boy for what is wrong about college athletics. 

This at a time when graduation rates within mainstream SEC schools are hovering below 40 percent. This at a time when many mainstream programs utilzie a policy of violating NCAA rules without any regard for the well being of their players,  the school and other students within the institution. 

Yeah, lets go ahead and attack a young man that admittadly had drug problems in the past. Lets attack a young man that is trying to do right by the NFL. Lets put him under the media microscope before he has taken one single snap in the National Football League. 

As a member of the mainstream media, it sickens me. 

What's next? Are we going to count the number of tattoos he has on his body and draw a racially motivated conclusion about it? Oh wait, that has already happened. 

Take a step back and realize that you are in no position to judge. Look back at your adolescent years and come to the conclusion that you made some mistakes. Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are happy with attacking an individual you don't even know. Look in your child's face and ask yourself is that what you would want him/her doing when they become adults. 

Respect the job you have. More importantly, respect others within the field that you speak for. 

If not, you are the primary reason why sports journalism has gotten such as bad wrap from athletes the world over. Speaking for myself, I am not not going to be part of a fraternity that looks at youngsters in an attempt to prop them up before tearing them down. 

In the words of Edward R. Murrow....

"We cannot make good news out of bad practice."